Now that we have made it through the first half of Spring, the temperature and humidity rates have started rising. For many Iowans, this means that days at the lake are not far off. Although, our late start to spring likely means that the water will still be a bit chilly this Memorial Day weekend. Either way, this time of year is when veteran and first-time lakefront homeowners start preparing their lake house for the upcoming summer season. To keep your lake house safe this summer, ServiceMaster By Rice would like to offer you some things to consider.
Buying A New Home
If you have recently purchased or inherited a new lake house, congratulations! Having a lake house is an exciting life achievement to reach. However, much like owning any other home, lake homes come with a handful of issues. Make sure that you are considering the long term of owning a lake home. Do you have your finances in order to support it 5-10 years from now? What will your insurance rates look like? These are a handful of things to consider apart from what we will cover in this blog.
Natural Disaster Preparation
Thankfully, you should never have to worry about a hurricane devastating your lake home in Iowa. However, we are still prone to many natural disasters that can affect your home. No matter where you live in this state, there is a chance that a flood, tornado, or even an earthquake can strike your home. Although you can never fully prepare for an event like this, you can take some precautionary steps.
Flooding
Most lakes in Iowa can take heavy rainfall and never overflow. But as the summers of 1993 and 2008 showed, there is always a chance that devastating levels of rainfall can hit our state. If we are experiencing heavy rainfall in the early parts of this summer, move items that you have in the basement or lower level to the top level. If you have a boat or multiple boats on a dock, it would be wise to pull them out of the lake before storms and high waters knock them off of the dock.
Tornado
Make sure you have a place in your lake home spotted out that you can cover at in the event of a tornado. If your lake house does not have a place to hide accessible, research where the closest tornado shelter is to you.
Current State of The Home
When inspecting your lake house for the first time in the season, you should have a checklist of things to go through. A home that sits dormant for half of the year can accumulate problems that go unnoticed, leading to bigger problems down the line.
Check the Pipes
Make sure there are no spots where pipes could be rusted out or broken from a cold winter. Always turn off the water line when leaving the home for an extended period of time.
Electricity
Make sure that the outlets are properly connected and that all electronics are unplugged when you leave the house after a trip. Skipping a simple step like this can cause an electrical fire and burn the entire house down.
General Condition
Take a thorough look at the interior and exterior of your lake home. Are there noticeable points of damage? Do you see places where mold could grow? Are there any signs in the condition of your home that throw up a red flag? If so, address these issues early on or you could be looking at expensive fixes down the line.
Iowa’s Remediation and Cleanup Experts
Although we hope your lake home has no problems this upcoming summer, ServiceMaster by Rice is here for you in a time of need. We provide fire damage repair, flood damage repair, mold remediation, natural disaster repair, and many more services. If you are looking for a disaster relief company that cares, contact us today! We have experts across Iowa and southern Minnesota ready to serve you.
