Spring is officially underway, and while our focus has swung toward outdoor projects, it’s not all daffodils and sunny skies for homeowners this season.

Avoid basement flooding

The past couple of years — certainly last November with Hurricane Sandy — we’ve seen that in order to undergo serious storm damage, a house does not necessarily have to be located in a flood zone. This spring, water issues are top of mind for many homeowners discovering leaks that developed over the winter. Snowmelt, in combination with seasonal rain showers, can result in overwhelmed culverts, backed-up sewers and flooded basements.

Of course, there’s little you can do about the weather, but you can take some steps to ensure your basement or crawl space remains dry. Having cleared your gutters of debris, position downspouts away from the house and foundation. The goal is to drain storm water at least 3 feet away, so consider running extensions or troughs. If you have below-grade basement windows, install window well covers made of a strong acrylic that will fasten securely to your home’s foundation.

Inspect the exterior foundation and your basement’s walls and floors. Use epoxy to fill any foundation cracks and if warning signs are detected, apply masonry sealer to basement walls. If the problem appears more serious, call in a professional.

If you haven’t had your sewer inspected or your septic tank cleaned, April is a good month to address those concerns. And if you’re operating a sump pump, be certain it’s free of blockage, correctly positioned and connected to a power source. Since a sump pump won’t run if your electricity goes out, a generator may be a long-term investment worth considering.