Why You Should Consider House Raising
If your house is in a flood prone area, house raising is an option that you should be seriously consider. House raising offers many benefits to the residents. It can save you a great deal of trouble when big storms hit your area.
Of course, house raising will mean extra expenses on your part, but if you weigh the cost against the benefits, you will see that you are bound to get so much more from investing in lifting your house from the ground.
The process involves the use of hydraulic jacks to lift the entire house to another level. This gives an extra empty space on the ground floor. There are various reasons why you should consider raising your house.
Reducing Flood Risk
You can get valuable peace of mind once you decide to raise your house. There is no telling when the next big storm is going to hit or how strong it might be. It can be a series of storms that will leave the community in floodwater for days.
Normally, when a house becomes flooded, the residents have to carry their belongings to the second floor, if there is one. Otherwise, the furniture and all other appliances could be damaged by the flood. The clean-up process can be the most stressful part of the disaster. Investing in house raising can help make sure that your home will be safe from flooding.
Lifting the house will create a vacant ground level where floodwater can flow freely. During the non-stormy season, the area can be used for other purposes. But once the storm season hits, you and your family can sit comfortably inside the house assured that your furniture and other belongings will not be soaked in floodwater.
Reducing Insurance Costs
Insurance companies do not want to lose money because of natural disasters, so they ask for higher premiums for homes in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. You can get significant reductions in insurance premiums if you show the insurance company that you doing something to protect your home.
Complying with the Community’s Floodplain Management
House raising is always part of the local council’s floodplain management scheme. Voluntarily raising your house will help the local government take care of the community. In planning for the house raising, make sure to consult with the authorities about the requirements for your area. You will be guided according to the expected flood levels and severity of the flood incidents.