If you had to nominate the worst cause of damage to your property water would be right up there as a major culprit.

Water invading your property whether it is flooding or excessive moisture has the capacity to create some serious problem in your home in an instant or over a period of time, which is why you should consider the idea of waterproofing your home, a task you can complete in just one weekend.

Here is a look at how to protect your home from the invasive threat of water and the damage it can do. There are some simple but effective tips to follow on how to achieve this task over a couple of days if you approach it in the right way and create a list of tasks to complete.

Cover up those cracks

Cracks in your concrete are simply inviting trouble and they leave your home vulnerable to rainwater.

The good news is that repairing concrete cracks is well within the scope of most DIY-minded homeowners. Take a walk around your home and identify any area that needs repair, then arrange to fill them with caulk or a suitable concrete patch product.

This task shouldn’t take up too much of your weekend and will leave you plenty of time to tackle the other waterproofing jobs on your list.

Get your gutters in order

Another important job is to clean and repair your gutters so that rainwater is efficiently collected and despatched from your home without having the chance to cause any damage.

A clogged downspout is so simple to sort out and such a bad idea to leave unfixed for any amount of time, as the excess water has to go somewhere and more than likely it is going to try and find a way inside your property.

Make sure you work safely when you are using ladders and get someone to help you with holding the ladder in place while you focus on removing the debris. A pair of tongs should be able to help you pull the leaves out, but if that doesn’t work you could use a hose to flush the clog out.

Once you have cleared the gutters, check them for any loose fixings and repair or replace where necessary so that they are ready to serve you and your home properly again.

Pick the right paint

Next up in your weekend efforts aimed at waterproofing your home is some painting tasks.

It is worth saying at this point that you would be making a mistake if you think you can simply paint over any unsightly water stains as a quick-fix. The stains or mold caused by water damage in the first place will soon reappear through the pain, so you are wasting your time.

However, the way you can resolve the problem successfully is to use a waterproof sealant paint initially, then use a regular paint afterward.

This should help to contain the damage and make it look better as well preventing further spread, but be realistic with your attempts to paint over a problem. If the damage is extensive it might be a bridge too far for your DIY skills and it might need a professional touch to resolve the issue successfully.

Sticky doors and windows

Wet weather can take its toll on your windows and doors and there may be a few around your home that might have managed to swell up and stick.

You want all your doors and windows to fit as snugly as possible and work efficiently, not just from a waterproofing point of view but also because you want to be able to open and close them with ease.

Make a note of where each window or door is sticking before attempting to remove it. Take care when applying a plan to shave off the excess wood so that it will fit again properly, as the wood will shrink back when the weather becomes drier throughout the summer.

It is always worth trying to prevent the windows and doors sticking in the first place by applying a light coat of linseed oil as a sealer. If you do intend to apply some paint consider avoiding painting the channels where the window needs to slide if it doesn’t show.

It may take the best part of a couple of days to complete all your tasks depending on what condition your home is in and the faults you find, but it is definitely possible to waterproof your home in a weekend.

Demi Hudson shares her knowledge on home repairs. She works in the office of her family-run home maintenance business.