It’s bound to happen at some point—you’re taking care of business only to discover that you’re fresh out of toilet paper. But it just so happens that you have a roll of paper towels or a box of facial tissues nearby. Nature’s calling, and at that point, substituting tissue or paper towels for toilet paper doesn’t seem all that terrible. Unfortunately, doing just that could be more dangerous for your toilet than you think.

Summer has arrived, and if you’re a parent, that means your kids are off from school and spending more time around the house. While it can be a pleasure having the kids around all day, their presence also makes plumbing problems more likely.

Problems that have been brewing for a while may become more serious, and new problems may arise as well. Follow these seven plumbing tips to protect your plumbing from the kids.

Spring’s temperate weather can provide welcome relief from the cloudy skies, slick roads, and freezing temperatures of winter. However, the sudden change in weather, especially if you have several warm days punctuated by a cold spell, can wreak havoc on your plumbing system.

In this blog, we list six of the most common plumbing and drainage problems that arise this time of year.

Sadly, one of the most abused aspects of home plumbing is the kitchen garbage disposal. Many people treat the disposal as a “catch all” for food scraps and even non-food items. If you want your disposal to last, however, it’s best to use it properly.

Maintaining your disposal is easy. When you only use your disposal for its correct purpose, you’ll have little, if any, trouble with it in the future. Here’s what you need to do to make sure you’re being kind to your kitchen disposal.

If you own a property that has a basement, you should have a plan to deal with potential flooding. It isn’t just a broken levee or swollen creek that causes water to pour into a home. Roof damage, foundation cracks, and improperly sealed windows can all lead to water pooling in the basement.

Flooding in a home damages structural elements and leads to mold and mildew growth. It’s best to practice prevention to avoid the risk of flooding, but you should also have the tools on hand to manage potential flood events.

Determine Your Risk of Property Flooding

If you live high up on a hill, far away from a body of water, with adequate landscape drainage in a well-sealed home, you’re in a great spot. As long as a tornado or fallen tree doesn’t take out a section of your roof, you’re at a low risk of suffering a flood event. It’s still a good idea to keep a wet-dry vacuum cleaner and spare mops on hand in case a toilet overflows or a window is left open during a rainstorm.

If you live close to a river, your home has clogged gutters, or you’ve experienced flooding in your basement before, you’re at a high risk of a future flooding crisis. Property owners who are lower in elevation on gravity-fed sewer lines often get hit hardest as storm water flows downhill into their basements. If this describes your property, you’re also at high risk.