Have You Been Hit With Water Damage?

5/11/2020 (Permalink)

The cost to repair your home from water damage is extremely high. In fact, it is one of the costliest disasters your home can ever experience. It is important that you take appropriate measures to protect your home from water damage to prevent yourself from incurring such costs. This is especially so if you are living in a flood-prone zone as water damage can be very common. Learning how to prevent water damage at home would be beneficial, and this will definitely be much cheaper than having to pay for water damage repairs. Before we discuss how you can best protect your home from water damage, we need to first know what causes water damage and how to detect it.

What Causes Water Damage?

There are many things that can cause water damage. The most common causes are usually due to extreme weather conditions such as heavy rains and floods. Burst or leaking pipes, malfunctioning electrical appliances such as the washing machine, damaged roof or groundwater seepage are also common causes of water damage. If you have experienced any of those recently, it would be a good time for you to check for the signs of water damage.

Signs of Water Damage

If you notice that the paint in your home is peeling or warping floors, it is likely due to water damage in your home. Ceilings and walls that show signs of discoloration are also an indication of water damage. If you smell a strong and musty smell, this may be a sign that there is mold in your house. Lastly, if you discover water pooling up in your yard, especially after rain, it is most probably due to water damage as well.

How to Protect Your Home from Water Damage

So, the best way to prevent water damage is to properly maintain your home. You can do so by ensuring that there is good drainage by cleaning your gutters regularly. It is advised that you clean your gutters at least twice per year. Inspect your roof periodically, especially after a large storm. This is to check for any broken or missing shingles or cracked flashing. Remember to seal your windows to prevent rain and snow from leaking into your house. Check your plumbing system annually and lastly, remember to check if your basement has sealed walls and floor and is equipped with a sump pump and a backwater valve.

Proper maintenance of your home can help reduce the risk of water damage. However, even this cannot always prevent water damage from happening. If water damage does happen to your home, do not try to solve the problem yourself as it can be unsafe and hard to deal with. Your safest bet is to contact water damage experts and let them deal with any forms of repair to set your mind at ease.