An Easy Guide to Preventing Water Damage at Your Home

Water damage can be a nightmare for any homeowner. This problem isn’t often seen as a huge problem, but it can truly creep into your home and hurt your bank account pretty badly. It usually starts with just minor signs such as discoloration of ceilings and walls, mold growth, musky smells, and leaky faucets. These problems can result in expensive dripping leak costs or, worse, structural damage and devalued property in the long run.

 

Water damage is also known to pose health hazards. If not prevented, it can cause toxins to linger inside the HVAC system, carpets, and furniture. The best solution? Prevent it as early as you can. Read on to learn what actions you can take to protect your home from water damage.

1. Inspect and Repair Your Roof

Your home’s roof is the main thing protecting you from a downpour; once it deteriorates, serious problems start to arise. This is the reason inspecting your roof before and after a heavy rain is necessary, allowing you to prevent any roof issues before they even cause water damage.

 

However, if you already have leaks, it’s best to hire a roof repair service to prevent more damage to your house. If you notice water stains on your ceiling, it’s most likely due to roof leaks. Ignoring a leaky roof can lead to a more costly expense such as getting a replacement.

2. Clean Your Gutters

Aside from your roof, you’d also want to keep your gutters or downspouts in good condition. Over time, they will be filled with leaves, seeds, and other debris that can lead to clogs. On top of that, if your gutters are clogged, standing water is also present, which can totally damage both your gutters and roof.

 

In addition, if water is spilled on the side of your home or is misdirected due to clogged gutters, your house’s foundation and siding can get damaged too. Prevent these issues by cleaning your gutters and downspouts at least two twice a year. You can do it more frequently if you live in a storm-prone area.

3. Seal Your Windows

In case your windows are the ones causing water leaks, you can consider replacing them. However, if your windows are still in excellent condition, resealing them with caulk can stop potential water damage in your home. Caulks can also be utilized around ceiling fixtures, bathtubs, faucets, and other plumage points to stop water leaks from occurring.

 

The good news is, caulking is an easy task that you can do even without experience. The challenging part is choosing the type of caulking compound itself. Be sure to ask an expert at the local hard store to ensure you’ll be getting the best type suitable for your windows, the issue, and the climate too.

4. Check Your Interior

Inspecting your home’s interior is also necessary to prevent expensive water damage. Check your faucets, sinks, and toilets for any leaks, and get them fixed right away. In some instances, walls, ceilings, and floors may also hide leaks, which can be hard to detect. Call on a professional to inspect and fix the leaks.

 

For your plumbing systems, keep a sharp eye on leak signs, too. These include slow drainage, poor water pressure, water spots and sagging points on the floors, ceiling, and walls, musty doors, and an unusually high water bill. To keep your pipes in top shape, avoid pouring oil or grease down the drain as they can harden over time. During cold nights, open under-sink cabinet doors and set the thermostat to around 60 degrees so warm air can properly circulate around the pipers and prevent freezing.

5. Be Careful with Planting

Did you know the roots of trees are greatly invasive? So, before planting any trees or large plants on your property, know where your sprinkler lines, septic tanks, and underground pipes are located. Tree roots can damage your foundation and cause water damage too.

 

Do your measurements to ensure that you’ll be planting at a suitable distance from your house. Ideally, you should base the distance from the plant’s height. Furthermore, it would be best to avoid picking plants with root systems that can be problematic such as holly bushes, boxwood shrubs, as well as, poplar, magnolia, citrus, oak, willow, and birch trees.

 

Water damage may seem like not a big deal, but it sure is. It can impact your home’s foundation, damage your electrical systems, and even invite ticks and mosquitoes into your home. Keep your property in top shape and prevent water damage by taking notes of the tips!