Tips for Avoiding Water Damage

 

If you’ve ever experienced water damage, or if you know people who have, then you likely know that the aftermath of a flood or plumbing accident isn’t pretty – or cheap. As with most unpleasant things, taking preventative measures to avoid water damage in the first place makes sense. Not only are most of the water damage prevention steps easy to perform, they are generally inexpensive, if not free!

 

Before you begin, consider some of the common causes of water damage: drips, leaks, and clogs. With these root causes in mind, inspect your house and take action! This may involve a bit of work on your part such as cleaning out rain gutters and clogged drains, and it may require a few trips to the hardware store to buy new hoses, caulk, washers, and fittings. However, your efforts are well worth doing as a simple overflow could cost you hundreds of dollars in water damage mop up costs and repairs.

 

Dealing with Drips

While drips and leaks are similar, let’s address them separately. When inspecting your home for drips, use your sense of hearing as you inspect the following areas:

·        Sinks, including the faucet as well as the plumbing underneath the sink

·        Any appliances with hoses such as washing machines, refrigerators, water heaters, and dishwashers. Pay attention to heating and air conditioning systems as well as these systems produce water and often have hoses leading to drip pans or drains.

·        Any area with exposed plumbing. This includes basements, crawl spaces, unfinished sections of your garage, laundry rooms, bathrooms, and outdoor areas such as hose bibs and exposed sprinkler lines.

 

Look for signs of water and listen for the telltale sign of drips. Sometimes the repair is as simple as tightening a water valve while other repairs may require new fittings, hoses, or washers. Replace any hoses that show signs of deterioration such as brittle washing machine hoses.

 

Dealing with Leaks

Like drips, you’ll find leaks in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and other areas where water lines run. However, leaks can be more difficult to detect. After all, a slow leak may not make a drip, drip, drip sound. In fact, the leak can be well hidden, slowly causing damage. Look for signs of water leaks by inspecting areas around windows and appliances for signs of moisture. You may notice damp carpet, water stains, or mildew. Basement leaks and seepage are also common, so be sure to check your basement, using your sense of smell as you search for signs of water damage.

 

Repairing leaks can be as simple as caulking a leaking window or replacing a leaking pipe. Ignoring leaks almost always leads to further damage.

 

Dealing with Clogs

Clogs are responsible for water damage due to overflows. After all, if a drain is clogged, water has nowhere to go. Typical areas to clean and maintain for preventing clogs include:

·        Sump pump drains

·        Rain gutters

·        Toilets

·        Kitchen disposals

·        Sinks and tubs

·        Outdoor drains

·        Laundry drains

 

Regularly inspect drains and gutters and clean out the gunk as needed. Use a plumbing snake to clear clogged pipes and keep a toilet plunger handy for clogged toilets.

 

These are easy water damage prevention steps that you can take today to prevent costly water damage cleanup and repair costs tomorrow.

 

By: Mr. Mark Decherd

 

For more information and other articles by Mark Decherd go to:

 

Dryout® Inc.
1415 Colonial Blvd.
Fort Myers, Fl. 33907

239-437-7100

<A HREF="http://www.dryout.net">Water Damage</A>

 

 

Dryout Inc Emergency water damage restoration, drying, deodorization, decontamination, disinfection, mold removal, water damage repair, restoration and reconstruction of commercial and residential properties damaged by fire, water and other disasters by a network of trained specialists, technicians and restoration professionals across the USA and Canada.

 

Comments

[Lerenry Mackinley]

Gutters are notorious for clogging. They have to be cleaned at least once a month to prevent the leaves and other junk from blocking the drainage. There are also gutter covers that you can easily install. These also have to be cleaned regularly. But they prevent the waste from blocking the pipes.