Life happens – heavy rains, tropical storms, natural disasters and damages to your home. We’re not trying to scare anybody, but something is bound to happen eventually. Taking the proper measures now can prevent water damage to your home in the future.
Without knowing what to look for and what to prevent, water damage can really ruin your home or office if it’s not taken care of properly. Here are 10 helpful hints to help you stop water damage before it stops you.
- Clean out your gutters
You should take the time to clean out your gutters and downspouts a few times a year. Blockages can buildup and really damage your roof and lead to leakage. Clogged downspouts can lead to puddles and flooding in your foundation. If you’re unable to do this yourself, there are many companies that you can hire to do it for you.
- Watch your water bill
Has your water bill spiked a significant amount over the last month? Stop getting mad at your kids for leaving the faucet running because you might have a leak somewhere. Check your home for leakage! By simply paying close attention to your water bill, you can easily detect and stop a leak before it gets out of hand.
- Use drain snakes
You may think that drain snakes are a thing of the past thanks to all of these new chemical drain uncloggers. However, chemicals may actually cause more problems to your drains than good. Sure they are convenient, clean and easy to use, but the chemicals actually wear down and erode your pipes. This can lead to further pipe and leakage problems in the future. So stick with the old-fashioned drain snake for less damage.
- Schedule a roof inspection
To prolong your roof’s life and to avoid costly leaks, have your roof inspected on an annual basis. It may cost you a couple dollars, but we guarantee that you are saving A LOT of money by catching a problem before it becomes a hazard.
- Check your appliances
Pay close attention to your appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and toilets. Most of the time, an appliance can be fixed if it’s broken. But if you wait too long and the damage has gone too far, then you might be looking at a pretty big bill.
Check on your washing machine hoses regularly. If they look old, brittle or cracked, then it is probably time to get new ones. Washing machine hose leaks are one of the main causes of water damage in houses.
- Water detection devices are your friend
Water detection devices give you a huge upper hand when stopping leaks right when they start. What they do is let out a low sound when they start detecting moisture and light leakage levels. For best results, disperse a detection device around appliances that deal with water (washers, dishwashers, toilets). Water detection devices are good investments that prevent damages.
- Know where your water main is
Knowing where your water main, sump pump and septic system are located is essential no matter if it’s your home or your business. You need to know where these are located so that you can check on them.
One good tip is to shut your water off when you leave for a period of time. This will almost guarantee that there will be no water damage when you come back.
- Know before you plant
Understanding where your water main is located is very important when you landscape. You don’t want to plant anything too big or invasive above or around your water main, sump pump or septic system. Roots can wrap around these pipes and damage them, or make them almost impossible to get to. Have a map laid out of where you would like all your plants to go and then double check that they won’t cause any hazards before you plant.
- Test your sump pump
Along the coast, we experience some pretty crazy weather. Your sump pump is used to help remove excess water to prevent flooding. Every year you should test your sump pump at least once, and a few different times during storm seasons. To learn how to test your sump pump, check out this article.
- Attach flashing
Flashing is a thin metal strip found around doors, windows, thresholds, chimneys and roofs. If you have an older house without flashing or a home where it is worn down, we suggest replacing or installing it. By doing so, you lower the chance of water sneaking through the cracks and crevices around your home.
My aunt just moved into her new home two weeks ago, and her area has a lot of rain and humidity. She thinks that the home may have a lot of water damage in the basement from flooding. It was interesting to learn about how her water bills can be a big indicator of a leak if it suddenly spikes because it will be easy to detect.