A Homeowner's Guide to Preventing Costly Water Damage
Water damage is one of the most disruptive and costly problems that homeowners encounter, and the average claim cost is over 11,000. Burst water pipes, roof leakage and cracks in the foundations can degrade the structure of your home and provide dangerous mold environments. The silver lining? With appropriate maintenance and care, most of the water losses can be avoided. This broad-based guide will step you through the process of determining areas of vulnerabilities, preventative measures, and when to seek the services of the professionals in order to secure your most significant investment.
Knowing the General Reasons of Water Damage
Water damage does not necessarily strike its toll. Most of the homeowners fail to notice that damage is being done before serious issues start. Examples of culprits include: old pipes which corrode internally, malfunctioning gutters which tend to funnel water to the foundations, damaged roof shingles that allow water to leak in and ineffective grading around the perimeter of your home which directs water towards the structure.
The changes in temperature in California too contribute to this-freezing of pipes, which is not very common in the state but during the rare moments when the temperatures drop, the pipes can always burst open. Also, such appliance malfunctions as the burst of hoses of the washing machine or water leaks in a water heater occur suddenly and can fill whole rooms in several minutes.
Check and Repair Your Pipes on a Continual Basis
Your plumbing system should be given regular care. Begin by visually inspecting bare pipe in basements, crawl spaces and under sinks to determine whether there is corrosion, presence of green or white mineral deposits or some leakage. Look at waterstains on ceilings and walls that are a sign of the concealed leaks between walls or over ceilings.
Video inspection of your pipes is recommended by a professional after every few years, particularly when your house was constructed before 1990. Aged houses are usually fitted with polybutylene or galvanized steel pipes which wear as time progresses. New plumbing resources such as copper or PEX are lasting longer and are more dependable. There is professional plumbers with advanced technology of detecting leak that can detect the problem before it turns to an emergency thus saving thousands of dollars in repairing water damage.
Other companies such as White Glove Plumbing provide services that include general inspections and leak detection of the Southern California homeowners, with the help of the state of the art equipment that has the power to identify even pinhole leaks which may later turn out to be a major cause of damage.
Keep Your Roof, Gutters and Exterior Draining
The first line of defense of your home against the entry of water is your roof. Check it with a pair of field glasses on the ground each year checking to see if there are any missing, cracked or curled shingles. In storm aftermath, inspect debris that might collect water and hasten its decay.
Gutters and downspouts require clean up, particularly in the fall season in California, when the leaf littering is very high. Blocked gutters lead to overflowing of water which stands on your wall and forms the ideal setting of cracks and water seepage. Make sure the downspouts are at least four or six feet away at the foundation of your home and think about putting gutter guards to reduce the number of maintenance.
Check the grading of your home also. The slope of the ground must be out of your foundation thus flowing off the building. In low lands, it is advisable to have French drains or sump pumps to handle the unwanted water during downpour.
Guard Your Washing Machines and Water Heater
The water heater breakdowns are the most destructive plumbing crises that home owners encounter. Annually check your water heater to check on rust, corrosion and dripping connections. Keep the ideal temperature (120-130degF) and empty it once a year to eliminate the accumulation of sediments.
Likewise, the hoses to the washing machines may burst anytime. Change rubber hoses with braided steel hoses every 5-7 years, and have your washing machine mounted on a high platform which will keep the leakages inside it. Also, you should place your water heater and washing machine close to floor drains whenever possible and you should not leave these machine running when you are not at home longer periods of time.
Know When to Call a Pro
Daily maintenance is a sure way of cutting risks down to bare minimum, whereas professional knowledge is invaluable when issues ensue. In case you observe that there is a lot of moisture in your crawl space, musty smell, moulds, or discolouring of walls and ceilings with water, call a licensed plumber. The immediate response to water damage in case of an emergency will help to avoid the development of molds as well as the weakening of the structure.
Conclusion
Water damage should be prevented by observing, maintaining and having advanced expertise. Regular inspection of your plumbing system, maintenance of gutters and integrity of your roof and preventative of appliances will allow an individual to significantly lower the extent of water damage and prevent costly repair. Or even in case things go wrong, act promptly professional plumbers can be able to identify and fix problems fast before they can turn into an expensive fiasco. The value of your home and the safety of your family are insured now and in the future due to your proactive nature.
