How to prevent water damage?

4/4/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage in the kitchen

Water in the home may seem harmless enough, but when it creeps across your kitchen floors in streams and causes your linoleum floors to bubble up – or when it drips, drip, drips quietly beneath your bathroom sink and triggers mold growth – it's no longer so innocent. Water damage is a leading cause of loss for homeowners and often results in costly and extensive repairs. Some common perils of water damage include the following:

• Mold
• Buckling floorboards
• Rotted drywall
• Damaged insulation
• Structural rot and decomposition
  

Fortunately, most water problems can be prevented with routine inspections and maintenance. Below are a few ways in which you can prevent water damage and loss in your home.
1. Fix General Plumbing Issues

No leak is too small and no-drip too minor. If you discover a cracked or broken pipe, shut off the water valve and make the necessary repairs before the leak becomes a burst. Any water remediation team will tell you that damage from a leaking pipe is much easier to clean up than damage from a burst supply line.

2. Inspect and Maintain Appliances That Use Water

Cracked hoses, faulty connections and aging materials can all cause leaks and lead to excess water in the home if not caught in time. It doesn't hurt to check behind your washing machine once a week and before starting a load for pools of water, or to check behind your dishwasher for moisture. The two minutes it takes you to check can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars in pipe cleanup costs.

3. Get Your HVAC System Inspected and Maintained

Many homeowners don't think about their HVAC systems being the cause of water damage in the home, but the truth is that these systems are a huge culprit of moisture build-up and damage. You can keep your system in good working order and prevent costly issues by having a professional come in once or twice a year to inspect the unit and make any necessary repairs.

Water in the home can be costly and damaging. You can prevent water damage and the need to hire a SERVPRO Malibu/Topanga Canyon/ Pacific Palisades, water damage cleanup team by following the above advice.