6 common mistakes that result in water damage in your home
Water damage can result in severe consequences, silently causing chaos in homes until detected. It can lead to extensive property and financial damage, requiring immediate restoration. A quick and effective response is essential to reduce overall damage. Keep reading to learn the risk factors that lead to water damage in your home to take timely measures.
Impact of Extreme Weather Conditions
- Severe weather, including thunderstorms and hurricanes, poses significant risks of water damage to your property. The forceful winds and torrential rainfall have the potential to compromise your roof, allowing rainwater to seep into your home.
Moreover, in flood-prone regions, severe weather may escalate into flash flooding, exacerbating the risk of water damage.
Blocked Gutters
- Your home’s gutter system serves the essential function of diverting rainwater away from your property. However, over time, gutters often become clogged with leaves, branches, and debris. When this occurs, rainwater is unable to flow freely, leading to overflow along the edges of the gutters.
Consequently, water seeps down the sides of your house, causing damage to ceilings, walls, and floors. Regular inspections can detect early signs of a blocked gutter. Seeking professional assistance for inaccessible areas is advisable to ensure thorough maintenance.
Clogged Drains
- The drains in key areas of your home, such as the kitchen sink, bathroom floor, and bathtub, are susceptible to various blockages. Hair, grease buildup, toiletries, dirt, and miscellaneous objects can obstruct the drainpipe, impeding normal drainage. If left unattended, these clogs can lead to backups and subsequent flooding, resulting in water damage within your property.
Regular maintenance is imperative to mitigate the risk posed by blocked drains. Consistently using drain cleaners can help keep pipes clear. Furthermore, scheduling professional drain cleaning services can ensure early identification of potential issues before they escalate.
Damage from Aging Appliances
- As appliances become old, their pipes rust, and hoses can deteriorate, leading to potential leaks or burst pipes. Washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters, and refrigerators are among the culprits contributing to such damage.
Regularly inspect these appliances and replace any worn-out components promptly. Installing a leak detection system that automatically shuts off the water supply upon detecting a leak can effectively mitigate the risk of substantial damage and the need for water damage restoration.
Leaking Water Heaters
- The likelihood of a leak occurring in an aging water heater is significant, especially if it’s poorly maintained or improperly installed. Excessive tank pressure can also contribute to leaks. When a water heater springs a leak, the basement can flood rapidly.
Preventing water damage is challenging but not impossible. By addressing the potential causes, you can minimize the risk of water damage.
Sewage Backups
- Sewage backups pose a severe risk to homeowners and can pose health hazards due to the presence of bacteria and pathogens in wastewater. Sewage backups are classified as a “category 3″ water loss due to contaminants, necessitating additional precautions and remediation measures during cleanup.
Apart from the standard property restoration steps required for cleaning water damage, special attention is crucial to ensure the affected area is properly handled and sanitized.
Call a professional water damage specialist after a disaster and get the help you need today. Move back into your home or restart your business quickly by hiring experienced Flood Restoration Services. Love Your Carpet provides flood restoration services for the Las Vegas Valley, whether from a burst pipe, water heater, appliance, sewage backup, or natural disaster. We offer a wide variety of water damage and flood repair services. Call us today at (702) 898-6070.