How To Prevent Water Leak Damage In Your Home

Just imagine wading through a substantial pool of grayish water on your living room floor or in your kitchen. Many of your most precious belongings are ruined and you don’t see how the structural integrity of your home will be salvaged without spending thousands on repairs.

Sounds like a nightmare, huh?

Unless your home gets hit with a major hurricane, it’s usually safe to say that water leak damage is something that’s pretty preventable. We’d like to take a moment now, to give you a few tips on how to keep your residence free from an H20 takeover.

Your Roof

A very common cause of water leak damage in your home is a faulty roof. That’s why it’s vital that you have it inspected on a regular basis and that you have the necessary repairs made immediately. Of course, experts will do a great job of examining your roof too, but this is definitely something you can do on your own.

Take a look at each side of the roof slope for broken, scarred, or lose shingles. If you notice any defects here, you’re going to want to call a professional.

Pay close attention to the ventilation system. Roof vents are constructed with metal and it’s imperative to make sure that this metal is not damaged. Denting in the metal is common, but holes are obviously not a good sign. The caulking should be intact and flush with the metal and the shingle. If it’s not, this is a very good place for water to leak through and into your home.

Next, examine the substrate. Piping coming through your roof is a frequent cause of water damage in your home when it turns out that it’s decaying or damaged.

Your Toilets And Sinks

It’s usually the case that a leaking roof isn’t going to have terrible consequences on the health of you and your family. However, you can’t really say the same about an overflowing toilet. Perhaps this isn’t a “leak” in the traditional sense, but it’s definitely water damage that you should know how to prevent.

Many of the prevention techniques to be employed here are common sense, and are to be considered best practices for even using these household devices in the first place.

For instance, after using the toilet, flushing prior to adding toilet tissue is a good way to avoid overflows. Similarly, flushing multiple times throughout is also a good habit to get into.

With regard to your sink – if it’s not equipped with a garbage disposal you have no business peeling vegetables in it without a stopper, nor should you be tossing in left over food scraps of any kind. If you do have a garbage disposal, it’s important that it’s always working in prime condition.

Whenever you throw items into the disposal, don’t simply turn it on and then off right away. Let it run for several seconds to make sure that all of the scraps have been broken down properly. It’s also important to run the hot water into the drain while the disposal is running, as it helps to break down the materials a bit better.

Follow These Simple Suggestions For A Cleaner, Dryer Home

Leaks can happen virtually anywhere in your home, and what we’ve mentioned above, isn’t at all an exhaustive list. Nevertheless, we’ve given you a few good reminders to put into practice in order to keep your home dry and safe. If you have any further questions about how to prevent water damage, don’t hesitate to contact your local water damage contractors today!

Frequently Asked Questions