Common Reasons for Water Damage and How to Prevent It

After finding water damage in their home, most people’s first reaction will be to ask how this happened, and how to prevent it from happening again. If you aren’t sure how the water damage in your home was caused, start looking at the three most common causes of water damage.

Flat Roof

It’s pretty obvious that flat roofs are a lot harder to drain than pitched roofs. Even though most flat roofs are slanted slightly to allow water to exit the roof through drainage points towards the edges, these can easily become clogged. If this happens or if the roof is not angled correctly, water can collect on the roof and begin to seep through and into the house over time. If you have a flat roof, it is important that you check to make sure there isn’t any water buildup after heavy snow or rainfall.

Gutters

If you have a pitched roof, gutters are vital to making sure rainwater is not only drained off of your roof, but also directed far enough away from your home that it doesn’t over saturate the ground and cause flooding on the ground level. Gutters can also be easily clogged with leaves, mud, sticks, etc. Because of this, it is important to clean out your gutters regularly. If they are clogged or even broken, it won’t be able to carry water away from your home. Instead, water can spill through cracks and breaks, or overflow and land right next to your house and eventually make its way inside, causing an even bigger, more expensive problem.

Leaky Pipes

If you turn on water from any source and you notice water coming out of anywhere other than the faucet, under your sink perhaps, you’ve got a leaky pipe. Pipes have tons of connections on their road from the supply to your faucets and older connections can start to leak after a few years. Then there’s the nightmare scenario of a burst pipe. Pipes usually burst because the water inside them freezes, causing the metal pipe to rupture and once it thaws and the water is turned on, you are going to have a huge mess. If this disaster strikes, cut off the water supply and call Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc. to ensure the mess is properly and completely cleaned up.

Though these are a few of the most common reasons for water damage, they are far from the only reasons. A lot of the time, spotting water damage from any water source can be difficult. Here are some signs to look out for:

• Faulty Paint

If your paint begins to bubble, peel, chip, or show any evidence of discoloration, that’s one of the easier signs of water damage to identify

• Cracked Caulk

Deteriorating caulk around the base of your sink faucet or windows is another sneaky sign of water damage.

• Damp Doors

If you’re noticing that your doors (or windows, for that matter) are becoming increasingly difficult to open or close, that could be a result of them taking on water like a sponge. Wood windows and doors are clearly the most susceptible to this sneaky sign of water damage.

• Damaged Foundation

A cracked foundation could be a result of water seeping in. This could likely be a result of improper drainage from gutters and downspouts, among other sources.

• Funky Odors

Eventually, water damage will start to emit a musty, mildewy smell. Listen to your nose, it is on your side.

If you are experiencing any type of water damage in Goshen, contact a trusted, certified professional water restoration team like Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc..