Water Damage: Tips On How to Prevent It
Flood and water damage is a common issue that affects most homes or commercial properties and can be pricey to fix. That’s an issue that many homeowners in Philadelphia, PA, are desperate to avoid as it can result in health and safety issues.
Fortunately, simple repairs can help you avoid minor and major water damage, which may require costly restoration services in the future.
How Does Water Damage Occur?
Water damage doesn’t always result from dramatic natural disasters like heavy thunderstorms, hurricanes, and flash floods. Many homes in the Philadelphia area are often destroyed by hidden moisture from water pipe leaks, blocked gutters, poorly graded soil, and damaged sump pumps.
Most water damage on residential and commercial properties results from easily curable issues that many DIY enthusiasts can fix early enough. If left unchecked, water damage can rot studs and drywall, create mold and weaken major structural elements such as beams and joists.
Stopping water leaks before the first drop occurs is the best way to avoid water damage. Here are 10 tips to help you reduce water damage to your residential or commercial properties.
1. Inspect Sink and Drains
Keep your drains and sink healthy by avoiding dumping greasy liquids down your drain. Flushing the grease with cold or hot water doesn’t matter, as the oil can solidify and stick to the pipes. That blocks the water flow and can damage the pipes.
Be careful when cleaning the drain with chemicals, as they can damage your pipes and cause future leaks. A drain snake is the best solution to clear away clogs.
You make a huge difference by:
- Regularly clean drains
- Ensure your tub’s overflow drain isn’t leaking
- Regularly check the drain taps on your sink cabinets
- Clean the strainer and trash the debris away from your toilet or drain
2. Check Your Appliances Regularly
Regularly check any leaky appliances using the manufacturer’s manual. Most homeowner insurance policies won’t cover water damage restoration costs from lack of maintenance, so periodically checking your appliances for water leaks is essential. That includes checking your refrigerator, water heater, and AC units.
3. Check Your Water Shut-Off Valves
Knowing the location of your water shut-off valves is important in case of a flood emergency before getting water damage restoration services. It’s also important to shut off water while away from home for a vacation or trip.
Even small leaks while you’re away might result in costly water damage restoration and mold remediation expenses.
4. Install Leak Detectors
Installing leak detectors in your home helps you avoid standing water and mold growth from water damage. These electronic devices detect floods and water leaks and sound an alarm.
They include features like intelligent home integration, wi-fi capabilities, temperature sensors, and phone alerts.
5. Install Water-Flow Monitoring Systems
These electronic devices are installed directly on your main water supply to measure the water flow to your house. When the monitoring system detects an inconsistency between your water supply and appliance use, it can automatically cut off the water flow.
The system can improve your water and minimize your utility costs.
6. Check Water Pressure
High water pressure can cause water pipes and hoses to burst, leaving you to pay for emergency water damage restoration. That makes a pressure gauge an essential investment, as it can help detect leaks in your garden or plumbing systems to avoid further damage.
7. Fix Missing or Cracked Caulking
With a tube of exterior-grade caulking, it’s easy to eliminate leaks from your doors and windows before they start. When the weather is conducive, make a circuit of your residential or commercial property to look for missing or cracked caulk.
Any cracks noticed must be filled, no matter how small. You’ll need to pay attention to the upper side of the window casing, where water often accumulates.
8. Grade the Exterior Soil
Armed with a rake and a shovel, ensure the ground adjacent to your home’s inclines as it touches the foundation wall. If the ground declines towards your wall, you’ll need residential water damage restoration whenever it rains, as it will bring in excess water from outside through your basement floor.
While water damage cleanup can offer temporary restitution, regrading the soil to ensure it ramps away from your foundation is the most effective solution. When disaster strikes, the further you go down the slope, the more you can avoid flood damage and pay for water damage restoration.
9. Inspect the Roof
Without a weather-proof roof, your home will be prone to water damage and molds. Even without catastrophic roof damage, faulty roofs can leak in many ways, resulting in flood damage, wet furniture, and mold growth.
Grab your ladder and inspect any shingles that may allow water to enter your home before the storm arrives. Through inspection, you can look for signs of mold and overgrown moss that may damage your roof and compromise the structure of your property.
10. Inspect and Repair Your Chimney
Any opening in the exterior structure of your home has the potential to leak, leaving you in need of water damage restoration services. Your chimney is a large opening that isn’t as well-sealed as your doors and windows.
Rainwater coming through uncapped chimneys, especially on the side, can cause significant damage to your walls, attic, and floors. Here’s how to avoid water damage repair from leaking chimneys.
- Install a chimney cap and ensure there are no leaks.
- Get a chimney technician to inspect your chimney’s metal flashing to ensure no water passes through.
- Get the chimney mortar sealed by a professional mason, or do it yourself.
- Repair any cracks in your chimney.
Need Professional Water Damage Restoration in Philadelphia, PA? CPR Restoration is Here for You!
CPR Restoration & Cleaning Services delivers reliable residential and commercial water damage restoration services in Philadelphia, quickly returning your property to its pre-loss condition. Call us at (215) 777-1212, and our certified restoration technicians will restore your peace of mind as well as the former glory of your property!
Our certified professionals understand the importance of immediate water restoration when disaster strikes, using advanced equipment for the entire restoration process.
