Top 7 Tips to Prevent Water Damage

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There are many ways that water can go into the wrong places in your home and damage the building or your belongings inside. Water damage to your home may be the result of appliances malfunctioning or a problem with their connections. Water damage also happens when plumbing pipes are damaged.

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Water damage is often caused by damage to the home’s exterior, such as when a broken roof or window admits rainwater into your home. Flooding incidents outside the home also increase the threat of water damage. Lastly, your personal habits may also result in water damage to your house, warns Level Property Management.

Because of the number of ways that water can get into your home and because water runs through the entire house and is constantly being used, preventing water damage in the home can be difficult. But are there simple steps you can take to reduce the risk of this problem in your home? Yes, there are.

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Tips for preventing water damage to your home

What you do to prevent water damage to your home depends on what part of the home or the specific feature you are working with. Since there are many potential causes of water damage in your home, the steps to prevent water damage are also diverse.

1.   Know where your water shut-off valve is located

When you have a leak or burst pipe inside your home, shutting off the water from the source will prevent further water damage to your property. And to do this during an emergency, you need to know where the shut-off valve is beforehand. In most homes, the shut-off valve can be found outside the home, usually a short distance from the water meter. Find the main shut-off valve and learn how to use it.

2.   Check water supply lines in the kitchen and bathroom regularly.

Create a schedule for inspecting your home's plumbing pipes, fixtures, and drains. This is something you want to put on your calendar so that you do not forget to do it. Some things you want to look for during checks are frayed or damaged hoses, condensation on water pipes, loose connectors, and slow drains. It is a good idea to have a plumber do a routine check of the plumbing twice a year. You should also be able to do a cursory check of these features in-between inspections.

3.   Know how to prevent frozen pipes during winter

Many of the leaks that show up in your home during spring actually happen in winter. Pipes may freeze in winter without any visible signs of damage. The problem only becomes apparent after winter, in spring, or well into summer.

To protect your home from water damage, you should know how to keep pipes from freezing during winter. The small steps you take to winterize your home will go a long way to prevent problems during and after winter.

4.   Inspect appliances for signs of problems

Water-utilizing appliances are often at the center of the events that cause water damage to your home. Problems often originate at the water supply hose. Condensation, corrosion, tears, breaks, or loose connections will predispose the hose to leaks and your home to water damage.

Use the right soap and load recommendations for your washing machine. Do not leave appliances unattended when they are running. Check appliances for leaks every four months.

5.   Recognize the early signs of water damage

Water damage can happen undetected inside your walls, floors, ceilings, or some hidden home part. If you know the minor signs of unseen leaks in your home, you can catch this problem before it causes significant damage.

Some early signs of water damage include water marks on walls, floors, or ceilings, loose tiles in the bathroom, bubbling or peeling paint, and the presence of mold or odor of mold in the home.

6.   Keep an eye on your water usage

Another way to detect hidden leaks in your home is to monitor your water bill. Spikes in the water bill, which changes in your water consumption cannot explain, are often caused by a leak in your plumbing.

To check if there is a leak in your home’s plumbing, turn off all the water in the house and check the dial on the water meter to see if it will move. If there is movement in the water meter, you have a leak in your home.

7.   Install leak detectors

Leak detectors remove the hassle from the process of protecting your home from water damage. There are different types of water leak detectors. Some leak detectors observe the water flow pattern to the house and look for significant deviations from the normal. Other water leak detectors are sensitive to moisture and will stop the water supply when they sense moisture in those parts of the home where there shouldn’t be moisture.