Water damage is one of the most common and costly disasters that can affect your home. Around 40% of all homeowners have suffered losses due to water damage, and 93% of all water damage could have been avoided with the right knowledge. So, how can you protect your home from residential water damage? Here are seven ways to prepare.1.Check your appliances regularly. As appliances age, their pipes rust and their hoses weaken.
Dishwasher leaks can leave an unwanted puddle on the kitchen floor, and common causes include worn joints, broken doors, and clogged drains. May damage tiles, electrical wiring and paint. A great way to prevent it from accumulating in the dishwasher is to run a liter of vinegar through the machine every month.2.Clean your drains regularly. Bathroom and sink drains can quickly become clogged with dirt, grease, hair, and other substances.
Pipes can break and structural damage is common. If drain blockages are not cleaned, problems such as diseases, illnesses, and aggravated health problems could arise. If left unchecked, clogged drains can damage other places in the house. For example, a clogged toilet can build up in the sink and even deform the floorboards and the wall support.
Small screens can help prevent unwanted materials from clogging drains. Pouring boiling water down the drain once a month can help dissolve grease, soap residue, and other debris before they clog pipes.3.Prepare for natural disasters. Residential water damage can be caused by natural disasters such as high winds and heavy rain which could damage your roof and send some amount of rainwater directly to your home or business. Worse yet, inclement weather can sometimes lead to flash floods, especially when your property is in a flood-prone area.4.Check for frozen pipes during cold winters.
During very cold winters, pipes can freeze and burst. This is more likely to happen if you have certain types of pipes, such as pool supply pipes, water sprinkler pipes, and pipes with minimal insulation that hit outside walls.5.Clean your gutters regularly. When gutters get clogged up due to leaves, branches, and other debris, they can't do their job effectively by drawing rainwater away from the house. Blocked gutters divert rainwater which then runs down the side of the house and damages roofs, walls, and floors.6.Check for leaks in washing machines or water heaters.
A leak or break in the supply line of an old, malfunctioning washing machine or water heater can cause situations in which water ends up where it shouldn't.7.Have an emergency plan in place for severe weather events such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, or flash floods which could cause a lot of damage depending on the severity of the weather event. With the right precautions in place you probably won't have to worry about water damage for years to come! Water damage involves several health problems and risks most of which worsen when left untreated so it's important to take action as soon as possible if you suspect any kind of water damage in your home.
