6 Most Common Causes of Water Damage in Your Home

Congratulations on being a homeowner, but how do you stay a homeowner.

Being a homeowner comes with its unannounced set of responsibilities, I mean,  just after crossing the back-breaking huddle of acquiring a home, you would then be tasked to protect it from forces both natural like earthquakes, flooding and man-made like fire outbreaks that threaten to destroy it. More often than not, water damages that appear seemingly harmless are the usual culprit and one of the most devastating, yet preventable.

To this effect, to counteract and take a proactive approach in effectively tackling this problem, we have decided to go after the roots, the warning signs that seemed almost invisible but are present and we tend to ignore them as they appear small but in retrospect, they are not.

These insidious factors can be grouped into 6 simple and possibly avoidable issues that occur in the home. These include:

1.    Leaking Pipes: Broken pipes never present a good state of a home, just that one insignificant leaking pipe, which can easily be overlooked can signal a more ominous sign like the danger of flooding in your beloved home. It just a matter of time before the leak damages your wall, flooring, or Landscaping. Leaking pipes can be caused by some factors such as:

•    Poor maintenance of pipes.
•    Blockage of pipes which can be from debris in the pipes like tree stumps and roots, clogged drainages, or sewer lines which in its entirety constitute a major health hazard to all occupants of the home.
•    Freezing, believe it or not also contributes to this because water, when exposed to cold air, becomes ice. The water which flows through the pipes is not any different and during winter, the water can freeze and become ice which will cause expansion and the pressure then increases and since the pipes leave little room for expansion, the pipe eventually breaks.
•    Decrepit pipes are pipes that are so worn out from use that they need to be changed but unfortunately most homeowners opt to manage them.

2.    Poor Drainage System:  Before one constructs a house, it is important to understand the drainage pattern of that area to avert the dangers that inadequate drainage poses. Poor drainage systems are most commonly seen in swampy areas, valley areas, sloped landscapes. Potential homeowners would need to understand the topography of the said area to determine the water table level and if it is near, seek help from qualified engineers to prevent the adverse effects of its consequences which ranges from peeling off of wall paints to full-blown flooding that can destroy the property.
3.    Blocked Gutters: These are not just annoying; they also spell out a water damage disaster waiting to happen. Gutter maintenance is often viewed as a burdensome chore and it is no surprise that it is often procrastinated. Rain gutters, roof water collectors are all necessary to achieve a proper functional drainage system. Hence, failure inefficient cleaning and preservation can hinder its intended purpose. Several things can go wrong with the gutters not only clogging which are Loose-fitting gutters, down spouting in the wrong places, missing splash blocks, defective pitch among numerous others. They may not outrightly destroy your property with an instantaneous process like an earthquake but this destruction can come in form of causing cracks to your roof, rusting of steel, delamination of plywood and so on which can cost a lot in repairs and the long run if not repaired, can destroy the property.
4.    The weather: This is a major determining factor in the business of securing your home from water damage. As humans, there is yet to be a means of controlling the weather therefore, we are bound to be stuck with it.  Instead of living in the constant fear of losing your home to extremes of weather accept that there is nothing that you can do about it because heavy rainfall easily exposes leaks on your roof, wind and heat can do a number on it sucking the lifespan out of once durable material, not to mention the havoc hurricane and snow can cause. These beg the question how long do you think your roof can last? To prolong the longevity and increase the lifespan of your building materials, get yourself a foolproof emergency weather plan, an excellent foundation, and a functioning plumbing.
5.    Defective Home building construction: Before making plans to either acquire a house or build one, see to it that its structures are in good condition, the drains the pipes, if possible go with an expert plumber or engineer to help make the right choices. Other factors like flat roofs can predispose to causing water damage due to a decrease in the slope gradient which may cause poor drainage and that problem can be compounded by blockages from branches of trees which further block slope and causes pooling of stagnant water with nowhere to go, over time this water accumulates gradually damaging the roof and leading to a leaking roof and if proper care is not taken to repair this promptly, can cause water damage to the home. Similarly, a damaged or poor foundation can lead to the same outcome as its former counterpart.
6.    Malfunctioning appliances: Your appliances like the dishwasher,  refrigerators, broken water heaters, washing machine, air conditioner to mention a few constitute to this menace in property destruction especially when defective and cannot be left out of this list. Hence, regular checks, maintenance, prompt repairs, and even replacements when necessary can go a long way in securing the durability of your property.

Awareness of the causes of water damage to a home is a proactive approach to tackling the consequence of home flooding while few cannot be averted, most are. Hence if promptly and effectively acted upon can, prove to save time, money, and of course your property in the future.