Water damage is a common occurrence among many homeowners, and it must be dealt with fairly quickly in order to keep further damage from occurring. Fortunately, there may be some ways to prevent water damage in your home.
Clean The Gutters
Your home’s gutters can get blocked with debris on occasion. This can include things like leaves and sticks. Once your gutters become blocked, they won’t function properly. Water may pool up on the roof or around the foundation of your home. This can cause extensive water damage over time. You can keep this from happening by cleaning your gutters on a regular basis. Many homeowners check their gutters around twice a year. However, if you have trees and foliage surrounding your home, you should check your gutters about once a month.
Make Sure Your Appliances Are Working Properly
Some appliances do tend to leak water as they age. Dishwashers, hot water heaters, refrigerators, and washing machines can leak and cause a huge flood. This is why it’s imperative that you maintain these appliances. Be on the lookout for signs that they are leaking, and check hoses and water lines to see if they are worn and need to be replaced. Most hoses and water lines will last for around five years before they start to deteriorate. If they look cracked or discolored, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and have them replaced.
Fix Leaks
Small leaks can turn into large ones fairly quickly. If you notice that there is some sort of leak, you need to act as soon as possible. Don’t put off having it fixed because there’s only a small amount of moisture. Even small leaks can cause dry rot, mildew, and mold.
Look For Large Fluctuations On Your Water Bill
Your water bill probably is around the same amount of money every single month. If you notice that there’s a huge fluctuation on it that you can’t explain, then you may have a leak somewhere. There could be a broken pipe in one of the walls or the crawlspace of your home. Even though you can’t see the leak, it’s still causing damage.
