Most people who own their own homes want to avoid water damage. Water is only meant to be managed inside the building in supply pipes, drain pipes, sinks, and basins. Nobody should ever let water build up in crawl spaces, basements, floors, or walls. The good news is that simple fixes can keep small water damage from getting worse and cost you money to fix.

Steps to Take To Avoid Water Damage

You can perform water damage remediation in Saraland and file an insurance claim, but if you take a few simple steps, you might be able to avoid the whole mess.

Ensure proper drainage.

Poor drainage weakens your foundation, leading to cracks, uneven settlement, and places where water can get in. Clean your gutters often. If your gutters are clogged, water may run down the side of your house and hurt the siding and foundation.

Make certain that the water from your downspouts is going 1.5 to 3 meters away from your house. Ensure your yard slopes at least 15.24 centimeters away from your foundation over 3 meters. This slope keeps water from getting into your foundation, which could cause walls to lean, damage the brickwork, and lead to leaks.

Keeping water away from crawl spaces ensures water doesn’t build up under your floor, which can lead to damp conditions that are good for mildew, rot, and bugs.

Take care of the downspouts.

Downspouts let water flow down the side of a house from the gutters. It’s a simple idea that works very well. On the other hand, downspouts that end at right angles to the ground could cause water to flow along your home’s foundation.

When rainwater falls at such a fast rate, it wears away the soil around the house and can leak in through the foundation, damaging it. Run water through the gutters to see if the downspouts are moving. If you need to, add a 90-degree elbow and an extension to your downspout to move water at least 61 cm away from your house.

Check for and repair any water leaks.

Mold and mildew, rot, and sometimes termites and carpenter ants can be caused by leaks (like chewing on soft, soggy wood). But if you fix a leak as soon as it happens, you’re more likely to avoid long-term damage.

Check for leaks by scrutinizing for dark spots under sink pipes, stains on ceilings, toilets that rock back and forth, and drips. Inspect your roof at least once a year and replace any missing, damaged, or loose shingles. Look for leaks around the flashing and fix any caulking that is broken.

Repair any damaged or missing caulking.

Cracks need to be fixed. Inside, look for signs of water damage like mildew, bubbling paint, crumbling drywall or plaster, and termite activity.

When the weather is not bad, take a walk outside your house to look for broken or missing caulk. Watch out for the top of the window casing, where water can collect. Once you’ve found the problem, caulk any places inside or outside the house where the caulk is broken or missing.

Examine the roof.

If your home doesn’t have a weather-tight roof, water will get in and cause damage. Even if your roof doesn’t fall in on itself, it will leak in ways that hurt the condition of your home. Set up a ladder against your house so you can check the shingles and replace them before bad weather comes.

Keep an eye out for moss that has grown too big and is growing under the shingles and any structural damage from fallen tree limbs. Get up on the roof of your home and look for loose, broken, missing, or cracked shingles. Only perform some of the damage restorations when the weather is good.

When should you get assistance from professionals?

Even if you try to stop it, water may still get inside. If this happens, you should call people who fix water damage. They’ll take care of the problem quickly and effectively and give you ideas on how to keep your home from leaking. There are some companies that focus on fire damage restoration but the top tier ones are more likely to perform all types of restorations. 

Conclusion

Follow these steps to lessen the damage from a leak or flood. Any delay makes it more likely that there will be both water and mold damage. Repairing water damage is a big job that needs to be done right. You should be able to avoid water damage if you follow these tips.