Common Causes of Water Damage

Water is essential for humans to live. However, water also has the power to be a destructive force, from strong typhoons and massive floods that can destroy places to simple water leaks that can damage homes. Water damage affects buildings and homes on different levels. For example, water can make your floors warp, discolor painted walls, and even lead to mold formation and other microorganisms. In addition, unaddressed water damage issues can weaken your home’s foundation, which can lead to costly renovations and restorations.

Water damage can happen anytime, so you must be knowledgeable about water damage and its causes to prevent it from happening. Below is a list of some of the common causes.

Severe Weather Conditions

Natural disasters like thunderstorms and hurricanes are unavoidable and are significant threats to your property, especially if your house is not calamity-proof. The strong winds and downpour of the rain can damage your roof and walls, sending an amount of water inside your home. Severe weather conditions can even lead to floods, landslides, and mudslides, damaging your pipes and water system.

Clogged Gutters

Gutters are often blocked with leaves, debris, bird nests, and branches. As a result, rainwater can’t flow properly. Rainwater will instead overflow and run down the side of your house and leak to the ceiling, which can damage your walls, foundation, windows, and floors. Make it a habit to clean your gutters regularly to avoid this from happening.

Leaking Pipes

Ensuring that your pipes and water system are working perfectly is the most critical factor in preventing water damage. Unfortunately, pipes are hidden from sight, so it is hard to detect if there’s a damaged line. For instance, a loose pipe inside the walls can cause severe water damage to your house. Therefore, you should have your plumbing checked regularly to avoid costly repairs.

Blocked Drains

Hair, toiletries, dirt, grease, oil, and small foreign objects can block your drainpipes and cause flooding. The drains in your kitchen sinks, bathroom floor, and laundry area should be checked by professionals regularly to maintain normal drainage functions.

Condensation From Ac

Your air conditioning unit has a drainage system that transports the moisture into a drain pan outside the house. Problems arise when the condensate drain line is filled with dust and dirt. The water from your AC will leak into your home since it can’t pass through the drain line. The water dripping can make your insulation soggy and cause severe damage to your windows, ceiling, floor, and wall.

Damaged And Malfunctioning Sprinkler System

A sprinkler system can save your property from fire. However, malfunctioning sprinkler systems can turn themselves on even without any indication of smoke or fire. The frequent sprinkle of water can damage the house’s interior, furniture, and even appliances. You might want to change the old sprinkler system and invest in new and more modern ones.

Final Thoughts

Water damage prevention can be tedious, but it is possible and attainable. You just need to be keen on observing the possible causes and tend to the problem right away to minimize water damage.