Preventing Water Damage In The Home

Prevention is the key for many of the failures we see in our lives. With a little bit of maintenance and upkeep household problems can be prevented. Water damage is one culprit that can be avoided with regular care. How do you know when that little puddle in front of the refrigerator is more than just one of the kids spilling water on the floor? Here is a checklist to follow in your home to prevent the need for water restoration.

Utility Spaces

Supply Lines: Regularly check the lines coming and going from washing machines. Hoses should be checked every six months and replaced when wear is evident. Most often hoses have a life expectancy of about three to five years.

Water Heater: They are a big culprit for water damage in homes. All water heaters should be installed in the lowest level of your home. This will help to minimize damage if it should develop a leak. Also look for rust and wear. Around the time you start to see this occur is also around the time you should replace the water heater.

Sump Pumps: The last thing you want is for a sump pump to fail in your home. Regular maintenance and a backup power supply can help eliminate the worry surrounding yours.

Bathrooms

Tubs: A big culprit for leaks around a tub is inefficient caulk. Caulk is something that needs to be replaced at the first signs of visible wear. Another area within the tub that can be an issue is broken supply lines and pipes. If the floor or wall becomes soft a leaking pipe can be to blame. Have a plumber out to evaluate your situation. It might not be a bad time to have them replace the supply lines into the tub/shower, toilet and sinks.

Sinks: Not only can supply lines start to leak overtime so can the connector pipes. If you spot a small leak it is probably time to look at the drain pipes and resealing them.

Toilets: Supply lines and wax seals are the biggest issues to perform routine maintenance on to prevent the need for water restoration. Leaks from the toilets caused major issues in our foreclosed home. So much so that we had to replace the tile and carpet in the rooms adjoining the bathroom.

Kitchens

Dishwashers: You will need to periodically check underneath the sink for leaks. This is where the water supply connects the dishwasher to the water supply. Also you can look for leaks around the dishwasher that could be coming from the seals on the dishwasher. Other ways that leaks can be noticed besides visually seeing the water is to look for discoloration around the cabinets and floor surrounding the area.

Refrigerator: Most of the time refrigerators are fine. If you have an ice maker or water dispenser hooked to the refrigerator you will have to be more diligent in checking hoses and connections in and out of the refrigerator.

Sinks: The kitchen sink needs to be periodically caulked and pipes checked. Slow leaks can be caught early and prevent bigger messes for homeowners.

If you do find a leak occurring in your home the best option is to first shut the water supply off to the house. This will give you time to look into and resolve the issue without further water damage being done within you home. If the damage is overwhelming call your insurance company for advice on professionals you can turn to for your water restoration needs. Prevention is the key in helping to eliminate large problems from happening but of course nothing is ever fool proof. Being prepared encase of an issue is the smartest way homeowners can deal with any water damage issues.


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