Nothing is more frustrating than reaching under your kitchen sink for a pair of rubber gloves only to find that the wood is soaked, and has been for who knows how long! Not only is water damage costly to repair, it can cause health concerns. Where there is lasting water damage there is also mold growth which can be just as difficult (if not more difficult) to clean up than the initial damage from the water itself.
Instead of focusing on water damage clean-up, why not focus on keeping water damage out of your home in the first place? Here are five tips to prevent water damage .
1. Clean Gutters and Downspouts
It’s important to regularly clean your gutters and downspouts. When you don’t, they quickly and easily become filled with twigs and leaves, bird’s nests and other debris. Instead of water flowing cleanly through the gutters and out the downspouts, water will spill out and run down the side of your home. This is just asking for water damage to your siding or worse, foundation. Taking a little time at least twice a year to clean out your gutters and downspouts will do wonders to prevent water damage.
2. Plant Carefully
You may not think that your landscaping choices have much to do with preventing water damage, but they actually do! Certain types of trees or plants have very aggressive and invasive root systems. You may plant them one year and before you know it the roots are wreaking havoc on your pipes or water lines. So before you plant do a little research to ensure you won’t run into that problem in the future.
3. Regularly Test Your Sump Pump
If you have a sump pump in your home, don’t wait for a big rain storm to make sure that it’s working correctly. Instead, test your sump pump a few times a year, or even before a large storm if you know one’s headed your way.
4. Use a Drain Snake
Home owners know that eventually your pipes will get some blockages. Whether it is hair or other debris, you should reach for a drain snake before you reach for harsh drain cleaning chemicals. Those chemicals can actually eat away at your pipes and over time lead to leaks. Avoid the leaks and use a drain snake instead.
5. Watch your Water Bill
With automatic bill pay, it can be really easy to let technology take care of your water bill each month. This isn’t a problem of course, but it’s helpful to know just how much water you’re using. When you know your average water consumption, you’ll be able to easily spot a spike in water usage. You’ll then be able to determine if you were doing extra laundry that month, or if you were losing water somewhere due to a leak. It’s not fool-proof, but it can be give you a good head’s up and help you prevent water damage.
If it’s too late to prevent water damage, contact RestoreMasters to help with water damage and mold mediation.
