Tag: Water Damage

Get Your Foundation Inspected this Spring

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Get Your Foundation Inspected this SpringNorth Dallas residents should all have their home foundations inspected this spring.  We had a very warm winter this year.  This winter, coupled with last year’s warm winter and hot summer has had a drastic effect on foundations throughout Texas and especially in homes in North Dallas.  Your home’s foundation is dependent on seasonal cycles, possibly more than you think.  Temperatures cause your foundation to flex.  During the winter, the cold causes the concrete and metal in your foundation to shrink.  The dry ground also shrivels, removing support for your foundation.  When summer rolls around, the opposite occurs, expanding your foundation.  This is a natural part of your home’s life cycle, but the exceptionally warm winters of the last two years have prevented this rebound period from occurring, stressing your foundation and leading to cracked foundations throughout the DFW metroplex.

Signs of a Cracked Foundation

While it takes an experienced eye to recognize what is the full damage to a foundation, an untrained eye can keep watch for signs of a damaged foundation.  If you notice:

  • Doors and windows that won’t close properly
  • Cracks in walls
  • Bowing walls
  • Cracked floor tiles or wood
  • Cracks in exterior bricks
  • Uneven or sloping floors

It’s likely you’ve had some form of foundation damage.  While these may seem like minor annoyances now, the problems will worsen as the seasons change.  It’s up to you to act now to fix your home and repair damages before they become worse.

Effects of a Damaged Foundation

It’s likely that you’ve seen how a cracked foundation can affect doors and windows.  Doors that once swung freely are now difficult to close or open, and may not be able to latch properly.  Imagine that same effect on your home’s plumbing.  Rigid piping, carefully aligned when it was designed, is now stressed and warped to the maximum flexing point.  As the stresses on your foundation increase, the stresses on your home’s plumbing increase.  Hot water at high pressure will find the easiest path out of your pipes.  As soon as a leak starts, it can become difficult to stop, especially on a high-pressure line.  Before you know it, water can come flooding through a wall, damaging supports, insulation, and drywall.

If this happens, you need to shut off the water immediately and disconnect power to that affected rooms.  You’ll also want to call for fast drying support and service immediately.  Letting the room air dry is a bad idea, as the water is likely to soak into carpet mats and under floor tiles, where it erodes away the flooring, leaving permanent damage or causing mold growth that will require professional remediation.

A cracked foundation is also more easily damaged.  Water will always find the quickest way to the lowest point and, if your foundation is cracked or drainage around your house is not properly maintained, water will seep into the foundation, leaking into your home and expanding the cracks inside the concrete of your foundation.  If the pipes in your home haven’t cracked or begun leaking yet, it may only be a matter of time before you start noticing water damage from dripping pipe joints or flooding from a burst pipe.

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3 Things to Check After Potential Storm Damage

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3 Things to Check After Potential Storm DamageWhile the majority of weather in Plano and North Dallas consists of high winds or mild and brief rainfall, our homes do get buffeted with intense rainfall, driving winds, tornado-weather, and hailstorms from time to time.  Of course, we can’t stop weather from coming our way, but we can take steps to prevent initial damage and then repair our homes after a ravaging storm walks through the city.  Let’s take a moment to step through what you can do to check your home for damage after a storm and how you can prevent future damage.  Remember that it’s always a good idea to call your insurance company after a storm to have a complete inspection of any damage since many damages are not obvious at first.

Roof Damage

A close up view of shingle and flashing damage.
A close up view of shingle and flashing damage.

During a rainstorm, keep an eye on the ceiling and walls for since of water dripping through.  Be sure to look through your attic during or just after the storm for wet spots in case a leak formed during the storm as well.  Once the storm is over, you’ll want to step outside and perform a visual inspection of your roof, either by climbing up to look at it or using binoculars from the ground.  Look for:

  • Missing shingles
  • Broken or cracked shingles
  • Granules and fragments collecting in gutters
  • Dented vents, gutters, and flashing
  • Large branches on home

Siding Damage

While the roof of your home often takes the brunt of the damage from a storm, driving rain and high winds can whip around objects and deliver lasting damage to the side of your home.  Likewise, pooling water can dam up against the side of your home and begin leaking into the foundation.  Always give your home  full walk-around and look for common signs of exterior damage such as:

  • Dings and dents in siding
  • Cracks or splitting
  • Holes and clear breaks
  • Chipping, peeling, or discolored paint

Window Damage

While north Texas faces high winds often, many home don’t sport exterior shutters, which leaves us exposed to window damage.  After an especially rough storm it’s always a good idea to take a close look at the windows around your home.  If any windows are broken, be cautious of glass shards in the area.  Look for these common signs of damage:

  • Shattered windows
  • Cracked glass
  • Broken panes
  • Damaged frame
  • Water on inside of sill
  • Torn weather-stripping

Preparing for a Storm

It’s always better to stay safe when a storm is approaching.  What can start out as a mild storm can quickly turn to flash-flooding or driving winds.  Preparing for the worst can often be the difference between life and death when it comes to the safety of your family.  If you aren’t in town when a storm is approaching, have a friend help you out and prepare your home for the worst.

According to stormdamagecenter.org:

To prepare for a storm, each family should have an emergency kit. Since you may have to evacuate on short notice, pack your emergency kit into backpacks and have them ready to go. Everyone in the family should know exactly where the emergency kits are located.

Your emergency kit should contain:

  • Battery powered flashlight
  • Portable battery powered radio
  • Extra batteries
  • List of emergency phone numbers
  • Prescriptions and essential medicines
  • First aid kit
  • Nonperishable emergency food
  • Bottled water (1 gallon per person, per day)
  • Non-electric can opener
  • Disposable camera
  • Credit cards and cash
  • Change of clothing
  • Sturdy shoes or boots
  • Important papers, identification and bank information

Remember that if anything does happen to your home, once water starts flowing in you should retreat to higher ground.  Avoid any rooms that have flooded and turn off power to those rooms to prevent risk of electric shock.  Flooding is a race against time, but your safety is more important.  You can call for professional drying and restoration services after you’ve ensured the safety of your family.  Stay safe out there!

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Soil Erosion and Foundation Damage

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Soil Erosion and Foundation DamageTypically when we’re talking about water damage we mean flooding in the home from broken pipes or heavy rains.  That type of water damage is substantial and can compromise the construction and contents of your home equally.  This kind of water damage is repaired by replacing walls, insulation, carpeting, and personal effects while investigating the home for lingering mold.  But there are other dangers that can come from long-term water damage you aren’t aware of.

What is Soil Erosion?

Soil erosion occurs in nature everywhere.  Either from wind or water, the top layer of soil is stripped away, often removing needed support for  solid objects such as rocks (in nature) or man-made structures such as roads and foundations.  As water pools on the surface, it works its way along the path of gravity.  This is usually a downhill flow but, when the ground is saturated, it will force its way through all manner of blockades.  For many homes, this means driving away the soil around your foundation for quick, easy access down.

As soil is washed away, pools can form along the edges of your home.  These small pools will work their way into the gaps between your lawn and the foundation of your home.  Once there, water will seep into cracks in the foundation, widening them as temperatures change, causing expansion and contraction of both the concrete and the water.  Even if your foundation isn’t cracked, it won’t stay that way for long.  Water, in its constant trek to follow gravity, will wash away supporting soil, leading to a cracked foundation.

How Can You Protect Your Foundation?

There are many ways to protect your home and, fortunately, most homes come well-equipped to begin with.

Monitor Your Home During Storms – Always keep an eye out during and after storms for any places around the base of your home where water might begin to pool.  All water should flow away from the base of your home.  Make sure that gutters and downspouts are directing water towards storm drains and that any flower beds, bushes, or other plants are not acting as a barrier and holding water in place against the side of your home.

Use Gutters and Downspouts – Make sure that all gutters and downspouts are clean before it rains.  Yes, cleaning these out is a tiresome chore, but it’s essential.  Clear away and dirt, nest, or other debris and make sure that the spouts are releasing water at least five feet away from your home.  If for some reason your home doesn’t have gutters, have them installed before the next storm.

Landscaping – Grass is an excellent way to prevent soil erosion.  The roots work to keep soil clumped together.  Proper landscaping and design slopes the ground around the edges of the home to lead water towards drains that are not near the home.  Plants, gardens, and grass all work to keep the soil in place so it isn’t washed out with the water.  Keep your lawn healthy and your home will stay healthy too.

Install French Drains – Installing a French drain system around the foundation of your home will give a place for water to travel to.  This is something you’ll need to contact a landscaper or plumber to have installed and it will require trenchwork which means temporary yard damage but, for raised homes, it’s almost essential to keep water from damaging your foundation.

With a little bit of work, forethought, and some maintenance, you can protect your home from water damage caused by soil erosion.  Most homes only require maintenance and a regular inspection.  We recommend making sure that all elements are in good working order before the spring storms roll in.

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How to Fix Water Damaged Electrical Devices

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How to Fix Water Damaged Electrical DevicesLet’s be clear, if your home has flooded, turn off power to the room before entering or working on the room.  Switching the circuit breaker to the home is ideal as it will prevent you from accidental shock, death, or an electrical fire elsewhere in the home.  Always call professional in immediately.  The sooner you get a professional team in to help deal with the flooding and water damage, the less of an impact there will be on your life.  Water damage is a race against time and fast action is key.  This is true for smaller electrical devices as well, though you probably don’t need to call in a full team to fix a submerged MP3 player.

What to Do

If you find yourself with an electrical device that’s been submerged (anything from a phone to a laptop) you run the risk of permanent damage.  Fortunately, a little swim may not be the end of your device’s usefulness.  And our suggestion is not going to involve placing your phone in a bowl of rice (you’re better off letting the phone air dry under a fan).

Remove the Water

  • Start by disconnecting any power sources. Items that were plugged into a wall may have been saved by the circuit breaker or a GFCI outlet, but that isn’t always the case.  If the item has a battery, remove it immediately.  Always be cautious about how you disconnect electrical devices.  Do not stand in water or remove any cables with wet hands.  This is why we recommend turning off home breakers first.
  • Recycle the battery properly. Most batteries don’t handle water immersion well at all and should be recycled immediately.  FI the battery itself is bubbling, smoking, or melting don’t chance it.  Avoid handling the device if at all possible.  Replacing your phone or laptop is better than having to seek medical care later.
  • If by some miracle your device is still active, turn it off to prevent further damage.
  • Shake the device and rotate it until you’ve emptied all the water out of the device.
  • Disassemble the device if possible. Opening up the case will allow you to ensure that any excess water is gone and will give you easier access to the water sensitive components that need to dry.

Clean the Device

Especially if you’re dealing with acidic or caustic fluids such as fruit juice, you’ll want to clean out the device.  Even water, if it’s simply allowed to dry, could rust or corrode some internal components.

  • Disassemble the device completely and remove all connectors and plugs.
  • Place the device in a large container where it can be completely covered in isopropyl alcohol.  Use a concentration that’s at least 90% alcohol.  In an emergency use distilled or de-ionozied water.  The water option will take longer to dry and needs to be completely clean.  Do not use solvent solutions of any kind.
  • Use a small, soft brush to clean the logic board and components of any dust, debris, or other contaminants left behind.
  • Place the device under a desk lamp and allow it to dry.  A better method would be to place the device in front of a fan or use a hair dryer that’s set to ‘cool’ to dry out the device.
  • Once everything is completely dry, inspect the electronic board for signs of corrosion.

If everything checks out, reassemble the device and install a new battery.  Your device is now restored and ready to be used again!

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Prevent Flood Damage with a Sump Pump

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Prevent Flood Damage with a Sump PumpHeavy rains, melting ice, or just a pipe that’s burst after a cold snap can all lead to the same thing:  A flooded basement.  When the lowest point of your home floods, many things suffer.  Carpets and walls are damaged and may need to be replaced.  Timbers can warp after a flood and mold begins to grow and spread.  Water that leaks into the surrounding ground will find its way into your foundation where it eventually leads to a cracked foundation as the ground becomes uneven or the water freezes.  A sump pump is an important tool for keeping your basement from flooding and preventing future problems.

What is a Sump Pump?

New Sump Pump
Brand new sump pump for suctioning collected ground water from a sump pit such as in a basement of a house

A motorized water pump located at the lowest point of your home (typically a basement, cellar, or crawl space).  By placing this pump in the lowest point, water will collect there first.  This submersible pump is activated by heightened water levels caused by flooding.  As soon as the pump is submerged (or the pump’s sensor detects pooling water) it activates and begins pushing water out of your home.

If you’re looking to install a sump pump in your home, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Submersible pumps are easily hidden, since the pump itself rests inside the well. That will make it a little more difficult to maintain in the future, but it does give you a little extra space in your basement.
  • The return flow should be direct away from your home. Older pumps fed directly into city sewers but this practice is no longer ideal (if you have an older sump pump, check with your plumber to see if it leads to the sewer, you may need to update) since it can lead to backed up sewer systems during heavy rainfall.
  • A manual sump pump is usually cheaper, but it won’t activate unless someone turns it on. Sump pumps are a type of emergency flood device, so it’s usually worth it to pay the extra for an automatic pump.

How to Test a Sump Pump

Testing a pump is very simple.  Get a gallon of water (either fill a gallon water bottle or a bucket with about a gallon) and pour it into the pump well in your basement or cellar.  Have someone standing outside where the outflow pipe is to monitor flow there when you do this.

Installed Sump Pump
A sump pump installed in a basement of a home with a water powered backup system.

If your pump is manual, once the well is full turn on the pump and wait until the water is removed.  If the pump is in working order, the water will be removed from the well and the outflow pipe will direct water away from your house (you don’t want it pooling against your home again).  If the pump doesn’t engage, check the breaker circuit to make sure the pump has power.

For automatic pumps, as soon as you pour the water in the pump should engage almost immediately.  If it doesn’t, check the float valve or pressure switch to make sure that there is enough water in the basin to trigger the pump.  If there is, double check the circuit breaker to make sure the pump is receiving power.

If your sump pump isn’t working, get it fixed immediately! Rain storms can be sudden events and getting a maintenance technician to repair your pump mid-storm is a bad idea.  You don’t want to be caught with a flooded basement during a heavy storm.

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Mold, Food, and Health

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Mold, Food, and HealthMost people know not to eat food that’s been sitting out all day in a hot environment, but how does that apply to large feasts where food has already been out for an hour of preparation, through the meal, and throughout the day as we go back for seconds and thirds?  We all want to sit back, relax, talk with friends and family or just enjoy what’s on TV after the meal but it’s important to remember that food, wherever we leave it, becomes a breeding ground for mold and bacteria almost immediately.  So this Thanksgiving, take a few preventative steps to make sure that that you’re not one of the many Americans who suffer from food poisoning this year.

Food Safety

Clean off your counters.  While there’s no reason to pour pure bleach across the counter-tops (a teaspoon of unscented bleach with a quart of water is all you need), make sure that countertops, utensils, and any surface that will house food for even a short while are cleaned and ready in advance.  Be sure to repeat the cleaning process afterward.  Most countertops are mold resistant but leaving food or liquids spilled onto countertops or in the sink will lead to mold and bacterial growth that will release extra spores into the air (not to mention the smell).

Wash all fruits and vegetables.  Peel or no, you should wash everything before use.  Fruits and veggies can pick up bacteria on the rind or peel which transfers to the knives and surfaces you use.  Basically, the inside is safe until you cut into it if you haven’t washed the surface first.

Finally, when it comes to food, don’t leave it sitting out.  A few minutes to let food cool before eating is fine but you should seal and store everything as soon as the meal is ended.  Most food poisoning comes from food that has sat out too long and was then deemed ‘safe’ simply because it didn’t look or smell funny.  Most of the bacteria and contaminants that cause severe food poisoning leave no discernible symptoms early on.  If the meat has been sitting out for 2 hours or more, don’t risk it.  Even re-cooking the food isn’t safe enough because that only kills the bacteria, not the toxins left behind by living or dead bacteria.

Take a minute to read through this list of common food safety myths, compiled by foodsafety.gov before you start.

Cleaning Up

Cleaning up after an event is just as important as taking care beforehand, especially if you have small kids.  We’re quick to clean up floor spills and wipe down tables and countertops, but for many of us, lazing about after a full Thanksgiving Day feast is a must.  We recommend a little bit of work first, or at least before you go to bed tonight.

Any carpet spills should be treated right away. Liquids are especially dangerous as they can soak into the matting beneath a carpet even if they don’t stain the carpet itself.

Clothing should be cleaned or rinsed if food was spilled on it. As we mentioned in our laundry blog, take the time to rinse food or spilled drinks from clothing if you aren’t planning on washing them the same day.

Clean up dishes after the meal. Leaving food and liquids sitting in dishes is a fast way to fill your home with bugs and mold in a short order.  We know you want to relax with family but maybe you should clean up as a family first.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Ice Dams and Water Damage

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Ice Dams and Water DamageSure it’s warm outside right now, but while it’s warm and you can handle having people working in your home is the time to make sure your attic is insulated properly.  One good ice-storm or rainfall on a frozen roof is all it takes to start up an ice dam.  You may be thinking that a little ice on your roof it nothing, especially since you got your roof repaired after this year’s hail storms, but the sad truth is that an ice dam can undo all of your work and leave you with water damage throughout your home.

What is an Ice Dam?

Typically present in colder climates, ice dams form when ice or snow melts on a roof and freezes over the awning.  As water continues to melt on the roof, it flows down toward the buildup of ice, refreezing into a large dam that traps water between the new ice wall and your warm roof.  This buildup of water will seek a new way down, often working its way past your shingles and into your attic.

Once that water has infiltrated into your attic, it will seep into insulation and drip between your walls.  The slow trickle from an otherwise non-obvious leak can be as devastating to your walls, ceiling, and attic as any harsh rainstorm.  When the cold season does finally hit, keep an eye on your roof.  If you see large melted spots on your roof with frozen edges along the awnings of your roof, those are ice dams and should be carefully removed.

How do you Prevent an Ice Dam?

Of course, preventing the formation of an ice dam is the best way to protect your home from costly water damage.  The main source of ice dams comes from improper attic insulation.  You don’t want to waste energy keeping your attic warm during the winter anyway, but a hot attic will melt any snow or ice off your roof before it’s ready.

To prevent a hot attic, check to make sure that the floor of your attic is well insulated.  Look at the insulation fill or batts (the fluffy fiberglass or large rolled mats) between the rafters on the floor of your attic.  If they’re compacted and you can see more than a couple of inches of rafter exposed, you need additional insulation.  Alternatively, if you’d prefer a climate-controlled attic, make sure that the ceiling is sprayed with insulation as well.  This will create a buffer zone between the cold outdoors during the winter, and the heat during the summer.

Responding to Water Damage

In many cases, soaked insulation needs to be replaced.  Very rarely can it simply be dried out.  Don’t wait either.  The warm temperature in your home mixed with soaked insulation is a recipe for mold to spread quickly throughout your walls.  So take the time to before it becomes a problem to inspect your roof, walls, and insulation.  Remember, prevention is key!

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How to Dry a Carpet

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How to Dry a CarpetA flooded house is never an enjoyable event.  Burst pipes, a leaky roof, or even damaged appliances can lead to a large enough flood of water that you find yourself dealing with waterlogged carpets.  Aside from being a danger to the flooring and leaving you with wet socks, the extra moisture is a sure-fire way to fill your house with mold.  Knowing how to deal with a soaked carpet is essential.

Small Floods

Small puddles of water are fairly easy to clean up.

Start with a Towel – Spread towels over the wet carpet until you’ve covered the entire area.  Walk across the towels until they’ve soaked up as much water as they can.  Don’t rub at the carpet, simply blot to soak up the water into the towel itself.  Replace with dry towels and keep repeating until the carpet is dry.

Use a Wet Vac – A vacuum cleaner is an effective way to pull the water out of the carpet, especially if it’s started to soak through.  Do not use a regular vacuum for this, you’ll need a wet/dry vac that’s capable of handling water.  Keep vacuuming the carpet until no water is being pulled out anymore.  Maintain a steady eye on the fill level of your vacuum and be sure to dump it out before it overfills.

Forced Air – Finally, use forced air to dry out the carpet.  Keep air circulating with a fan or hair-dryer until all the water has dried.  For larger areas, keeping several fans pointed at the spill is ideal.

Large Floods

When it comes to larger flooding, or a room where all of the carpet has been soaked, more drastic measures will need to be taken.

Move Furniture Out – Remove all large furniture.  You need to clear off the carpet so that you have access to the entire floor.  Never try to clean around furniture.  The water will simply damage both furniture and carpet while you’re trying to clean up.

Use a Wet Vac – Just as with small spills, use a wet vacuum to remove all of the excess water.  For a large carpet you will have to dump out the tank several times.  There are a few other ways to pump water out of a carpet, such as a hot water extraction unit.  The main goal is to remove as much water as possible.

Check for Soaked Matting – For larger spills, the matting underneath the carpet is likely to be soaked through.  Even if you remove all the water from the carpet and dry it out, the matting will re-soak the carpet as long as it stays wet.  Simply walk across the carpet and listen for squelching noises.

Raise Carpet Corner – you need access to the matting beneath the carpet.  Go to a corner of the room and pry up the edge.  Use work gloves and pliers to pull the carpet free, then fold the corner over so you can see the padding beneath.

Force Air –  Just as with a small spill, adding ventilation will dry out the carpet and the padding.  Place a fan to blow air under the carpet to start the drying process.  Use the exhaust hose from your wet/dry vac and place it under the carpet.  The warmer air will help to dry the carpet quickly.  Finally, rent or purchase a dehumidifier and run it in the room.  This will speed things up greatly.

Call Professionals

If all else fails, or you want the certainty of a dry carpet without having to worry about floor damage and mold growth, call a professional.  RestoPros specializes in water damage remediation and removal.  Rather than trying to tackle flood damage yourself or having to rent specialize tools, seeking help from a professional is faster and far more efficient than trying to do so on your own.

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Preventing Leaks and Other Water Problems

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Preventing Leaks and Other Water ProblemsWe’ve address how to go about waterproofing your home to prevent external water from damaging systems inside your home.  But external sources are not the only avenue of destruction that water has for devastating that sanctuary.  Your house is filled with pipes and equipment that condenses water, any of which can lead to a disastrous release of water.  Leaks and condensation can buildup and, with limited ventilation inside walls or your attic, that water will evaporate slower, leading to sodden insulation, mold, and structural damage.  So take steps now and learn how to best protect your home from internal water sources.

Know Where Your Shutoffs Are

Make sure you know how to access all the water shutoff valves in your home.  The most important of these is, of course, the main water shutoff valve.  For any major leak or burst pipe, the first thing you should do is shut off water to the problem area, so know where your shutoff valve is located.

You should also remember to turn this valve off when you go on vacation.  First, this helps reduce water consumption if there are any drips or leaks.  Second, it will prevent an uncontrolled flood of water if something does go wrong while you’re out.

Maintain Appliances

So many appliances in our homes use water.  The ice machine in your fridge, your instant coffee maker, the washing machine, and the dishwasher are all appliances with direct connections to a water source.  Ignoring basic maintenance for these devices and their connections is a recipe for disaster.  Water storage units like your water heater should be drained and the sediment removed regularly, while water hose connections (such as the one on your washing machine) should be inspected for signs of aging, wear, or seal damage.

Avoid Clogs

Clogged drains can lead to backsplash, overfilled sinks, or burst pipes elsewhere in your plumbing.  Taking care of your plumbing is important and should never be ignored.  That means keeping pipes insulated during the winter and leaving faucets dripping whenever a freeze is scheduled to happen.  But it also means running water down the garbage disposal to make sure it’s clear of food.

Avoid flushing any of the following down your drain, regardless of if that’s a disposal, toilet, or regular sink:

  • Grease and Fats
  • Starchy Food
  • Non-Water-Soluble Items
  • Strong Chemicals
  • Flushable Wet-Wipes
  • Anything other than hygienic paper

Avoid washing extremely dirty clothes in your washing machine.  Rinse them off first to remove dirt.  Doing so will prevent washing machine clogs and sediment buildup.

Repair Problems Immediately

Whether it’s a pipe that’s leaking or an HVAC unit that’s causing condensation to overflow the drip pan, get these problems sorted out quickly.  Call a repairman or plumber to handle the difficult tasks of leak detection and repair.  Remember, the sooner you take care of water source, the less likely it is to develop into something that will require you to call for water damage restoration services.

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10 Ways to Prevent Water Damage

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10 Ways to Prevent Water DamageRepairing water damage and paying for mold remediation can be expensive, and that’s not accounting for irreplaceable items that are lost due to water damage.  The best way to handle water damage in your home is to stop it before it happens.

Know Where Your Water Shutoffs Are Located

The most important part of owning a home is knowing where the emergency shutoffs are located.  Just like you should know where your circuit breaker is in the event of an emergency, you should be aware of every water shut off valve.  When a pipe breaks or a leak develops, being able to turn off the water is the quickest way to avoid major water damage.

Shut Off Valves While On Vacation

If you’re going away for more than a day, turn off the water in your home.  Set your water heater to vacation mode and shut off the water main.  This will prevent water damage in the event that something breaks while you’re absent.

Repair Leaks Immediately

Don’t delay on repairs to plumbing and pipes.  If you’ve found a leak, shut off the water to that section of the house and call for a plumber immediately.  A small leak will eventually become a big problem if the drip ever widens.  Leaking water can also begin to pool, damaging insulation, wallboard, or ceiling tiles.  Roof leaks are just as bad and should be repaired as soon as possible.

Repair Foundation Damage

Keeping your foundation in one piece is incredibly important.  A cracked foundation can lead to doors that don’t close right and pipes that begin to leak or crack.  Watch your yard when there’s a storm outside and take note of any places where water is pooling up against the side of your house.  That water will eventually find its way into the foundation, causing cracks and leaks that can damage flooring or lead to more serious problems.

Run Water to Clear Garbage Disposal

When you use the garbage disposal in your kitchen sink, be sure to run water through it after you use it to clear out and dislodge anything that may be blocking the drain.  Use warm water to help liquefy any grease you may have accidentally allowed to run into the drain.

Do Not Leave Running Water Unattended

Never leave an open faucet or spigot unattended.  If water is running, you need to be there to make sure that it doesn’t overflow and begin flooding a room.  Even leaving a hose on outside can cause water to pool alongside your home.

Maintain Your Washing Machine Hose

While this hose is usually out of sight and out of mind, it’s best not forgotten.  A large volume of water flows into your washing machine whenever you use it so it’s best to ensure that it’s in good working order.  Inspect it for leaks, wear, and damage regularly to make sure that you don’t end up with a flooded utility closet and dirty clothes.

Follow Appliance Maintenance Procedures

The same thing is true for any water-based appliance.  Water filters, dish washer, refrigerator ice machines and water dispensers all need regular maintenance to make sure they are running properly.  Your HVAC unit requires regular maintenance as well.  Even the appliances that don’t need water can start to condense if they aren’t properly maintained, leading to puddles and drips.

Pre-Rinse Extremely Dirty Clothes

Dirt and mud can clog washing machine drains, leaving you with a soggy mess when you should have clean clothes.  If you’re faced with exceptionally dirty clothes, pre-rinse them first to remove the dirt before washing.

Hire an Established Contractor For Major Problems

Always consult a professional contractor for problems.  Hire a plumber to repair pipes, a roofer to fix the roof, and a mold remediation specialist to clean away mold and repair damage when water has found its way into your home!

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