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Water damage can occur insidiously through tiny cracks in indoor plumbing, leaky toilet flappers, or dripping faucets. According to the EPA, a faucet that leaks one drop per second wastes more than 3,000 gallons of water per year. When left undetected, these minor nuisances eventually result in massive water damage.
Water damage can also happen quickly, like when a water line suddenly bursts and floods your basement or an extended period of torrential rain sends water seeping through your windows and roof.
Regardless of the cause, water damage is an expensive problem that everyone will naturally want to avoid. With this goal in mind, we recommend some water damage prevention tips to renters and homeowners in Austin.
Home Water Damage Prevention Tips
Here are five simple yet effective ways to keep water from wreaking havoc in your home.
Regularly Check Your Indoor Plumbing and Drainage Systems
Damaged plumbing fixtures, cracked pipes, and clogged drains are some of the most common causes of indoor flooding. If your house or apartment building is more than a decade old, an annual check by a licensed plumber will be ideal. For newer homes with new plumbing systems, once every two years will suffice. Drainage checks and maintenance must also be done annually.
Regularly Check Water Appliances
Appliances that use water or connect to the water line can cause water damage if not properly maintained. For example, a rubber hose from a washing machine or dishwasher can leak once worn out. So check these hoses now and then, and consider changing them to a steel-braided version to make them more durable. Additionally, have them checked by professional plumbers or technicians at the earliest signs of leaks.
Combat Indoor Mold
Mold thrives in moist, humid places and eats organic materials, like wood, paper, curtains, and carpets with natural fibers. This is why we often find it in flooded basements, moist ceilings due to clogged gutters, and windowsills that often get wet from condensation.
Here are some tips on how you can manage the moisture and humidity in your home:
- Turn on the AC when your house feels humid.
- Use a dehumidifier in the basement and windowless closets.
- Install exhaust fans in the bathroom, kitchen, and boiler room.
- Check your windows for air leaks and seal them.
- Clean your bathroom and kitchen tiles with bleach, and make sure the floors, sinks, and countertops dry thoroughly.
- Don’t install permanent carpets on floors that often get wet.
Notice that these tips are also helpful in water damage prevention.
Turn Off Your Water When Leaving For A Long Time
If there’s a sudden problem with your indoor plumbing when you’re not home, you could come home to a badly damaged house. Suppose the water pressure on your floor suddenly spikes. Water can come gushing out of an old, loose faucet, and with no one present, water can flood your home until someone calls the landlord or building management.
To avoid such a calamity, know where the controls to your water mains are and shut them off whenever you leave for long periods or can’t find someone to watch your house when you’re out of town.
Regularly Clean Your Roof, Gutter, and Downspouts
Water damage on the roof and ceiling is usually because of clogged gutters and downspouts. When rainwater can’t drain properly, it backs up onto your roof and drips inside your home through the ceiling. This causes the ceiling to warp with visible, brown water stains. If it happens often enough, the ceiling and wood components of the roof system will rot much faster than they should.
Sweeping leaves and debris off your roof in the summer and autumn, or before the rainy season starts, is vital for home water damage prevention. It lowers the risk of your gutters clogging and potentially damaging your roof and ceiling.
These home water damage prevention tips can go a long way to preserving your property. However, if your home still gets damaged despite your best efforts, don’t despair because our Austin water damage restoration specialists are here to help.
Austin Water Damage Restoration Experts You Can Trust
Restoration 1 of Austin is a trusted property restoration company known for its high-quality work and customer service. We offer a complete range of residential restoration services, from cleanup to reconstruction. Besides restoring your home, our specialists will happily advise you on water damage prevention so that you can preserve your property better moving forward.
Contact our Austin water damage restoration experts for a consultation today.
