Stop Water Damage From Ruining Your Home

When protecting your home from water damage, it’s worth noting that dramatic events like hurricanes and floods are not the only sources of water damage. In reality, properties are more susceptible to damage from tiny plumbing leaks, blocked gutters, a backed-up drain, or a malfunctioning sump pump.

Many local teams now offer efficient water damage restoration in Cape Cod to return affected properties to their pre-damaged state. Even better, the issues mentioned earlier are all curable problems, so protecting your home from extensive damage is possible. Minimizing water damage begins with understanding how it occurs and what you can do to intervene.

How Water Damages Your Home

Water that reaches places where it shouldn’t be creates various consequences. Of course, there is the water damage itself. Building materials, furniture, and appliances can get soaked and damaged beyond repair.

Moisture created by the wet conditions also encourages mold to grow in the affected areas. This becomes a more serious concern when microbial growth occurs in hard-to-reach spaces, like behind walls and crawl spaces. For example, when water pipes burst and create leaks inside walls, the wetness can rot out drywall over time, letting mold grow and weaken structural elements.

5 Practical Ways To Stop Water Damage From Ruining Your Home

While some water damage events can be beyond your control, there are ways to keep them from wreaking havoc on your property. Here are five tips to get you started:

Get a Roof Inspection

A weather-tight roof can help keep your house free from sneaky leaks, especially during rainy days. Most importantly, keeping it in optimal condition spares you from the hassle of experiencing a catastrophic roof collapse. 

With Cape Cod experiencing rainfalls intermittently throughout the year, it’s best to have your roof inspected regularly. Some issues you want to catch are missing shingles, damaged flashing, and improperly sealed valleys, as these are some of the most common causes of roof leaks.

Clean and Maintain Gutters

Gutters drain rainfall from your roof. When they’re blocked, water will have no other way to go but back up. This can result in leaks through your foundation walls, ultimately causing damage to your walls and floors.

Removing debris like dead leaves and branches from your gutters helps prevent water damage. Installing gutter guards also helps, as these keep debris out and allow water to flow freely to your downspout.

Maintain the Sump Pump

Your sump pump is your home’s final defense against water when groundwater rises or interior flooding occurs. As such, maintaining your sump pump with these pointers can help keep your building safe and dry: 

    • Check that your sump pump is connected to the power source and test it periodically to ensure it still works. 
    • Clean the sump pump regularly. 
    • Install adequate covering to keep larger debris and sediment out. 
    • Inspect the discharge line and remove any blockage to ensure optimal drainage. 
    • Install a backup sump pump in cases of a power outage during a storm.

Invest in a Leak Detection System

Damaged pipes are other leading causes of water damage in homes. Some water pipes burst in visible spots, while some leaks can occur behind walls. And when they do, they typically wreak havoc on surrounding structures until the damage becomes extensive.

Investing in a leak detection system helps you catch these issues, regardless of their location. Sensors can monitor water flow, pressure, and temperature, allowing you to identify leaks, bursts, or other irregularities in your plumbing system before they cause more damage.

Dry Out Your Home Right After Water Damage

Swift action is critical when minimizing losses after a leak or indoor flooding. Here are some essential tips to remember when faced with a water damage event:

    • Stop the leak or source to prevent more water from entering your home, if possible. 
    • Begin removing excess water as soon as possible using pumps or pails and a wet/dry vacuum for any remaining moisture. 
    • If the water damage came from a contaminated source like a backed-up sewer, toilet overflow, or flood, leave the water extraction and drying to the professionals.

Some cases of water damage may seem minor, but hiring professional water damage restoration in Cape Cod is still the recommended practice. Calling a certified company within 48 hours after the water event minimizes property damage and prevents microbial growth.

You Don’t Have To Face A Water Disaster On Your Own

Water can cause extensive and expensive damage to your home within the first few hours. On top of following the tips shared above, getting help from licensed experts is essential in reducing your losses. An IICRC-certified company uses industry-approved practices and modern equipment to clean up the mess created by the water event and, most importantly, restore your property and its contents.

If you recently experienced water damage in your home, please know you’re not alone. Your local Restoration 1 team specializes in water damage restoration in Cape Cod and can come to you 24/7 for an assessment. Call us anytime at 508-625-7154, and let’s get your property back to normal – together.