11 Tips to avoid water seepage, flooding and expensive repairs
There are few things that can do more damage to your home than water. And not just the falling-from-the-sky or flooding-of-the-river kind – even a small drip inside your home that’s left unattended could leave you with thousands of dollars in unwanted bills.
But what can you do? You can’t live without water. But you can also take a few smart precautions when it comes to the wet stuff to help keep you high and dry (in a good way).
1. Clean your gutters
Your gutters are designed to direct the flow of water safely away from your home. They aren’t designed to hold your collection of rotting leaves. Unfortunately, sometimes they do—and not just leaves but also sticks, moss, dirt and all sorts of things.
These debris can cause your water to back up and flow over the side of the gutters, sometimes into your siding or foundation. Let your gutters do what they are designed to do by cleaning them at least once or twice a year.
2. Locate your water main
The water main is the pipe that delivers the H20 to your home. Knowing where it is can prevent a disaster, or at least minimize the damage. No matter how much you prepare for water problems, sometimes a pipe bursts or some other calamity happens. That’s when you’ll want to know how to turn off the water at the source.
3. Check out your appliances
Every few months, take time to inspect your refrigerator, your water heater and your air conditioning unit. Pay special attention to any hoses that go into or out of the units for dripping or pooling water and make sure the connections seem sound. Also, look for rust, corrosion or any sign of water damage. If you see any issues, call a professional and get his or her opinion.
4. Seal windows and doors
Rain and snow can sneak their way into your home past ill-fitting seals of your windows and doors. You may not even see it, as the water can make its way into your frames and soak the surrounding drywall or even get into the subfloor.
An application of caulk and new weather stripping can make a big difference. If you live in an area that gets hit by many storms, consider installing storm windows. Another benefit of these measures is that they can help make your home more energy efficient.
4. Keep an eye on the bathroom
Your showers, tubs and toilets are designed to handle lots of water without a problem, but what if they decide to stop doing their job? Keep an eye on the caulking and grout between tiles to make sure there’s no water seeping out of the bathroom and into your walls.
5. Test your sump pump
If your home is equipped with a sump pump, you probably feel comfortable that any excess water a big storm could bring would be taken care of. But imagine if it wasn’t working next time a category 4 drencher hits. Every so often, take a peek inside your sump pump to make sure the water level is where it should be.
Still not sure? Here’s a tip: Fill the sump with water and make sure the pump kicks in before it gets to the top.
6. Monitor your water bill
So much of the potential water issues in your home are hidden behind your walls and underneath your floorboards. You may not know something is wrong until it’s too wet – I mean, too late. So, check your water bill and keep an eye out for an unusually high charge, which could be a sign of an issue.
7. Turn off your water on vacation
One of the most common causes of water damage in the home are related to families being out of the home for vacation, and unaware of liquid issues until the damage is done. A small leak, left for long enough, will lead to a big repair bill. So, if you can completely shut off the water while you’re gone, why wouldn’t you?
8. Install a water detection device
These are small alarms, similar to smoke detectors, that sound when they detect too much moisture. For a few bucks and a battery, you can place one anywhere you’re concerned about water damage and sleep easy knowing you’ll be woken up if something is wrong.
9. Disconnect outdoor hoses in winter
Freezing water can be a destroyer of pipes. A common way that water can freeze in your pipes is if your fail to remove your hoses when the temps get below 0°. Standing water in a hose is able to freeze back into a pipe and create an ice block that can lead to a burst pipe.
10. Replace old washing machine hoses
Old, brittle and cracking. That’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to your washing machine hoses. And broken hoses are one of the most common culprits for water damage in homes. If you’ve had them for a long time, take a look and replace them if they’re starting to look more out-of-date than your wardrobe.
11. Keep the liquid out of your assets
None of these preventative measures takes more than an hour (most are less) and don’t cost that much money. So, there’s no excuse for why you wouldn’t want to take the steps now to save yourself thousands of dollars in damages and hours of headaches if you do have to deal with water damage.