Four Ways to Prevent Water Damage
Discovering that your home or business has water damaging it isn’t exactly the kind of surprise that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. In fact, it can put quite the damper on your day, week, or month. Fortunately, there are some actions that can be taken to prevent this unwelcome surprise. At Challis Restoration near Cedar Rapids, we have five different suggestions on how you can prevent water damage to your home or business.
Regularly clean your gutters
Inevitably, over time, your rain gutters fill up with leaves, twigs, and other debris. When they become too full, they can stop effectively preventing water damage and start facilitating it. Clogged gutters can cause water to run down the side of the building, potentially harming the walls of the building. They can also cause leaky roofs. Because of this, it is important to clean them out regularly. Even if you have gutter covers, some debris can still get through, meaning that you will still need to clean them out every now and then to avoid water damage.
Direct your downspouts at least five feet away from the building
In addition to cleaning out your rain gutters, it’s important to ensure that your downspouts end at least five feet, if not more, away from your home or business. If they aren’t at least five feet away, they will cause water to pool around the foundation of your house, putting it at risk for structural damage. If your downspouts are too short, consider looking into purchasing downspout extensions.
Repair Damaged Caulking
Caulking is important because it helps seal gaps and prevent water from seeping into places it shouldn’t be. Check your caulking often, especially in areas where it is exposed to water regularly. If your caulking is cracked, promptly repair it so it can continue preventing water damage.
Avoid chemical drain cleaners
Although chemical drain cleaners may seem like an easy fix to clogged drains, they can ultimately cause damage to your pipes. They eat away at pipes, making them prone to leaks. Instead, implement a different method for unclogging.
Pay attention to your water bill
One of the best ways to catch hidden water damage early and prevent further damage is to keep an eye on how much your water bill is each month. Not every case of water damage can be easily observed, and water bills can help you detect hidden, underlying water damage. While it’s normal for your bill to fluctuate some from month to month, if you see a significant spike in the total, that’s a strong indicator that you have a water damage issue that needs to be addressed. While watching your water bill does not necessarily prevent the initial damage, it does help prevent the problems from becoming exacerbated and more serious through being left untreated.
But let’s face it: sometimes water damage occurs even when we do our best to prevent it. If you ever find yourself with water damaging your property, immediately call professionals like Challis Restoration serving Cedar Rapids and other surrounding areas to help with the cleanup. By quickly and fully handling the water damage, you can help prevent further water damage to your property.
