How to Protect Your Home From Water Damage
Posted on: 27 July 2018
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Water damage in the home is very serious and shouldn't be ignored, as even a small plumbing leak or build-up of moisture behind the walls can lead to softened framework and dangerous mould growth. If the home's plumbing is leaking, this also means that you're wasting water! To protect your home from water leaks and the risk of mould growth, note a few tips to keep in mind.
Start with the roof
A leaking roof is very dangerous for your home, as water coming in from holes the roof can run down the home's framework and cause severe damage, and lead to mould growth. It's good to have your home's roof inspected regularly, to check for missing or loose shingles, damaged roofing paper and torn flashing. Have these parts of the roof repaired or replaced as needed, to keep the home watertight.
Check the gutters
Your home's gutters are meant to capture rainwater that runs off the roof and direct that water away from the house. When gutters pull away from the roof or get clogged, water can then run behind those gutters and down the home's exterior walls. This can create cracks and holes around window frames so that the water then gets absorbed by the home's interior building materials.
Water that overflows from gutters or that runs behind them can also collect around the home's foundation, causing cracks and holes, which allows water to seep into the basement or crawlspace. To prevent all this damage, have the home's gutters checked as often as the roof is checked, and be sure they are properly cleaned as needed.
Keep the shower in good repair
A bathroom's plumbing pipes can be the biggest risk when it comes to water leaks in a home, but the inside of a shower can also develop cracked tiles, damaged grout, and cracks around a window in the shower, all of which allow water to seep into the walls. This water can cause even more damage to the materials that are meant to keep the shower watertight, increasing the risk of mould growth.
To keep the shower in good repair, call a grout repair expert to examine the grout in all areas of the home's bathroom, and freshen that grout as needed. Cracked and crumbling tiles should be removed, along with all dry and brittle grout behind them, and then replaced with fresh grout and tile. This will keep the shower watertight and keep the home free from water damage.
For more information, contact your local leaking grout shower repairs contractors.