You have lots to worry about as a homeowner. Paying your mortgage, repairing appliances and small issues with your home, and staying on top of landscaping all have to be top of mind to ensure a well maintained home.
You must also ensure that your home is safe from potential water damage. Nothing can destroy your home’s value quite as quickly and critically. This is particularly true here in the Pacific Northwest, where we receive regular rain 9 months out of the year.
Keep reading to learn tips on how to keep your home safe from water damage.
Your home’s #1 job is to stop water from coming in. Once that barrier has been broken, fixing the issue needs to be a high priority to prevent further critical damage. Not doing so can cause serious problems in your home, including:
While water getting into your home is usually obvious (like a leaky roof dripping water onto your kitchen table), other times it won’t be so noticable. If you see any of the above issues and there is not an obvious reason why, it is time to call a waterproofing company like Rock Solid.
“Waterproofing” your home entails sealing off and protecting your home from water intrusion. This is often achieved through sealants, membranes, and coatings, though that alone is commonly not quite enough to completely waterproof your home.
In fact, often it’s necessary to investigate the issue more deeply to figure out the root cause of the water intrusion. This could be from how the water around your home is draining, or even an issue with your home’s foundation. If these serious issues are the reason for your water intrusion, no amount of sealing will stop water from entering your home.
Areas of your home that might need waterproofing include your…
Learn more about the waterproofing process.
Homes are like living and breathing organisms. They need to be nurtured and maintained to thrive.
As a homeowner, you should address structural issues before they become advanced, look for signs of wear before failure, and keep water out at all times. Homes that are only fixed when there is a major issue are much more likely to experience water damage.
The following parts of your home need to be well-maintained in order to consistently keep water out of your home and prevent serious water damage:
Notice anything similar about all of the above items? They all form a shield against the elements. This shield is what keeps your family safe and your home dry. A breakdown can mean that you are 1 rainstorm away from a catastrophic issue.
Lets face it — none of us have a complete knowledge of every aspect of our home. There are just places that we are not regularly checking or visiting in our day-to-day lives. But these areas are not just magically less-likely to experience water damage.
Water detection systems work to help you out in areas of your home that have a high-risk of water damage, but you might not visit all the time. These detectors will sound an alarm if the sensor comes in contact with moisture, kind of like a smoke alarm when it senses smoke.
Common areas homeowners use water detection devices include:
Many instances of water damage are caused by problems like burst pipes, appliances malfunctions, and other issues that are related to the water running through the pipes of your home. When these issues happen, the only thing stopping water from continuing to pour into your home is cutting off the supply of water. The best way to do this is through shutting off your water main.
Whenever moving into a new home, make sure you learn where the water main is on the first day. Additionally, walk every member of your home through where it is located, when it needs to be shut off, and how to shut it off.
There is no such thing as a small leak. While a leak might start small (and stay small for a bit), eventually the leak will get bigger. Whether through pipe corrosion or inattention to the underlying issue that’s causing the leak, that leak will become bigger and will cause water damage if not fixed.
If your home is experiencing a leaky pipe (be it an indoor or outdoor pipe), call a plumber ASAP and get it fixed.
It’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare. You go away on a week-long vacation, only to come back to a completely flooded home. Luckily, severe damage CAN be prevented by taking a few simple precautions.
First off, make sure to ALWAYS shut off your water main before leaving your home. Almost all issues in this scenario can be solved by turning off your water main. Additionally, shutting off the supply to your dishwasher and washing machine will go the extra step to ensure that your home stays dry while you’re away and you don’t come home to a catastrophe.
Rock Solid Waterproofing specializes in waterproofing from homes and commercial spaces in the Portland and Vancouver area. You’ll love our combination of quality craftsmanship and friendly service.
Contact us today for a free estimate. We’re always here to help!
