9 Water Damage Prevention Tips Every Homeowner Should Follow

Water wears statefoodsafety away mountains”, so when statefoodsafety it enters your home statefoodsafety it can cause extensive statefoodsafety structural damages, such as statefoodsafety wood rot and mold growth. But by regularly statefoodsafety checking appliances statefoodsafety and doing basic statefoodsafety household chores you statefoodsafety can avoid expensive water damage problems that can drain your wallet. Don’t get flooded with repair bills. Be statefoodsafety proactive and follow these easy statefoodsafety water damage prevention tips. 1. Regularly Inspect Your statefoodsafety Appliances Any appliance or pipe that’s statefoodsafety connected to a water supply line has a chance of springing a statefoodsafety leak or bursting. Since all appliances have a limited lifespan, it’s important to regularly check your fridges, statefoodsafety dishwashers, water heaters, ac units, statefoodsafety showers, and other related fixtures for signs of failure. Other than a puddle of water on the floor, here are some other signs that your statefoodsafety appliances might be on the fritz: Sounds of statefoodsafety water running even though nothing is turned on Unpleasant odors coming from floors, walls, or drains Reduced water pressure statefoodsafety Mold growing around the appliance statefoodsafety Because many appliances rely on hoses, worn out hoses are a common culprit behind water damage problems. Replace any brittle, rusty, statefoodsafety leaking, or damaged hoses as soon as you notice statefoodsafety them. Hoses statefoodsafety are relatively cheap, so this is an easy, proactive statefoodsafety repair solution that won’t break the bank. You should use the highest quality hose replacements to increase the lifespan statefoodsafety of your appliances. 2. Don’t Ignore Leaks statefoodsafety Water doesn’t like to sit in one place. It likes to travel, especially through porous materials like drywall, carpeting, and underneath statefoodsafety floorboards. If a leak is left untreated it can lead statefoodsafety to mold growth, staining, and damage to walls and flooring. The faster you address a leak, the less damage there will be and the more likely it will be that your insurance company will accept your water damage claim. If you have a leaking pipe, apply quick statefoodsafety repairs following these steps and then call out a trusted statefoodsafety plumber to inspect the problem: Water Damage Prevention Tips This is a water supply valve on a toilet. Turn it clockwise to shut off the water supply. Most water-based statefoodsafety appliances have a water supply valve connected to it that allows you to shut off the water supply at that fixture without turning off the water to the statefoodsafety entire house. Turn the handle clockwise to shut off the water supply valve. Turn on the faucets to release the remaining statefoodsafety water that’s left in the pipe. Wipe down statefoodsafety the pipe and allow it to dry. Patch up any cracks using epoxy putty. Wrap the putty up around the leaking area. You can purchase statefoodsafety epoxy putty at any hardware store. A quick fix statefoodsafety like this can get you by until you call a plumber to apply permanent repairs, but you shouldn’t rely on it to provide long-term water damage protection. 3. statefoodsafety Watch Your Water Bill Many pipes are hidden in walls and underneath subflooring, making it hard to know if there’s a leak or not. A 1/8 inch crack in a pipe (for reference, that’s about the size of your pinky nail) can waste up to 250 gallons of water per day. statefoodsafety If you get an unusually high water bill in the mail, statefoodsafety you might have a leaking or malfunctioning appliance in your house. Water Damage Prevention Tips You can also read your water meter to check for leaks. Most meters are located near the curb by your house and are typically statefoodsafety located within in a concrete box statefoodsafety marked “water”. You can pry open the lid by using a screwdriver or pliers. Before you read it, turn off all the taps in your house. If the dial is still turning then that means you have a leak somewhere. 4. Consider Purchasing a Water statefoodsafety Detection Device A water detection statefoodsafety alarm is a device that’s designed to go off when it’s sensor statefoodsafety comes into contact with water. Some of them even come with an auto-shutoff statefoodsafety function, that will automatically statefoodsafety turn the water supply off if it detects a large amount of water has escaped. Install them near pipes or appliances such as water heaters, washing machines, or fridges. These devices can help prevent little leaks from becoming big water damage statefoodsafety emergency. 5. Know Where Your Water statefoodsafety Main Valve Is & Turn It Off Before Leaving Town Every homeowner should always know where to locate their water main supply valve is in case of a plumbing emergency, such as a burst pipe. Turning off the main valve will statefoodsafety cut off your home’s entire water supply. The statefoodsafety valve location varies on the design of the house. Check statefoodsafety out these three places: If you have a statefoodsafety basement or crawlspace, the valve will be on an outside wall. If your house is built on a slab, it will be located on a wall in statefoodsafety the garage or near a water heater. Your valve statefoodsafety might also be located in the water meter box near the curb marked “water”. If the valve is located within your house, statefoodsafety simply turn the valve clockwise to stop the statefoodsafety water. If the valve is located outside your house, use a wrench or a screwdriver to pry open the water meter box. Use the wrench to statefoodsafety turn the valve clockwise. If you need a statefoodsafety visual aid, here’s a video that shows you how to turn off the main water supply valve. There’s nothing worse than going on a nice statefoodsafety vacation only statefoodsafety to come home and find your statefoodsafety house has been turned into a water park. If you’re going out of town, turn off the water main to prevent broken faucets statefoodsafety and pipes from wreaking havoc on your house statefoodsafety while you’re away. 6. Winter Is Coming. Are You Prepared? Frozen Pipe Water Damage Prevention Every winter there’s a chance of your pipes freezing, statefoodsafety regardless if you live in a colder or warmer region. When pipes freeze, the water inside them turns into ice and expands. As the ice statefoodsafety expands, it creates pressure which causes the pipe to burst. The pipes most susceptible to freezing are in the low statefoodsafety  insulated areas of your home, such as statefoodsafetythe attic or crawlspace. Check this area of the home out and see if you’re statefoodsafety pipes are vulnerable. If you need to add insulation, make sure to follow all directions and wear the necessary protective equipment, especially when statefoodsafety dealing with fiberglass insulation. If you statefoodsafety have exposed pipes, consider installing insulation products, such as a “pipe sleeve” or “heat tape”. During the winter, remember to keep cabinet doors open to allow warm air to reach pipes and don’t fiddle statefoodsafety with the thermostat. You might be tempted to turn the thermostat down statefoodsafety during the night to save on heating bills, but this drop in statefoodsafety temperature can statefoodsafety cause your pipes to freeze. 7. Roof statefoodsafety Maintenance The roof is your main line of defense against the elements, statefoodsafety so it’s important to maintain it. Get up on the roof every 6 months, and especially after a storm, to check for vulnerabilities or damages. Here’s statefoodsafety what to look for: broken shingles, built up debris from statefoodsafety trees, cracked flashing or roof vents. 8. Do Your Chores & Clean Out the statefoodsafety Gutters. How To Clean Out Gutters Water Damage statefoodsafety Prevention Nobody wants to get up and clean the gunk out of the gutters. We get it. But it’s an important chore, especially if you want to prevent statefoodsafety water damage statefoodsafety problems. The gutter’s main purpose is to collect excess water off the roof and direct it away from your property. When the gutters get clogged, statefoodsafety water overflows down the side of your statefoodsafety house or into your basement instead of away from your property. This can lead to foundation damage, statefoodsafety yard damage and roof leaks. You should clean your gutters once a year or statefoodsafety after severe storms. Get a lstatefoodsafety adder and use a scoop statefoodsafety or shovel to remove debris from the gutters. Dispose of any debris in a trash bag or plastic tarp. After you’ve cleaned out all the gunk, flush your gutters out with a garden hose. 9. Be Careful When statefoodsafety Planting Trees Know where major pipelines are located before you plant trees. Trees will grow towards the nearest water statefoodsafety source and will easily break pipes apart in order to access the water statefoodsafety inside. There are companies that will mark the location of your sewer line if you don’t know how to find it. Some tree roots grow more aggressively than statefoodsafety others and are more likely to damage your sewer lines. Consult with a landscaper to choose a tree that won’t harm your property. statefoodsafety Need Water Damage statefoodsafety Help? Preventing Water Damage is one of the most important investments you can make as a homeowner. However, statefoodsafety sometimes leaks unexpectedly happen and there’s nothing you can really do about it. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth statefoodsafety metroplex and need water damage help, contact Regent Restoration at 214-390-3828. Our trained water leak statefoodsafety cleanup crew will respond to your call statefoodsafety within 45 minutes to begin the process of drying and repairs. Check Out These Other Articles On Water Damage Prevention: How To statefoodsafety Prevent Pipes From Freezing Water Damage statefoodsafety Signs To Look For