Noticed A Leak? Here’s How To Find The Most Common Leaks That Happen At Home
By 911 Water Damage Experts
There are few things as stressful as realizing that something in your house is leaking but not knowing what it is or where it is. All you know is that you can see water damage, smell moisture, and even see mould.
If the leak isn’t coming from somewhere obvious, like a faulty dishwasher or fridge, how on earth are you supposed to find it? We’ve included some helpful information on how to find the source of your leaks below.
A Leak In The Bathroom
As one of the wettest rooms in your house, a bathroom is going to be one of the most common places to see a leak. If your bathroom is on the second story of your home, a leak may be brought to your attention by a stain on your ceiling that’s starting to bubble or flake.
Or, you may notice that building materials in your bathroom appear to be affected by water, such as warped or wet flooring and walls.
Sometimes, identifying bathroom moisture can be a process of elimination. It might be failed waterproofing around your bath, shower, or vanity, or even a leaking or broken pipe.
Calling a plumber and a water damage restoration company could be the best action you take to solve the problem and restore your bathroom to pre-damage condition.
A Leaking Basement
As the basement is the lowest room in your house, it makes sense for it to be one of the most susceptible parts of your home to water damage. Sometimes, basements can become water-damaged due to foundation leaks, sewers, eavestroughs, and pipes.
In most cases, you will need to rule out each of these issues to identify the cause of your leak successfully. As they all have different repair methods, it’s essential to determine the problem so that you can hire the right experts to rectify it and fix the damage.
Sewer Backups
All it takes is for one storm to overwhelm your sanitary and stormwater sewers, and you’re in big trouble. A blockage can cause toxic sewage to flow into your basement and destroy everything in sight.
To make sure you can identify such problems as soon as they happen, visit your basement at least once a week and look out for moisture. A strong sewer odor will also likely alert you to any problems.
If the blockage is on your property line, you pay for its repair. But if it’s on the city’s side, they pay for it.
A Leaking Roof
Out of all places you don’t want a leak to be, it’s the roof. Unfortunately, they do happen and for a number of reasons. An old roof in need of replacement is one of the most common causes of roof leaks.
However, all it takes is for one tile to be lost or damaged, and a water leak can present itself.
The sooner you fix a leaking roof, the less damage you have to fix. A leaking roof can damage insulation in walls and the attic while also potentially weakening the home’s structure.
Because a roof leak can happen without you realizing it, it can also lead to mould growth that requires an expert mould removal company to combat.
As soon as you notice blistering or flaking drywall, or you’ve had an extreme weather event, look for signs of a roof leak. You can then call the experts to have it taken care of as soon as possible.
Clogged Eavestroughs And Spouting
Even though you may have identified a leak in your basement, that doesn’t mean the problem lies in your basement.
Instead, your spouting and eavestroughs could be to blame. If they are blocked up with debris, rainwater can spill directly off the roof and run down the side of your house.
When this happens, the water can start making its way through your home’s siding or drain and then through your foundation wall.
Fortunately, this problem is an easy fix. If you’ve identified your eavestroughs and spouting as the problem, you can clear them out, fix any low or high spots, and make sure the water goes where it should go.
If you’re one of the one in 15 people who are scared of heights, you won’t have to look too far to find a gutter cleaning company to take care of the problem for you. All you have to focus on then is cleaning up the water damage with a water damage restoration company to assist.
Plumbing Leaks
As much as we like to think nothing in our homes will ever wear out, that’s not the case. Seals, water pipes, drains, and gaskets can all fail over time. The unfortunate reality is that they can do a lot of damage when they do.
If you notice any leaks around or near plumbing, it’s likely that you have a leak or failed component within your pipe.
Some people may have the DIY knowledge to tackle these problems themselves, but calling a plumber can also offer much-needed peace of mind.
Leaking Windows
Window caulking doesn’t last forever. It can degrade over time, which leads to moisture being able to make its way through the gaps and destroy your windows and any building materials around it.
However, caulk is not the only cause of leaking windows. Window wells in basements may not have enough drainage or rotten building materials around windows may also be causing water to get through.
Low-Lying Home
If you often find that water flows around the outside of your home, or it doesn’t drain away quickly after a storm, two things could be to blame. Firstly, your property may be sitting on top of an underground waterway. Or, your property may be in a low-lying area.
Fortunately, both of these problems can be rectified with a sump pump. These self-contained systems are put into pits in your basement floor. When water starts to enter it, the motor is kicked on by a float switch, and water is pumped away from the house.
Have You Identified Your Leak?
As much as we like to think our homes are fortresses against water penetration, accidents can happen. As you can see from reading through this information above, many things could be causing water damage inside your home.
Once you identify the cause of the leak, you can take swift action to fix it before relying on water damage restoration companies to restore your property to its pre-damage condition.
If you have any questions about finding and fixing leaks in your home call 1-833-WE-DRY-IT all the time any time 24/7/365 we’re there when you need us!
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