IF YOU’VE EVER HAD A WATER LEAK IN YOUR HOME, YOU KNOW HOW FAST WATER CAN CAUSE DAMAGE.
A leaky toilet on an upper floor can wreak havoc on floors, drywall, furniture, carpet and rugs, ceilings, and all the way down to the basement. Once you’ve had a flood or serious leak in your home, water mitigation is required, and it will be both inconvenient and expensive. For this reason, water damage prevention is vital for any homeowner. Here we will discuss exactly what that entails.
WATER’S DESTRUCTIVE POWER
People take for granted their ability to control where the water in their homes goes because modern plumbing and the skill of professional plumbers have made it seem convenient and harmless. The truth is even a small leak (in the wrong place) can have disastrous consequences for your home and your possessions. There are multiple stages of addressing a major leak or flood. The first stage is stopping the water. During a natural flood, this is beyond the control of the homeowner. If the flood is the result of a broken pipe, you’ll have to call a plumber and have it repaired.
After the repair is done, the next stage is mitigation. This involves drying everything out. Water mitigation experts will drain or bail outstanding water and then use wet vacuums to suck any remaining water from carpets and furniture. After that, they bring in fans and the dehumidifiers to remove the dampness from the flooring, the furniture, and the air.
Water damage mitigation is very expensive and can cost thousands of dollars, but if you want to prevent mold and mildew, it’s necessary. Untreated water can also lead to an overgrowth of black mold which is dangerous to the health of both people and pets. Once mold and mildew get a foothold in your home, they will not stop until they conquer it. Unaddressed water leaks or flooding can also cause structural damage to your house. It’s better to call in the professionals right away. They will know how to save your home from experiencing any further problems down the line.
WATER DAMAGE PREVENTION
What can you do to prevent water damage in the first place? You must address any plumbing fixtures that are not working correctly, and you need to add appliances that will alert you to leaks or flooding and act as the first line of defense for your home.
Be aware of the condition of the pipes and plumbing in your home. Old plumbing fixtures and piping will fail eventually. When you clean your bathroom or kitchen fixtures, check to see that the water is draining properly from your toilets and sinks and, if not, have a plumber fix or replace them.
Front line methods of dealing with leaks include installing a sump pump in your basement as well as basement detectors and alarms. Sump pumps are an established solution to the problem of wet basements and should be in every basement. They work to drain any water leaks immediately so that standing water never happens. There are many very effective water detector products on the market that are able to monitor temperature and humidity and alert a homeowner immediately both by alarm and via smartphone alerts. These detectors are especially useful for when homeowners are off the property — on vacation or away for part of the year.
Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling, Plumbing can install sump pumps in your basement as well as repair and replace plumbing and fixtures if you have water drainage problems or leaks. We always recommend that our customers are proactive in preventing water damage because it’s so expensive and difficult to remediate after the fact. Call us today if you have problems with your plumbing or you would like to discuss water damage prevention. We would be happy to recommend a plan of action to keep your home and your belongings safe.
