If you’re looking for ways to prevent water damage, there are many tricks you could try. Some of them include disconnecting hoses from faucets, not landscaping near pipes, and cleaning your gutters. Read ahead to find out what the rest are.
1. Maintain Your Yard
A few shrubs can make yards look homier, but remove any larger ones. Their roots can cause pipes to burst. While on the topic of pipes bursting, landscaping near them could cause this as well.
2. Disconnect Hoses
Leaving hoses connected to faucets can cause water damage. Water stuck inside could freeze. In the worst-case scenario, this would cause your pipes to burst.
3. Clean Roof Gutters
One of the biggest culprits would be your gutters. They can get blocked and cause water to overflow. If winter’s approaching and you haven’t cleaned your gutters in a while, emergency gutter cleaning might be a good idea; the water puddles created could even damage your foundation.
4. Maintain Appliances
Inside a home, appliances are one of the biggest causes of water damage. Regularly inspect them.
So, which appliances should you keep an extra eye on? Your washing machine and refrigerator. They tend to leak more as they get older. If it’s been more than 5 years since you’ve got your refrigerator but have not replaced its hose before, now is the time to do this.
5. Look at Your Water Bill
Check whether your water bill is higher than usual. Inspect your appliances if it is. As mentioned, inside a house, they are one of the most common causes fo leaks.
If your water bill is higher than usual and you would like a sure-fire way to tell whether you’re dealing with water damage, you can buy a water detector. It would sound an alarm whenever it senses moisture in the air. Where you would install it is up to you.
To get the most out of the detector, don’t skimp. There are several models on the market, and the more expensive ones are the most sensitive at detecting moisture.
What Do You Do If There is a Leak?
Are you currently dealing with a rupture or leak? Make sure to switch your stopcock off before you call your plumber. This would shut off your home’s water supply and prevent the rupture from causing any more damage. It would most likely be in your basement.
Call a plumber afterward. Preferably, you would hire an experienced individual. You might have to pay extra later otherwise – you may have to pay someone to fix the incomplete work.
Final Thoughts
Considering all the points that were discussed, what do you think? There are several ways to prevent water damage. One of the best would be to not landscape near pipes, and to remove any large trees or shrubs in your yard; their roots can cause pipe leaks. If you’re currently dealing with a rupture or leak, switching off your stopcock would be a good idea.