Water damage is among the most devastating & costly damages as it can cause a lot of damage to your home, like warping the floor, discoloring the walls, and causing mold growth in your house.
To effectively combat water damage, you should know some common causes of water damage which we will discuss in this article to help you prevent water damage in the future.
Some Common Causes Of Water Damage
⤗ Weather Conditions
There are more chances of water damage to your home during adverse weather conditions like thunderstorms & hurricanes. Heavy rains may damage your roof leading to rainwater falling directly into your home.
Moreover, bad weather conditions may cause flash floods which can cause more water damage to your home, particularly in lower parts like the basement.
⤗ Blocked Gutter
One of the most common causes of water damage is blocked gutters. But over time, leaves, branches & debris may accumulate on your gutter and clog it. It prevents the rainwater from flowing away from your home as it normally does.
The excess water then overflows from the edge of the gutter into your home, where it can cause water damage to your walls & ceiling.
⤗ Faulty Appliances
Many times the reason behind the water damage is faulty appliances like washing machine & water heater.
If the rubber or PVC water supply line to your washing machine gets ruptured, it can quickly flood the entire room and cause massive damage. And when the water heater is faulty due to excess tank pressure or improper installation, it can leak gradually and cause water damage to the area you have installed it.
When these appliances start to make noises or work improperly, you should consider repairing them or replacing them if you cannot repair them, as they can be the culprit behind water damage.
⤗ Clogged Drains
The drain pipes in your kitchen, bathroom, and bathtub may get blocked due to excessive hair, dirt, or other foreign objects inside them, blocking them and preventing proper drainage of water.
The water may back up in these drains and may finally overflow and cause water damage inside your home.
⤗ Pipe Leaks
Another common reason for water damage inside a house is leaking pipes. For example, if the kitchen sink pipe leaks, it can damage the kitchen cabinet below the sink. And if a pipe inside the walls leaks, it can cause a greater issue by damaging the entire walls and causing visible mold growth on it, which you can tell without testing for mold in your home.
Moreover, if the plumbing supply line underneath your home gets damaged, it can cause damage to the flooring, which can be costly to repair.
⤗ Malfunctioning AC
Usually, the condensation produced by the AC gets drained out of your home after getting collected in a drain and then going out of the house through a condensate pipe.
However, when the drain pan gets damaged. Or the condensate pipe gets clogged by debris. The moisture from the AC leaks directly into your home, which can result in water damage to your walls & floors.
⤗ Blocked Toilets
Another one of the most common causes of water damage in your home is clogged toilets.
Toilets can get blocked due to many reasons, like solid waste or problems in the drainage system. If the toilet gets blocked, the water overflows and floods the entire house causing massive water damage.
How To Fix The Common Causes Of Water Damage?
You can prevent water damage to your home caused by the reason mentioned above by doing the following.
- Locate the source of the water & identify what type of water it is clean water or gray water.
- Try to dry the area as fast as you can to prevent mold growth.
- Look for mold in your home once everything is dry but avoid touching it directly, as some molds are toxic.
- You will have to remove porous materials like drywalls from the water-damaged areas.
- Inspect Your roof & sidings for signs of damage after heavy rainfall.
- To prevent water leakage issues in the future, seal and caulk windows, plumbing fixtures, doors, and flooring.
- Hire professional water damage mitigation services if you cannot detect the source of the water leak or if there is severe water damage in your home.
Summing Up
Sometimes water damage is unexpected, but most of the time, there are some common causes of water damage in your home that we have discussed in this article, along with some tips on how to fix water damage in such situations.
After you identify these causes of water damage, call professional water mitigation services to help you fix the issue and prevent damage to your property.
