Ways to Protect Your Home From Water Damage

12/20/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage can be a disaster. Call us to help you recover your Pueblo, CO home.

Water damage is one of the most common and costliest disasters you may experience as a homeowner. Pipes bursting, dishwashers malfunctioning, washing machines overflowing or storm damage are just a few of the many ways water damage could strike your home.

There are plenty of ways you can protect your Pueblo, CO home from this common issue homeowners deal with. Let’s take a look at some.

How to Protect Your Home

Not only will water damage be a hassle to deal with, but it could quite possibly have a long-term impact on your home if cleanup is not done properly. Mold will begin to grow within 24–48 hours after moisture exposure and is one of the most common side effects of water damage.

When you begin to look for ways to protect your home, it may help you to break it down by areas of impact. These areas might include the basement, kitchen, bathroom, flooring, and ceilings.

Basement 

You can help prevent water damage in the basement by preventing water seepage. This can be done by resealing vulnerable areas of the basement, making sure water drains away from your home, and installing a backwater valve.

Kitchen and Bathrooms

Your kitchen and bathrooms can experience water damage due to plumbing issues and appliance failures. Take some time and follow these recommendations:

• Inspect all appliances regularly, especially paying attention to hoses and faucets
• Check all seals and caulking around showers and tubs to ensure there is no leakage
• Know where your home’s main shut-off valve is located
• Be sure that you don’t leave the house while the washing machine or dishwasher are running

How to Recover Your Items

There are things you can do to protect the possessions in your home from water damage, but don’t be surprised if it is not always possible. Use waterproof bins to store items and keep items stored on shelves off of the floor—which is especially recommended when using your basement for storage.

You’ll need to contact your insurance company immediately, evaluate the extent of the water damage in your home, and identify the type of water that is involved.

Types of water to be aware of are:

1. Clean water. Can be from rain, condensation, leaky pipes, etc.
2. Gray water. Slightly dirty water from dishwashers, washing machines, clean toilets, etc.
3. Black water. This water can cause serious health problems and is water from sewage or serious flooding from nearby rivers, etc.

You will need to remove all wet objects, dehumidify and dry your home out quickly after a water damage disaster, and disinfect any remaining materials.

The pros suggest that you freeze wet books, photos, and papers in a frost-free freezer to buy some extra time and prevent mold and mildew from developing and causing further deterioration. Once able, you can remove them from the freezer and air-dry or fan-dry the pages.

It may seem like recovering from water damage is an overwhelming and slightly impossible task, but it doesn’t have to be. You can call on the highly trained experts at SERVPRO of Pueblo, who are here to make it "Like it never even happened."