Avoid Costly Home Repairs by Preventing Water Damage

October 12, 2017

When we read about what water damage can do to our beautiful homes, we often just focus on the damage and not about the money we would need to spend to fix them. Rainwater can be one of your home's worst enemies. Water can affect your home's foundation, basement, siding, and roof. However, every part of your house is essential to maintaining your home in the best possible condition for years to come.

It is very important to properly maintain your drainage system to avoid water damage and other problems. You should check your gutters regularly to verify that they are working properly or if they are in need of a rain gutter repair service. It is better to find problems before they cause damage. If you wait until it is too late, you might discover that your home's foundation is rotting, which would be very expensive to fix.

If people knew how much money they would need to spend to fix a flooded basement, a damaged roof, or a cracked foundation, they would spend more time monitoring their drainage system and gutters. But how can you prevent water damage? Here are some simple tips:

1. Clean Your Rain Gutters Regularly
   This needs to be on the top of your list. Remember that gutters can get clogged or leak, which will likely end up causing a lot of problems, including water seeping into your home's foundation. Although you can clean your gutters by yourself, your best option is to hire qualified professionals to do it for you.


2. Always Check Your Water Bill
   As crazy as it may sound, checking your water bill is one way to prevent water damage. Why? Many water pipes are hidden behind walls or under the floors of your home, which makes it harder for you to spot a leak. An abnormally high bill might be a sign that there is a leak somewhere in your house. That is why it is not a bad idea to check your water bill.


3. Check Your Household Appliances
   Washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters can cause water damage. They have rubber fittings that wear down over time. If a fitting needs to be replaced, it will probably start leaking and could cause major problems, which is why you should regularly check your household appliances.

Keep in mind that water damage is your home's worst enemy. You need to do everything you can to prevent it. You will save a lot of money in costly home repairs if you don't.


Water damage can put you, your family, and your home in danger, and it can come from many different sources. In fact, there are three main types of water damage:

1. Clean Water
   This water damage is "clean" because the leaking water typically does not contain any contaminants. This kind of damage can come from a sink, an overflowing bathtub, a broken water line, or even a malfunctioning appliance. Even though the water may not contain any contaminants, it could still cause a lot of problems if it is not taken care of on time.


2. Gray Water
   This water contains contaminants. Gray water can come from snow or rainfall, a dishwasher, an overflowing washing machine, or an overflowing toilet without feces. If you don't take care of gray water leakage on time, it can also cause serious problems—just like clear water.


3. Black Water
   This is the most dangerous type of water damage. It includes sewage, ground water, or water from rivers or streams, which may contain pathogenic, fungal, and viral contaminants. Black water can pose serious health risks to anyone who comes in contact with it without protection. When removing black water, the best and safest option is to hire professionals. Anything that is contaminated by black water is unusable and has to be thrown away.

Now that you know how to prevent water damage and are familiar with its three main types, here is how much money you would have to spend to fix damage to the following areas of your house:

• Attic
  Cost: $1,000 – $2,000
  
  Attic damage is generally caused by leaks or drainage systems that are not working properly. In the best-case scenario, your attic will be full of clean water and you will just need to repair a broken pipe. However, you might need to worry about cracks in your floor and keep an eye out for mold.
  
  If it is gray water, you probably will need to replace your carpet and anything that got wet.
  
  The worst-case scenario is black water. Even a small amount of black water can pose a major health risk, which means that you will have to toss out anything that got wet.


• Floor and Roof
  Cost: $1,500 – The total cost of your house
  
  If your floor is flooded, there is a high probability that you are dealing with black water. Everything that was exposed to the water needs to be replaced, which could include furniture, carpeting, appliances, books, and clothing. You will need to clean up all the mud and debris and check your walls for any broken or leaking pipes. You likely will need to replace your drywall, but that isn't your only problem. The water also could have damaged the structure of your home, which you will also need to examine.
  
  If there is damage to your roof, prepare for the worst. It might be impossible to save it, but you will need to pay professionals a lot of money to make your house inhabitable again. That is why it is better to properly maintain your drainage system than it is to spend a lot of money to fix water damage or buy a new house. Do not put your home and family at risk!

If you want to protect your home from water damage, do not hesitate to contact us. Rain Gutters Solution has over 20 years of experience installing and repairing rain gutters and downspouts in Miami-Dade County. Call us at (305) 270-7779 or fill out our contact form. You can receive updates on our latest promotions and discounts by subscribing to our newsletter. Find us on Facebook at Rain Gutters Solution, Twitter @RainGuttersSolution and Instagram @GuttersSolution.