How does water damage occur and what can be done about it? Here are some basic facts to know about the problem.
Water damage is a common problem that individuals have in their homes,
commercial facilities, or office buildings. While drips or leaks might not seem like a huge deal at first, they can turn into terrible problems. When wet spots or stains appear due to leaking, a wise homeowner will investigate this situation further. Not only can this lead to problematic structural issues within the building, it can also lead to health problems for the inhabitants.
Some of the spaces within a home or commercial building for potential water damage to show up are the kitchen, bathroom, roof, and basement. Here are some issues to be on the lookout for. Here's why:
- Kitchen: The sink, garbage disposal and ice maker within the kitchen may have a cracked pipe, rubber tube or faucet. The dishwasher is an appliance that can become problematic, especially because some of the drips may be hidden within the cupboards.
- Bathrooms: Bathrooms are where most of the plumbing of a structure is located. In commercial structures, there may be multiple sinks and toilets. In a home, there may be bathtubs and showers. All of these fixtures are prone to leakage from time to time and so must be inspected periodically.
- Roofs: A roof is a common spot for drips to appear. If the shingles or other parts of the rooftop aren't in good shape, they may no longer be waterproof. It's crucial for a building owner to go up there regularly to check for maintenance needs such as loose or missing shingles, missing flashing, plugged rain gutters or pooling water.
- Basements: In a basement, there are certain appliances that might have leaking trouble, including a washing machine, a sump pump, or even outside water flowing in from the landscaping sprinkler systems or heavy rains in the area.
In order to keep a closer eye on leaks, many building owners install some sort of leak detector or alarm system. Here are a few types:
- Moisture sensors: Some alarm systems are set up to detect excessive moisture. This can be attached to one appliance or the whole house.
- Active systems: Active moisture alarms shut off the household H2O when leaks are detected.
- Passive systems: The passive setups are less aggressive than the active programs in that they don't shut off the household H2O. They do, however, send off some sort of alert. Some examples are flashing lights or beeping noises.
Why worry so much about leaking issues? "Why so much worry about a few drips?" many homeowners may wonder. What they may not understand is that a house or office building can become uninhabitable if water damage is left unchecked. Some issues that may occur include:
- Mold
- Mildew
- Rotten timber in rafters or frame
- Ruined flooring
- Roof collapse
When water damage occurs in a home or commercial structure, it can be a devastating and expensive experience. If the troubles occurred due to negligent maintenance, the insurance company won't likely cover the damage and the owner will be left holding the bag.
