House & Home

4 Steps to Take to Avoid Water Damage In Your Home

4 Steps to Take to Avoid Water Damage In Your Home

It feels like there’s always something you need to do with your home. Whether it’s trying to deal with mice that have somehow found a way inside to vacuuming each day for reasons you’re still unaware of, your home demands your undivided attention, much to the chagrin of your partner. Still, these issues can be solved relatively easily. Others, though, are not so simple. The biggest problem your home could face is water damage, so it’s important to know how to prevent it from happening.

Know How to Turn the Water Off

Your stopcock is one of the most important parts of your home. However, not enough people know where it is. In an emergency, knowing where your stopcock is (and how to turn it off) could be the difference between a minor and major leak. The location of the stopcock varies depending on the property. But, generally, you will find it where the main water pipe comes into your home. Usually, this is under your kitchen sink, but if you want to be sure, check the building plans or go on a stopcock treasure hunt.

Check for Leaks Regularly

Leaks can happen anywhere and at any time, which is why it’s so important to check for leaks as often as possible. Think about the places that are most likely to have leaks, such as around the water heater and under the kitchen sink. However, you should also check in other areas. If your home encounters a slab leak, which happens under the floorboards, you could be in some trouble, so keep a close eye on any strange changes and train your family to do the same.

Keep Pipes Insulated

A burst pipe happens when there is too much pressure applied inside. Usually, this occurs in winter, where you have failed to drain the pipes, causing ice to build up and narrow the flow. The result is a burst pipe that can easily damage your walls, ceilings, and floors. Besides making sure to drain your pipes properly, you should make sure you keep them insulated. Interior pipes should already have this insulation (usually foam), but exterior pipes may not. So, fit some to keep the cold weather penetrating the metal.

Look Out For Mold

Mold is an easy sign that something has gone wrong in your home. Thankfully, mold is easy to spot. If your wallpaper flakes or dark spots appear around your home, you should assume that your home is suffering from damp. Musty smells and cold walls are other signs of this. To avoid this, keep the windows open in your bathroom, especially if you like to take hot baths, to allow the air to circulate. You can also add more installation or use a moisture meter to check for abnormally high levels in the mornings.

Water Damage

Water damage can have severe repercussions on your home and any homes around you if you do not deal with it as soon as possible. Knowing how to identify leaks and take steps to avoid them altogether will save you plenty of stress and plenty of money, as you already understand expensive home repairs can be.

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Jess Benoit

Jess is a homeschooling mama of 3, wife, gamer, Whovian, Nerd

One thought on “4 Steps to Take to Avoid Water Damage In Your Home

  • Great blog! We just bought our home and seriously after this winter storm we had in TX I need to get on these lol Thanks for the great info!

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