It is expensive and worrying when water damages your home. In summer, you can get a lot more water influx from rainstorms than at any other time because of the strong weather cycle. And water can cause cosmetic and structural issues that you need to repair immediately.
How Water Damages Your Home | Lifestyle
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The Roof Takes the Brunt
The roof is like the shield of your home and often takes the brunt of any damage from the weather. This is why you must inspect it before and after a storm, so you can catch problems early. Tiles and shingles can come loose, allowing rain to seep in. But gutter cleaning is just as important because it ensures that any water drains away as it should. It only takes five minutes to check your roof and gutters for debris. If you can’t clean it yourself, then call a local service.
Water Damages Your Home Furnishings
Some of us like to take out furniture outside when it’s hot and sunny. And others spend a fortune on garden furniture. So why spend so much money only to let the weather damage your stuff? Even in summer, it will rain a lot. So always take your furniture indoors or cover it up with a tarp and plastic. Water can cause excess mildew, which is especially bad for soft furnishings as it can soak inside the structure where it may not be visible and is much harder to clean away.
Your Paint Job
The hot summer sun is known for cracking paint. But what about water? Well, water can cause paint to blister and bubble, leading to bursts. This will ruin your paint job and require remedial work. Further to the walls, excess water can also cause the drywall to bulge, just like paint. And this too requires a lot of work to put right. A good tip is to remedy any water damage before you begin decorating, or an issue could get much worse as your home is exposed to the weather.
Rotting Out the Windows
One of the most obvious signs of water damage in your home is the state of your windows. And you need to pay special attention to this because, as you may know, windows aren’t exactly cheap. Excess water can get trapped inside double-glazing and cause condensation. This prevents the insulation from working correctly. Older wooden windows will also become rotted by too much water around the frames. Sealant will help, but eventually, it will need replacing.
Mold, Damp, and Condensation
The main reason you need to protect your home against water is because of mold, dampness, and condensation. This issue is so bad these days that in the UK, the law requires landlords to treat these immediately following mold-related deaths of children.
Here are some effective tips:
- Facilitate good airflow with open doors and windows and a circulation device.
- Install extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom if you don’t have windows.
- Wipe down wet surfaces with clean towels after use, such as in the bathroom.
- Use mold sprays on a regular basis in areas that are prone to mold growth.
- Reduce sources of excess water, such as putting lids on pans when cooking.
- Paint your walls with anti-condensation paint for longer-lasting protection.
- Clean all water-affected surfaces on a regular basis, such as once per week.
Mold, dampness, and condensation can cause immense damage to your home. But preventing it is pretty easy. The trick is to reduce the amount of water in your home. You can do this with active wiping and cleaning and making sure there is a good amount of air being circulated.
Very Dangerous Electrics
If water is somehow leaking into your home after a rainstorm, for example, it is extremely dangerous for the electrical system. As you know, water and electricity don’t mix since water conducts electricity with no resistance. Therefore, the risk of electric shock is very high. And this can cause fires under the right conditions. For example, water could leak onto an old exposed wire in your attic, causing a spark that could ignite dry wood or attic insulation materials.
Sinking the Foundations
Just like too much sun can dry the soil under and around your home, too much water can soak it. And in either of these cases, your foundation can sink. Soil becomes softer when wet, and the earth under your home can move when this happens. As a result, your foundations can begin to move too. Signs of this are, of course, an uneven home. But there are also telltale signs before the worst happens. These include cracked walls, ill-fitting doors and frames, and bumpy floors.
Water Damages Your Home Steel Frames
Steel is a common material in modern buildings, and your home may come with steel frames. Steel frames are uncommon for homes, though, because they are unreliable and make getting a mortgage harder. This is mainly because they can become damaged due to lower fire resistance and, of course, rusting. Water causes rust, and if your home’s frame is compromised in any way, this could be a disaster. Treatments can help, but getting to the frame is very costly.
Flooding, Of Course
Every now and then, we experience a lot of flooding, even in places that don’t typically see it. And according to some experts, it will only get worse. Flooding in a home can be a nightmare and a genuine disaster and causes more damage than fire. Then there are the issues that come with it, such as mold and dampness all over the internal structure, which can be almost impossible to get rid of once it has set in. It will help to use the lower floor as a basement.
Water damages your home in many ways that can be difficult to fix. Your roof can take a lot of damage after heavy rainfall. And mold, dampness, and condensation present a real threat to health. Also, flooding can cause huge damage that you can’t easily repair or defend against.
