Water damage precipitates costly repairs and unwanted inconveniences. It is a misfortune that every homeowner dreads, but that is too common to wish away. When water enters your home, it can potentially damage the floor, bring fungus, and leave your carpets and other fabrics smelling bad. Statistics show that in the US alone, annual home renovations due to water damage are in their billions of dollars. The good thing, however, is that although water damages are not 100% inevitable, you can protect your home to a satisfactory extent, regardless of what nature throws at you. The following tips will help you keep your home dry:

1. Ensure  that your air conditioning unit isn’t leaking

One stubborn culprit in causing indoor water damages is the air conditioning unit. Most of these units are out of sight- hidden somewhere in a dark corner, in a closet, or in some case, up there in the attic. These are areas that you don’t visit regularly, unless you purpose to. If you don’t check it regularly to ensure that it doesn’t leak, you could be in for a rude shock sooner than later. If you notice any signs of leaks or water damage, fix it ASAP or call an expert to do it for you. Air conditioning units are more susceptible to damages during the hot months of summer as they are usually overworked this time of year. Coincidentally, this is also the time when homeowners are least concerned about water damages because, after all, the weather is not as wet as winter.

Read More: Strategies to prevent Roofing Damage

2. Invest in a water flow monitoring system

This system is installed in your home’s water supply system as a tool to monitor how water flows through the system. It checks for irregular water flow in the system and cuts off the flow if it detects any abnormality. If, for example, there is a continuous flow of water for 24 hours, chances are that there is a leakage somewhere because your appliances don’t use water in such a continuous manner. The system will detect such an abnormality and automatically stop the flow before too much damage is done.

3.  Clean your gutters often

Gutters are the first protective detail for your home. If they are blocked, water can drip down and damage the home’s sidings, cause unwanted cracks, or even weaken the home’s foundation. Ensure that the gutters are cleaned at least twice every year, preferably in the fall and spring. These seasons are notorious in dropping branches and debris in the gutter. If you live in an area that experiences heavy storms, be sure to add an extra round of thorough gutter cleaning after the storm. That will protect your downspouts and gutters from clogging. If your budget allows, it will also be helpful to install gutter guards to rid the gutter of leaves.

4. Protect your siding

Protect your siding

Water damage becomes harder to address once it finds its way into the siding material. Water can weaken house siding by causing wood rot, cracks, and weakened foundations, consequently compromising your home’s structural integrity. And because you can’t see what is happening inside the siding, well, not unless you are a building and construction expert, water damages in the siding often escalate without your knowledge. The costs associated with this extent of damage can be too high to bear. That is why you need to hire a reputable siding contractor to reinforce your siding and make it waterproof.  Some of the measures that a siding contractor can take to protect your siding from water damages include installing a proper water flashing mechanism, adding a house wrap, or putting in place effective caulking.

5.  Get rid of snow and ice

Don’t wait until the snow and ice start to melt. Get rid of it before spring, especially if the roof slopes towards the siding. Note that heat escaping from your indoors can melt the ice and cause water drips in some parts of the home. It gets worse if the heat is concentrated around a central region, so the melting ice flows to the edge of the roof, but then because it is cold on the edges, it refreezes to form an ice dam around the roof edges. That acts as a barrier, so any moisture that forms on the roof has nowhere to go other than get under the shingles, through the attic, to your indoors.

Read More: 5 Proven Ways to Keep Your Home Healthy

6.  Inspect your bathroom

Inspect your bathroom

If your bathroom isn’t draining water well, chances are that the water will permeate the tiles, damaging their caulking.

Conclusion

Water can get into your home through many openings and in many different forms. You cannot wish it away. However, you can keep its damages down to the minimum by wiping it out regularly and trying to prevent outdoor water from finding its way into the interiors.

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