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Top 10 Most Popular Places to Find Water Damage in the Home

2/17/2016 (Permalink)

A homeowner never forgets that awful moment when they realize that their home has been affected by water damage. Whether it’s caused by a broken pipe, a slab leak or flooding, finding water damage in your home is never fun. While not all types of water damage is avoidable, knowing the most popular places where water damage occurs can be helpful in detecting and preventing further water damage to your home. SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea has compiled a list of the top 10 most popular places to find water damage in your home. 

1. Have you checked your roof? 

A homeowner’s roof is the shield against all outdoor threats, like rain or snow. When that shield is damaged, it opens the entire house up to being affected by water damage. Be sure that your roof receives the proper maintenance it needs so you can prevent water damage from entering your home. 

How SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea was able to save a home from a leaking roof: 

SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea received a call from a homeowner in Corona who noticed that there was a water stain on the ceiling. Wanting to make sure it wasn’t something too serious, he reached out to SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea to have us see if it was anything to worry about. 

We sent our Project Manager, Chris Trejo to the home to complete an inspection. After looking around, he found that there was actually water damage all the way through the garage ceiling and walls, stemming from holes in the home’s roof. 

After the inspection, Chris called our technicians out to immediately remove the water damage. They dried everything they could in place and then removed some of the drywall and the ceiling in the garage. After that, they dried everything again, in order to remove the threat of mold. 

The homeowner was so appreciative of our work and quick response time. While he wishes he had checked the roof sooner, he couldn’t have been happier with the work that SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea performed on his house. He let us know that if there were any other water damage issues in his home he would give us a call! 

2. Do you have any leaking pipes? 

A pipe leak is one of the most common ways a house can be affected by water damage. That’s why it’s so important to regularly check your pipes to make sure that there are no leaks or ruptured pipes.

 3. Is your washing machine malfunctioning? 

When it’s working correctly, a washing machine is a great thing. But when a hose breaks during a wash cycle, this allows for a major amount of water to enter your laundry room area, causing a potential for water damage. Just to be safe, it’s helpful to pull the washing machine out a bit and check to make sure everything is undamaged, secure and in tact.

 4. Are your windows not shutting properly? 

Windows can add lots of natural light as well as bring charm or character to a home. But when the windows are not sealed properly, there is room for lots of damage to be done. Make a habit in checking to see if your windows are closing properly. To check, place your hand over where the window closes. If the window is shut entirely and you can still feel a draft, it is important to have it fixed as soon as possible. The last thing you want is water or moisture coming into your house because of a faulty window. 

5. Is the caulking in your shower starting to down? 

As a shower ages, its caulking starts to deteriorate, which can lead to the caulking being brittle, eventually causing a leak. If this starts to happen, you are at a greater risk of water damage affecting your bathroom area.  In order to avoid this from happening, take a look at the seal in your shower and inspect for weak points where damage could possibly occur. If you find any areas that are weak, be proactive and fix the area. On top of that, be sure to check around the outside of the shower, as that can be a good indicator of a leak. 

6. Do you have a flood in your basement? 

A basement flood can happen for many reasons. El Nino might have hit your house really hard, there might have been a sewage backup, or even a simple pipe bursting in your home; these are all ways a homeowner’s basement could possibly flood. Unfortunately, all of these situations are not really preventable, so the best thing you can do is be on top of handling the water damage. If not handled quickly, that flood can turn into extensive water damage. 

If your basement has been affected by a flood, install a sump pump. While it cannot completely rid your home of the damage, it can help reduce the water damage. Then be sure to call SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea so we can take the proper measurements in completely removing the water damage from your basement. 

How SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea has been able to help remove water damage in a basement:

A homeowner in Brea found a burst pipe in her basement. She was fortunate enough to discover the pipe right after it had happened. Knowing that a burst pipe could heavily affect her basement, she called SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea for help. 

After getting the call, we sent over one of our production managers to inspect the home. He determined that there was a leak in the pipe. We recommended that a plumber take care of the pipe, while we work on removing the water damage in the basement. Because she detected the leak so early on, we only had to remove a section of drywall on one wall and then set up fans to dry out the damp areas of the room. Our restoration process went smoothly and the homeowner was so happy with the work that we completed for her! 

7. Is the area around your toilet wet? 

A toilet leak is one of the harder water leaks to find, due to how close it sits next to the shower. Many mistake a toilet leak for water dripping after taking a shower. Because of this, it’s hard to distinguish a toilet leak from dripping water from taking a shower. To minimize potential water damage to your bathroom, be sure to inspect the toilet area on a regular basis. 

There are many reasons as to where a toilet leak can stem from. It can come from an overflowing toilet, a lose hose in the toilet’s system, cracks in the bowl of the toilet, or even old caulking. No matter where the toilet leak originates from, it can be agreed that it is never fun having to deal with a leaking toilet’s consequences, so be sure to check these places frequently and seek assistance if you notice any extra water. 

8. Have you checked underneath the kitchen sink? 

Whether there is a leak in your sink pipes or not, the area beneath your kitchen sink provides the perfect location for water damage and mold to grow. Think about that environment: it’s warm, humid and not a lot of air passes through that area. These are all elements that would welcome mold and water damage as a guest. If on top of that you have a pipe leak or a loose washer, the likelihood of water damages forming in that area is that much greater.  While it’s not always avoidable, try not to overcrowd the cabinet and look under the items placed in the cabinet for any possible water damage. Doing this can’t always stop the formation of water damage, but it can definitely help locate the damage a lot sooner. 

9. Is your refrigerator working correctly? 

If your refrigerator or freezer is leaking, you may have a broken hose or a malfunctioning ice cube maker. A leak like that typically results in a pool of water underneath your refrigerator, which can cause water damage to your kitchen. Check below the refrigerator every once and a while to be sure that your refrigerator is not leaking. If your refrigerator is old and tends to malfunction, it is important to check it even more often.

10. Have you looked at the base molding in your bathroom?

Taking a shower or bath can be a time for relaxation. The steamy, warm water can feel great, especially after a busy and hectic day. But it’s important to make sure you are ventilating the room with an open window or fan, as the moisture of the shower or bath can cause water damage to your bathroom. 

While the base molding might seem like an odd place to check for water damage in a bathroom, the moisture from taking a bath or shower can evaporate into the paneling and cause damage behind it, resulting in water damage to the base molding. Check the base molding for loose areas in the panel, mold and discoloration, as these are all signs of water damage. 

 We at SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea know that sometimes, water damage is unavoidable. But we are confident that by checking these places listed above more frequently will help homeowners detect signs of water damage sooner, hopefully resulting in less damage to your home. If you find any water damage in your home, contact SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea today! We’re happy to help with any and all of your water damage restoration needs! 

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