What Causes Water Damage in Homes?

Realizing you have water damage in your home can be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Thankfully, though, more than 90% of water damage cases are preventable through routine inspection of your home’s plumbing system. If you’re worried about water damage, it’s important to know what most commonly causes of water damage and how you can prevent it.

CLEAR Restoration is a locally owned water damage restoration and mold remediation company serving Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. We are experts at restoring homes to pre-loss condition quickly and cost-effectively. Give CLEAR Restoration a call today.

Here Are The Top Five Causes of Water Damage In Homes:

1. Inclement Weather

Living in Louisiana, we know that hurricanes pose the biggest threat to our homes as far as water damage is concerned. For this reason, you should hire someone to inspect your roof every year. A roofing contractor can spot warning signs that your roof might be potential causes of water damage, like missing shingles or cracks in areas where water pools. Inspections aren’t cheap, but restoration costs for water damage are much more expensive.

[Related: Summer Rain Brings Water Damage]

2. Bursting Water Pipes

One of the main causes of water damage in homes is leakage from pipes that have burst in cold temperatures. Temperatures rarely dip below freezing during Louisiana winters, but pipes can freeze and burst when it does drop below 32 degrees. Outdoor water supply lines like sprinklers, pools, and hoses have little to no insulation since they run in or along exterior walls, so they’re most likely to freeze over.

Take steps to protect your pipelines when the weather gets extremely cold. Insulate your water pipes as best you can, and keep your garage door closed to keep water supply lines in your garage as warm as possible. Open the cabinet doors in your kitchen and bathrooms, especially cabinets under the sink, to allow warm air from inside the house to circulate around the pipes.

Cold weather isn’t the only issue that can cause burst pipes. It’s important to remember that old pipes can burst from years of deterioration, so if you haven’t gotten your pipes inspected in 15 years, it might be time to call a plumbing specialist. While pipe deterioration is a concern, it isn’t one of the main causes of water damage, so it’s unlikely that you’ll need to have your whole pipe system replaced.

[Related: Prevent Water Damage from Frozen Pipes]

3. Plumbing Issues

Plumbing problems are the most difficult to detect because most pipes and hoses are inside the walls, hidden from view. This means you probably won’t know there’s a leak until you see the early signs of water damage around your faucets, toilets, bathtubs, and showers.

Still, early detection is the best way to prevent water damage Every couple of years, you should call in a plumbing specialist to inspect the plumbing systems in your home to ensure there aren’t any problems that might cause leaks.

Plumbing pipes last a long time, from 20 to 70 years, depending on the material used, so your plumber should be able to give you an idea about whether or not it’s time for new pipes once the inspection is complete.

4. Washing Machine Leak

It’s easy to forget about your washing machine unless you’re doing laundry, but washing machines are one of the top causes of water damage. If there’s a faulty hose or connection, your washing machine can unleash more than 600 gallons of water into your home. That much water pouring out of your washing machine is likely to lead to catastrophic water damage, especially if your washing machine is on the second floor of your home.

You should get your washing machine supply hose inspected and likely replaced every five years. Also, overloading your washing machine can loosen connections between valves on the water supply hose, so make sure not to stuff too many clothes in at once.

[Related: How Appliances Cause Water Damage]

5. Old Water Heater

Water heaters don’t last forever, and harboring an aging water heater in your home is a recipe for a water damage disaster. If you’re trying to avoid hundreds of gallons of water flooding into your home from your water heater, you should replace it every 10 years. Tankless water heaters are more expensive, but they last up to 20 years, and they don’t physically hold any water. They simply heat the water as it runs through the heating device.

You can find out how old your water heater is by locating the serial number on the manufacturer’s sticker near the top of the water heater and looking it up. Get your water heater regularly inspected to check for warning signs like moisture build-up, mold, or corrosion. If there’s rust in your water or your water isn’t heating up, call a plumber to inspect it.

Contact CLEAR Restoration for Water Damage Restoration

Whether you’re trying to prevent water damage or need water damage restoration, CLEAR Restoration in Baton Rouge has you covered. Our experienced water restoration team can answer any questions you have about restoring your home after water damages occur.

If you need emergency water damage restoration, call CLEAR Restoration at 225-245-3575 for help from our specialists.

[Related: How to Handle Recurring Water Damage in Homes]