It’s a scary thought, but water can penetrate your house no matter how well you think you’ve sealed it. Once inside, it can damage electrical equipment, wood floors and walls.
So, how do you know when your walls are being damaged by water? Well, your walls can tell you if you notice the following signs:
1) When you look at the wall, are there muddy trails where water has been dripping?
2) Have you noticed chipped paint or discoloured paint?
3) Have you noticed areas on your walls that are now less sturdy, or have they buckled (and if so, which area)?
4) Has your wallpaper started to peel off? (If it’s paper, it will start to tear. If it’s vinyl, it will bubble. If it’s wood, it will sink).
5) Does the water stain the walls (and if so, where)?
6) Has there been a break in your plaster wall?
7) Have you noticed that your baseboards have stopped doing their job?
Whenever any of these signs of water damage are present on your walls, you need to call an expert.
There could be a small leak in your pipes or guttering, but it could be a costly mistake without the proper knowledge and equipment to inspect for leaks.
As you can see from this article about signs of water damage in walls, water can damage your home in many ways. If you regularly have high humidity levels in your home, check out how to reduce humidity.
Minimising Water Damage
It’s not just your walls that can be damaged by water. Water is a massive problem for homes as a whole. It can damage furniture, carpets, and fabrics and cause mould to grow in your home.
Water damage isn’t something to worry about if you know what to look out for and how to deal with it. After all, there are plenty of ways you can prevent it from affecting your home in the first place.
Preventing water damage in your home:
1) Properly seal all cracks and leaks. It is one of the most important things you can do to minimise water damage in the future. It will help you save money on your utility bill, but it will also provide you with an extra layer of protection against your floors, walls and ceilings getting damaged by water damage.
2) Keep indoor humidity levels low. High humidity can lead to damaging condensation, which causes water damage. To prevent this from happening, buy a dehumidifier and keep it running in your house.
3) Don’t overheat your home. It’s easy to forget about heating when trying to keep your bills down, but try ensuring that the heating system is not too hot. Doing this will help keep mould at bay.
4) Maintain damp-proof courses around your home. These are designed to protect walls from damp which can cause damage. You can find these courses around your home, and they may need to be resealed over time as the weather gets worse.
5) Maintain your roofs and gutters. One of the main ways rain gets into your house is through these areas. Check them each year and make sure they are secure to prevent leaks.
6) Insulate all your pipes and water tanks. That helps prevent them from freezing in the colder months and bursting in the warmer months. If they do burst, you can find the source and repair it to avoid water damage in your house.
Water damage doesn’t have to be a problem for your home. However, by following the above tips, you’ll know what to look out for and how to avoid it.
