Not only is water damage in your home considerably expensive to repair, but it is also very damaging to your mental wellbeing. It can cause unnecessary stress and pressure to yourself as a homeowner and your entire family. 

Luckily, there are several simple steps that you can take to help protect your home from water damage. Don’t worry they are not too expensive or time-consuming, and they are definitely worth the effort.

1. Check your roof for signs of damage (regularly) 

Your roof is what keeps you, your family and your worldly possessions safe and dry from the elements, so it makes sense that the ongoing maintenance and repair of this part of your home should be one of your main priorities. 

Unfortunately, it is often a case of out of sight, out of mind, for many homeowners and the extent of any damage is not realized until it is too late. 

Avoid water damage through your roof by checking for broken or missing tiles, cracked flashing or large amounts of debris. It is also advised to always check your roof after a particularly bad bout of weather such as heavy snow or a storm. 

2. Check your pipes annually 

As well as being affected by bad weather conditions with frozen pipes often bursting or splitting, your pipes can also become decayed and worn down over time which can result in leaks. Therefore, it is vitally important that you have a yearly maintenance check on your pipes to avoid, in the worst-case scenario, extensive flooding and water damage in your home. 

If you have experienced water damage, Service Restoration, a local disaster recovery specialist firm, can help not only remodel and repair your home but also offer invaluable advice on preventing future issues relating to water and storm damage as well as sewer backups. 

3. Protect your basement

Water damage is a common occurrence in basements in the U.S, especially given the fact that homeowners do not use or check this space as often as they do with other rooms in their property. Therefore, damage often goes undetected. 

However, you can protect your basement by:

• Applying a water sealant to vulnerable areas such as cracked walls or floor slabs
• Ensuring that all water drains away from your home 
• Installing a backwater valve – ensuring sewage flows out, not in

4. Maintain your indoor plumbing systems 

Being vigilant and regularly checking your indoor plumbing systems is arguably the simplest and most effective way to avoid water damage in your home. 

Make sure that you:

• Check your showers and bathtubs for potential leakage; reseal if and when needed
• Check all hoses and faucets for signs of deterioration at least once a year
• Know where your main water supply is and how to turn it off in case of an emergency 
• Install an emergency pressure release valve to prevent pipes from bursting 
• Check all pipes for signs of deterioration 

5. Take precautions to protect your possessions

Even if you heed the above advice and take all the recommended steps to protect your home, sadly water damage could still happen to your property. That is why it is important that you take extra precautions to keep your most valued items and possessions safe and secure. 

• Do not store your valuables in a place that could be affected by water damage 
• Keep your most treasured possessions away from the ground; high shelves are preferable in this case as they are less likely to be damaged. 
• If you choose to store off-season clothing or accessories in the basement, place them in waterproof bags or bins to protect them from damp and/or water damage.