The Potential For Water Damage At Home

7/25/2019 (Permalink)

Water—we certainly cannot live without it, but we could live without the potential for water damage at home.

There are many different things that can cause water damage. Are you familiar with some of the most common causes?

Typical Causes of Water Damage

For the period covering 2009–2015, The Travelers Companies Inc. reported that the five top causes of home claims were:

• Damage caused by wind
• Water damage not involved with the weather
• Hail
• Water damage related to weather
• Crime

Water damage is included two times. It is either caused by the weather or some other accident within the home and is listed as such. Non-weather-related issues can come from things like plumbing and appliances, while weather-related damage naturally consists of issues from rain and snow.

The top five causes for water damage are plumbing issues, leaky washing machines, bursting water pipes, older water heaters and bad weather.

Protecting Your Home From Water Damage

We can see that water damage is an expensive occurrence, but what if none of it was covered by your homeowners policy? The best practice is to review your policy so that you know exactly what is covered. A standard policy will usually cover:

• Winter weather damage
• Water from discharge and overflow, including accidental
• Failing pipes for a steam heating system
• Frozen pipes

Avoiding water-related issues and potential damage situations can be done with a bit of work and preparation.

There are ways to keep water damage from occurring, thereby saving yourself some headaches in the future. Here are some ideas for proactive preventive maintenance to aid in the protection of your home from the damage caused by water:

• Hire a plumber to install back flow valves and standpipes in basement drains.
• Raise your appliances and personal items up off the basement floor.
• Clean all gutters and downspouts.
• Never place grease down the kitchen drain.

These preventive tips and solutions can help you clear up a multitude of potential water damage problems at home.

Water damage can be a nightmare to deal with, but fortunately, you will always have SERVPRO® of North Huntington on your side to help with the cleanup and restoration process.