Some of the most aggravating and possibly expensive things to repair in your home can be water damage. Things as awesome as floods from really bad weather, exploding large pipes, right down to those agitating little pipe leaks can cause damage in your home. Sometimes water coming from one place can inadvertently damage other areas and things in your home.



A busted pipe or a slow undetected leak in your bathroom can have enough seepage to damage the floor in your bedroom just behind the bathroom wall. This can ruin wood, carpet, tile, baseboards or anything that can absorb water. This is just one scenario of the damage water can do. It can take days and hundreds or even thousands of dollars to repair damage.

Even though some types of water damage such as a flood from bad weather outside are hardly ever preventable, there are many other types of water damage in your home that can be if you only use a few preventative measures.

One way to prevent water damage from ever happening is through regular routine inspections of certain things in your home. Namely, sources of water. Taking the time to do this may make you really glad you did. It is the only way to ensure that there are no little unexpected surprises just waiting to happen.

The best place to start is by making a list of all the places water comes into and goes out of your home, including the roof and basement. If you do not have a basement, the crawlspace underneath your home is also a possible source for water problems. When your list is complete, start at the top of your home, the attic, and work your way down.

In an attic, you can look for discolored or damp spots on the roof beams, wood ceiling, studs, floor, or in the insulation. Many times there will be a damp musty smell if there has been wetness present for very long. The best time to inspect an attic is when it is raining and you can catch a water leak from the roof in progress.

Inside the living quarters of the house, check all pipe connections and look for signs where water has leaked and dried up. This means bath tubs, showers, and underneath bathroom and kitchen sinks, and dishwashers. Do not forget the water connections and drainage hose on the washing machine, the water line to the refrigerator if it has one, and hot water heater connections.

Underneath the house you can use a flood light or large flash light if there is no light under there. Look out for pipes that might be leaking or spraying on any thing wood. This can cause some really expensive structural damage. Last on the list is probably outside spigots and sprinklers. Make any minor repairs as soon as possible.