There is no end to the destruction water damage can cause to your home. Water damage can be an annoying and expensive problem to repair once the damage is done. Things as destructive as raging floods from natural disasters, large pipes exploding, or even those agitating little pipe leaks can cause damage in your home. Water staring in one place in your home can spread and inadvertently damage other areas and items in your home. A busted pipe or a slow undetected leak in your bathroom can easily seep through the wall and damage the floor in your bedroom. This can ruin wood, carpet, tile, baseboards or anything that can absorb water. Just think how upsetting it would be if your photo albums or favorite books were damaged from water seeping into your bedroom? 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.

Some types of water damage such as a flood from a hurricane are almost never preventable. Many other types of water damage in your home that can be avoided if you would 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. These are the places from which your sources of water emanate. Taking the time to do these checks can stop any water damage problems before they begin. If you were to find any water damage problems beginning you will be very glad you did this inspection. 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 any signs that 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 to look for potential problems. Look out for pipes that might be leaking or spraying on anything made of wood. This can cause some really expensive structural damage. It can also cause some nasty and hazardous mold growth.

The last item on the list to check is probably the outside spigots and sprinklers. Look for any wetness when the sprinklers and spigots have not been used recently. If there is excess wetness especially near the foundation of the house make the required repairs so that any water damage can be avoided.

Regularly scheduled inspections can prevent water damage to your home.