The best way to deal with water damage in your home is to prevent it before it starts. This is not a difficult task. You just have to be willing to take the time to make a checklist of all the places where water comes into or leaves your house. You also have to be willing to go through and check these places every so often to make sure they are kept in good repair. This small amount of time and bother will prevent flooding and water damage and the repairs to your home that will occur if any pipes, hoses, or connections were to spring a leak.

Start in the kitchen to check all the hoses, pipes, and connectors that pertain to running water. Look for any leaks or wetness on or around these things. Look at the pipes under the sink, the hoses from the dishwasher, and the line that runs water for the icemaker in your refrigerator. If there is any dampness on or around these things take the time to fix them right away. This will keep any issues from becoming a big problem.

The laundry room would be a good spot to move on to after the kitchen inspection has been dealt with. Make sure to check the hoses for the hot and cold water that runs to the washer. Again, if there is any moisture collecting on or near these hoses, replace or repair them right away! You should also inspect the drainpipe for the washer to be sure the water is draining properly and the pipe is not leaking anywhere. It is a good idea to put a liquid drain cleaner down the pipe when you do these checks to keep the drainpipe from having any clogging or backing up problems.

The bathroom is another room that needs to be checked for water damage. Check the pipes for the toilet, sink, and tub. Put a liquid drain cleaning solution down the sink, toilet, and tub drains to prevent any back up issues. Look at the tile on the floor and walls in the bathroom to see if there are any damaged tiles or bad grout. Fix any damage you find right away to prevent damage to the drywall or sub-floor. Make sure that each bathroom in your home is equipped with a ventilation fan. These fans will dissipate the moisture caused by the shower running. The extra humidity in a bathroom can end up causing mold if there is not enough ventilation.

Make sure that checking for wetness around all of your windows and doors is on the checklist. If there are any signs of moisture around the windows or doors, dry it thoroughly and caulk the gaps or cracks that have let the wetness in. This can prevent drywall, structural, and mold damage to your home.

When all of these things have been checked and dealt with, go down and check the basement for any leaks in the pipes or dampness on the cement walls. Take care of any problems right away. Keeping up with the checklist regularly will prevent water damage and the expensive repairs that come with it.