Water Damage - Prevention
Recovering from water damage can be time consuming, annoying and very expensive.
It is amazing how much damage can be created by something as simple as small water
leak! Damage to carpets, wall linings, timber floors and also ceilings – etremely nasty and very costly to repair.Even minor damage can set you back a few thousand dollars!
As a homeowner you should always take precautions to lessen the chances of water damage to your property. A few simple checks could save you thousands of dollars.
The first things you should check is your plumbing – this includes water pipes. Go and have a look under the kitchen sink, look for any drips or puddles on the cupboard floor. Check the connections to the taps, look for water droplets on the fittings coming out of the wall.
If you find water under your sink, locate where it is coming from, it may be as simple as replacing a washer, or resealing the sink to the bench, or resealing the plug and waste.
While you are there, check the sink waste trap. Check the tapware for drips – dripping taps waster water and could lead to further problems if not address e.g stuck tap which you can not turn off. Do the same for your laundry tub and vanities.
Check your toilets – check the floor for leaks, make sure the cistern is not running continuously. Remove the lid and check the water level and make sure this is at the correct mark (which is usually marked inside the cistern at the rear with the letters WL - Water Level).
Preventing and repairing small leaks could save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
Check your hot water cylinder, have a good look at all the valves, fittings and connections making sure there are no leaks or wet patches.
On the exterior of your house, regularly inspect your roof and spouting for problems.
Clean out all leaves and debris from your spouting regularly, as blocked gutters (especially internal ones) can cause problems major problems inside your ceiling, and we all know what is up has to come down!
Signs of problems on your roof can be roofing nails pulled up, gaps under flashings, cracked flashings around chimneys, flues and vent pipes, and also wet patches on your ceiling. Locate the leak and fix it. It may be as simple as removing loose nails and replacing with Tek Screws or resealing with Plumbers silicone.
Serious ceiling and structural damage can occur quite quickly from a roof leak and is usually very expensive to repair.
Make sure you and all members of your family know where to shut the water off in an emergency! On a house which has reticulated water (town supply) there will usually be a shut off valve near the front of the house (usually on the Council verge) which has a blue lid to identify it. On a non-reticulated water supply (your water comes from water tanks) there will be a water pump which should be turned off, and the water tank shutoff valve closed as well.
Knowing where your water turns off could save you thousands of dollars!
And remember it is better to be safe than sorry, any sign of a water leak anywhere no matter how small it seems, should be attended to immediately, it may happen to get worse while you are away! If in doubt call your plumber.
