Water Leaks 101: How to Protect Your Home
Ask any seasoned homeowner and they will tell you that water is the enemy of every home. Whenever a veteran homeowner finds water in their home, they will make every effort to find the primary cause and deal with it as quickly as possible. While it can be frustrating to find a leak, before you go into panic mode, you need to use common sense in determining the source of the leak. Some leaks will be easier to figure out than others. Here are a few tips to diagnosing and dealing with three of the most common household leaks.
Leaks in the Foundation
Preventing water from reaching your home’s foundation is the absolute best way to avoid a foundation leak. And one of the easiest ways to do that is to make sure that you do not have a clogged eavestrough. This is because when eavestroughs get clogged, whether it be with leaves and other debris, it prevents water from safely draining away from your home. Instead, that same water that you want to be flowing away from your home will spill over the gutters and will get dumped right next to your foundation. The best way to stop this from happening is to clean your gutters regularly in order to avoid them becoming clogged. Better yet, install a screen over top to keep the leaves and other debris out and to keep water flowing freely.
Another tip is to take a look to see where your gutters discharge. Some downspouts are too close to the home and don’t lead the water far enough away from the foundation which can cause issues. Ideally, gutters should be depositing water at least 6 feet away from the foundation.
Leaks in the Basement
Put simply, basements are built using concrete, which is porous, and your home’s foundation is surrounded by moist soil. Combine that with the fact that water will always follow the path of least resistance, meaning that it will travel through the tiny pockets of air in the soil, finding its way into your basement through a foundation crack or through an opening in the moisture barrier. Because of this, it is crucial that you regularly look for wet stains on the walls or water pooling on the basement floor. If you come across signs of salt residue it means that water is seeping through your concrete walls. In other words, you have a leak in your basement.
Leaks in the Roof
The older that our homes get, the more that they start to show signs of wear and tear. This is especially true with the roof. If your roof has missing shingles, it is only a matter of time before water makes its way inside. Water leaks can often start at the top and work their way down, so if you suspect the leak is coming from your roof it is vital that call a professional roofer in to check out the situation. Remember they will know what exactly to look for. The good news is that a leaky roof is pretty straightforward for a pro to spot. They will know what to look for and where to trace the leak. Based on the roofer’s recommendations, you will then be able to get the leak taken care of before any further damage is caused.