Home Upgrades that Pay off: Minimizing Water Damage With A Return

According to studies done on closed water damage insurance claims, the average amount spent after deductibles was around $4,500-$5,500 for supply/drain system failures and water heater, washing machine, and toilet problems. Additionally, water damage from the roof can cause many problems to the whole house to involve structural, mold, fire and slip/fall hazards, and energy problems.  

Mold & Mildew

image1

Once the water has leaked into the house for an extended period of time it can cause mold and mildew problems which are very costly. Once the mold is into the HVAC system it can spread throughout the house very easily. Mold spores are so small they easily float through the air and can then be carried extended distances throughout the home.

Mold and mildew problems can arise from plumbing and leaky roofs. This can be very costly to try and rid the house of the mold problem. It can not only cause significant damage to the house but also health problems.

Structural Problems

This can be the most significant problem to a house from water damage. The problem might start out as mold or mildew and then continue from chronic water deterioration of the wood. This causes the wood to essentially rot and lose its support and density. This can be support beams to the house or any other joist, trim, or wall framing.

Ideas to Prevent Water Damage

Water damage is a very costly problem to a house and the best case scenario to prevent any water damage is to understand your age of your bathroom, plumbing, and roof. If there has been significant time since the house was built, then dependent on the financial situation, the best case scenario is to replace or monitor the plumbing or roof.

Replacing the Plumbing

If the decision is made to replace the plumbing, then this would actually be a great time to remodel the bathroom or anything else that is dependent on access to the pipes.

Modern sinks for bathrooms provide a significant value and contemporary aspect to the home. Additionally, it is good to invest for your own self in one of the more private parts of the home.

Maintenance of the Roof

image2

The roof is not only one of the first things people see when they look at your house but it is ultimately the umbrella of our lives. If the roof fails your house, then your house fails. One cannot really understand this component until the roof decides to falter at the wrong time. However, there is not ever a good time for any roof to fail in our hectic lives today.

Roof maintenance may sometimes involve a complete renovation, which isn’t the cheapest project you can undertake. Thankfully, you can rely on some financial assistance to get the needed renovation works done the right way. Institutions like Plenti offer renovation loans you can take advantage of to help make your upgrade project less expensive. These home improvement loans are tailored to meet your individual needs at great rates.

Roof Maintenance Issues To Address

The roof is one of the most important parts of the house. However, it is also one of the most expensive components of the house to replace. Taking this into consideration, it is best you understand the age of your roof and what to do to keep it maintained for prevention. Cleaning your roof may not come to mind as something you need to do, but professional cleaning can remove mold and unsightly dirt build ups.

Cleaning the Gutters: This should be an obvious fix but many let the gutters go because the damage does not happen instantly. As roofing contractors of NJ, state “to protect your home exterior, gutters funnel rainwater and debris away from your siding.”  

Gutters are also responsible to allow for the water to run off smoothly from the incline of the roof. If the gutter is full of dirt and clogged up then the water might pool up and create moisture or an actual water leak.

Replacing Shingles: Cracked, missing, and partial shingles all allow for water to intrude into the house and/or trap moisture under other shingles.

Replace Flashing: The metal flashing around vents, chimneys, and other openings such as windows or skylights is one of the main trouble areas for water leaks. If there is a water stain in the attic, most of the time the solution is to replace the flashing in the problem area.

If you fix roof problems as they arise or even before, as part of preventive maintenance, you might save yourself (or your insurance company) a large outlay of money.

 

 

 

Speak Your Mind

*