The Most Common Causes Of Water Damage
Water is an essential element of our lives. We need it to live, but we also use it for various other functions at home and work, such as washing clothing or equipment, washing, and even carrying off waste from the toilet.
However, as useful as water can be, it may also harm a home or business. Water damage is often costly and requires comprehensive repairs to address when it happens.
Here are the most common causes of water damage occurring on a residential or commercial property…
Water Damage From a Leaky Roof
The roof is often one part of a building people frequently forget to inspect and maintain. It’s easy to see why since it’s hard to get to regularly and has no moving parts. Because it just “sits there,” many people expect it to take care of itself, but that’s far from the truth. The job of the roof is to protect a building and the people inside it from the elements, especially storms.
High winds, the constant blowing of branches on shingles, or even just poor craftsmanship can all contribute to a roof getting damaged and allowing leaks. If the problem with the roof isn’t addressed, any rain or storm can contribute to growing water damage that starts in the attic or other crawlspace and eventually spreads to ceilings and other parts of a building.
Water Damage Caused By a Foundation Crack
Water doesn’t have to penetrate straight through the roof into a building; it can take the indirect route, either dripping from the roof to the ground, hitting the ground directly. If the foundation isn’t adequately prepared against this, it can lead to water penetrating a building through its basement, cellar, or another sub level.
Foundation damage can occur for several reasons. Movement in the soil may cause the foundation itself to shift, except that such a large structure typically doesn’t move all in the same direction. This may lead to cracks as different parts of the foundation move in different directions.
A cracked foundation will admit water from floods, storms, rainfall, and other sources. Over time, this can lead to further foundation damage and water damage to the building’s basement, cellar, or sub level.
Water Damage From Floods
Of course, flooding is a prevalent and often leading cause of water damage. Flooding is unpredictable as it’s dependent entirely on weather conditions in any given year.
Depending on the severity of the flood, water damage can come from backed-up sewage. Sewer tunnels, unable to cope with the excess amounts of floodwater, will send water up drainage pipes and into basements or even back up into toilets. However, the most severe floods will raise water above ground levels and come into a home directly through doors, windows, or any hole not sealed to be airtight.
If the water damage to a building is extensive, the best solution is to get professional help. A flood, for example, will require a team of professionals to handle different aspects of structural water damage.
