From cooking to bathing and keeping our clothes clean, there’s no denying the benefits water brings to our daily lives. Unfortunately, water can also be one of the most destructive forces of nature, causing tremendous damage when it floods your DeLand home.
The most common reason for residential water damage is a leaking or burst pipe, but there are other causes, too, including:
- Faulty plumbing
- Leaking appliances, including water heaters
- Clogged drains
- Natural disasters
- Roof leaks
If your DeLand home experiences any of these issues, it’s essential to take immediate action. The experienced water damage remediation team at Central Florida Restoration Solutions can save you time and money and prevent the stress and heartache that comes from extensive water damage. Our restoration services prioritize your safety and eliminate water damage regardless of any limitations placed by your insurance company.
We’ve compiled this list of the top five causes of water damage so you can take steps to prevent catastrophic water damage in your DeLand home.
How Water Intrusion Affects a Home
Unwanted water flooding your home can cause:
- Damaged roofs
- Warped flooring
- Wall and ceiling stains
- Weakened structural integrity
- Peeling paint
- Stale and musty odors
- The development of toxic mold
In addition, hidden and unaddressed water damage can, over time, weaken your home’s foundation.
Top 5 Common Causes of Water Damage in DeLand, FL
Many homeowners don’t realize that what seems like a small amount of water can do tremendous harm. In fact, it only takes an inch or two of water to cause damage severe enough that it requires repair and restoration services.
Regardless of how your home suffers water damage, the quickest way to avoid serious property and personal health damage is to address the cause of the water intrusion and dry out any wet materials.
Here are the five most common ways water can damage your DeLand, FL, home, and what you can do about them.
1. Faulty Plumbing and Leaks
Broken, burst, or leaking pipes are by far the top cause of water damage in the home. A sudden pipe break can quickly flood your entire DeLand home. Other, smaller, pipe leaks, though, often go unnoticed and unaddressed before harm is done. No matter how it occurs, when you have an unexpected water incident at your home, a professional water damage restoration and remediation company can help.
Pipe leaks don’t just waste water. They can also damage a home’s structure and encourage unwanted organic growth like mold. And because much of a home’s piping is out of sight, many homeowners don’t know a leak is forming.
How can a single pipe leak cause such huge problems? Here’s how it usually happens.
- Broken seals: As they age, the seals put around the water connectors on home appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, and washing machines break or wear out. Condensation on and puddles near the appliance signal you have a leak.
- Clogged lines: More serious than clogged drains, clogged pipelines can lead to overflowing, leaky, and burst pipes.
- Corrosion: A common occurrence as plumbing systems age, corrosion eats away at pipes. Your first warning of a problem is usually discoloration and warping. By then, though, the damage has been done, as corrosion tends to happen from the inside out.
- Damaged pipe joints: Pipe connections are the weakest points in a plumbing system. Pipe joints can deteriorate and over time cause a pipe leak. If your home’s pipes suddenly start making a lot of noise, or if you hear a ticking or banging noise when the hot water is turned on, it’s a sign that pipe joints are under significant pressure.
- Excessive water pressure: High water pressure is nice for making water come out of faucets faster, but the pressure can also place a lot of strain on piping components.
- Tree root intrusion: Some destructive pipe leaks occur outside the home. Tree roots that intrude on exterior pipelines often produce leaks that cause water to seep into your yard or under your home’s foundation.
- Loose water connectors: Washing machine hoses often spring leaks brought about by their spin cycle shaking. Connector leaks are among the easiest to spot as you’ll likely notice water forming puddles around the appliance or running out from the supply line.
- Rapid temperature changes: Fortunately, DeLand enjoys a moderate climate. But in the winter, we often have short cold spells that can cause pipes to expand and contract, which, in turn, can cause cracking and leaking.
Other reasons for leaking pipes include damage during a home improvement project and poor water quality.
When you have a flood in your DeLand home caused by a broken or leaky pipe, it’s essential to contact a water damage restoration company that offers 24/7 emergency services. Because the sooner you start water remediation actions like cleaning, drying, sanitizing, and repairing, the sooner the damage restoration can begin.
2. Leaking Appliances
Besides flooding your home, water can quickly damage and destroy your appliances and HVAC system. The extent of the damage to the appliances themselves depends on which parts were submerged and for how long. A faulty water heater is the most common appliance to cause a flooding incident. The water from a leaky toilet might contain sewage, and water leaks from other appliances can harbor mold. It often makes more sense during water damage remediation and restoration to replace water-damaged appliances, given the high cost of parts and labor involved in repairing them.
One of the worst things a homeowner can do after a flood is attempt to dry out their appliances so they can turn them on. Doing so can cause, at minimum, a short-circuit and, at worse, serious shock and life-threatening injuries. The best approach is to let a qualified expert inspect the situation.
3. Clogged Drains
Along with plumbing leaks, clogged drains come with multiple repercussions, including:
- Unpleasant odors come from food, hair, and other waste that’s been put down the drain. The bacteria from these backed-up items are what causes the stink.
- Water contamination occurs when clogged drains form from waste buildup.
- Pests like mosquitos, cockroaches, and fruit flies love stagnant water.
- Health risks from clogged drains can range from mold allergies to intestinal issues.
- Structural damage from water that flows backward in a pipe can soak into your home’s foundation and harm your home’s structure.
4. Natural Disasters
Hurricanes, thunderstorms, and heavy downpours are common occurrences in DeLand, and the massive quantities of water they leave behind pose a significant risk to your home. They’ve also been known to destroy roofs, resulting in water flowing straight into your house.
To reduce storm-related water intrusion problems, be sure to perform regular preventative maintenance in areas where water can leak into your home. The sooner you repair storm-damaged components like roofing, wood, and other building materials, the more likely it is you’ll avoid expensive repairs and replacements down the road.
5. Roof Leaks
Whether it’s due to severe storms, neglect, or someone walking across the roof, a leaky roof can lead to structural damage, mold, and mildew if it isn’t resolved quickly. Leaky roofs also cause:
- Water-damaged attics and ceilings
- Insulation damage
- Damaged drywall
- Slip and fall accidents
- Fire hazards
Water damage can destroy your home and affect its value. When water from a roof leak damages your DeLand home, it’s crucial to have the leak, the roof, and the water damage remediated and repaired as quickly as possible.
How to Spot Water Damage in Your DeLand, FL Home
If you’re worried that your home’s been damaged by water intrusion, here’s what to look for before calling in a professional water damage remediation company.
Outside the home:
- Check for pooling by the foundation of your home. This is a sign that water may be seeping under the foundation or into a crawlspace.
- Inspect gutters and downspouts that carry water away from the house to ensure they’re free of holes or damages and securely fastened to your house.
- Do you see cracked, broken, or missing roof shingles? They’re often responsible for leakage into the attic, which can lead to ceiling damage.
- Inspect all exterior windows and doors. Is there a separation in the frames? You might also notice “soft spots” that are a sign of window leaks.
Inside your home, check for these common water damage signs:
- Water rings on walls and ceilings indicate a possible piping leak.
- Soft or sagging spots as you walk across the floor, particularly near toilets, showers, tubs, dishwashers, washers, refrigerators, and water heaters. The floors around these appliances might appear cracked or warped.
- Inspect room corners and heavily trafficked areas for wet patches in carpeting.
- Look inside sink cabinets for water puddles, stains, and warping, which are all signs of leaking pipes. You might also see new and more extensive mold growth.
- Check your water heater and the area around it. If it has any rust, that could suggest a previous or current leak. Do you see water spots on the floor? They might indicate a slow leak that can lead to future water damage.
- Trust your nose! If you detect a musty or mildewy smell, it’s likely due to mold brought about by water intrusion. Mold remediation services can quickly and efficiently address the problem.
Three areas in your home particularly susceptible to water damage are the attic, walk-out basement, and crawlspace.
An older or poorly-maintained roof is more likely to experience water damage than those that receive regular maintenance. When searching for water damage signs in the attic, be sure to inspect the areas around chimneys and roof vents and where the walls meet the roof. Visible floor insulation should be checked to make sure it’s dry and mold-free.
Central Florida homes, especially newer ones, don’t tend to have basements. But some do have walk-out basements or crawlspaces. Both areas are common places where water enters a home to do its damage. Unsealed crawlspaces can cause moisture and air quality problems, but perhaps the biggest risk that comes with a water-damaged crawlspace is mold. A professional inspection of these spaces can be a wise investment in protecting your DeLand home.
DeLand’s Most Trusted Water Damage Remediation and Restoration Professionals
Every homeowner relies on their home to be secure, safe, and free of water damage. Central Florida Restoration Solutions is the water damage, mold damage, fire damage, and smoke damage expert you can trust to handle any remediation issues for your home. Our more than 20 years of experience assisting DeLand homeowners with water, mold, and other remediation services means we’re well-equipped to remove any signs of water damage, no matter where it might be hiding.
When your home experiences water damage—or if you suspect it has a hidden water leak—you can depend on our remediation team to locate and assess the damage and create an action plan to handle it. We’ll restore your home to its beautiful original condition and guide you on the steps necessary to protect your property in the future.
Contact CFRS today for the remediation support you need to keep your home and family safe from the dangerous effects of water damage.
