5 Tips to Prevent Water Damage, Mold and Mildew

Prevent Water Damage

Water damage weakens your house foundation and eventually causes severe structural breakage. Damp wood creates mold and mildew and attracts parasites such as termites. Water damage can be disastrous and extensive to a limit that your insurance coverage cannot compensate. Here are useful methods to protect your home from water damage.

1. Ensure a Good Drainage System

Poor drainage causes cracks and pathways for water to enter your house. The foundation of your home is also weakened. To ensure a healthy drainage system, observe the following strategies.

  • Roof gutters: Clean your gutters often. Your drains will be free from clogs that can cause water to cascade to the wall sides thereby damaging the foundation.
  • House downspouts: Ensure your downspouts direct rainwater about 5 to 10 feet away from the house.
  • Maintain good soil moisture: You should not allow the soil around your foundation to get too dry. When the soil is too dry, and it rains heavily, it tends to exert a lot of pressure on the foundation. This pressure results from an abrupt expansion of the soil.

During a dry climate, run a hose 6 inches away from the foundation. Also, the tube should be 3 inches under the soil. This initiative will prevent the ground from expanding and contracting.

2.   Prevent Mold and Mildew by Controlling Indoor Moisture

You can stop mold and mildew by controlling dampness. Mold infestations mostly occur where there are water leakages to the walls. Also, in basements where there is poor foundation drainage. You can prevent leaks around your home and also keep it well ventilated.

Another way is to keep the air inside your house dry. You can achieve a dry atmosphere by running a dehumidifier whenever there are dampness encounters. AlorAir® Storm LGR Extreme Dehumidifier can dry the moisture absorbed in walls, floors, and household items to keep indoors dry.

3. Use Large Bath Fan

Moisture in the house is known to emanate from bathrooms. The fan in your bathroom should clear out moisture within 5-10 minutes. If it is not working in this capacity, the size can be the limiting factor. Establish the right fan capacity for your bathroom by multiplying the square footage by 1.5. By replacing it with a big fan, Alorair Zeus Extreme Axial air mover can provide about 3000 CFM of airflow, the air in your bathroom will be moved adequately.

4. Avoid Using Unclogging Chemicals

Having clogs may be practically unavoidable. You may find it convenient to use those powerful chemicals to unclog your kitchen sink. Mostly these chemicals make drainages unclog faster. It is important to realize that these caustic chemicals eat away your pipes. Repeated usage of these chemicals results in pipe leakage.

The safest way of clearing your clogs is by using a drain snake. A drain snake is expensive, but it will save you a great deal from water damage.

5. Watch Where You Plant

Some plants and trees have invasive roots. These roots interfere with your drainage system, water lines, septic tanks, pipes, and foundation. When these plants or trees need water, their roots search for moisture, damaging pipes underground. The root system of a tree stretches as much away from the trunk as its height.

There should be a preferable distance at which trees and shrubs are planted from your house. Plan before planting to keep roots away from your house. You can seek expert advice from a nursery near you. You will know the safest shrubs or trees to plant.

Water damage prevention is better than its cure. You may correct some situations, but you can’t salvage others based on the damage extent. Doors and windows may not close because a house shifting distorted their frames. Such a situation may not be corrected. Observe the above tips, and you will save yourself from unrelenting effects of water damage.

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