Everyone wants to have a safe and secure home to live in, but it is a known fact that things break. Sometimes the things that get damaged with use can be hidden and we may notice the signs a little bit too late. Water damage in the house can lead to serious health issues, and if you don’t solve the issue right away, you risk damaging your property, furniture, and even the foundations of the house.
The truth is, not everyone knows how to notice these signs, and in many cases, leaking goes unnoticed for a long time. If you want to save yourself a lot of trouble and money, we are here to help you! Continue reading if you want to learn more about the most common signs of water damage, and what to do if you notice them.
1. Smell
This is the first thing you are going to notice if there is damage made by water in your house. Sometimes the other signs can show up later, and they can be disguised by the furniture in your home, but the smell is not something that can be easily hidden.
If you notice a moldy smell, or that a room in your home has that wet scent, chances are, something is leaking. The first thing you need to do is check if you’ve somehow left wet clothes there, if you accidentally poured liquid on your couch, or if you have a pet, make sure they didn’t make a mess.
If you cannot locate the damp scent, you may be in trouble. The easiest way to describe this smell is like an old basement or wet tree trunks. This is not something that can be easily disguised, so check the whole room and look for any of the other signs.
2. Sounds
The next thing you should pay attention to is dripping water. If you have a leaky pipe or a faucet, then you will be able to hear the constant dripping. The good thing about this is that you can locate the sound easily and you will be able to solve the issue faster.
Sometimes the sound won’t be just dripping, and you should pay attention if your faucet or toilet makes different sounds than they were before. In some cases, the dripping may be hidden by other sounds, or the toilet will just continue releasing more water even though it was not recently used.
You are the person who best knows how everything in your home sounds, so if you notice any changes, chances are, something is broken. Don’t doubt yourself and act as soon as you can.
3. Bills
Another thing that you can check to see if you have leakage somewhere in your home is to check your bills. Chances are, the water bill will be higher than the previous months.
One thing you should know is that a leaky faucet that leaks 60 drops per minute can waste almost 600 gallons of water per month. On the other hand, when it comes to a leaky toilet, no matter how small the leak is, it can waste more than 5,000 gallons of water per month. This means that your bill can be between $50 and $100 higher than before.
More often than not we don’t notice slight changes in our utility bills, but if the bill is higher, and there are some of the other signs, you may be dealing with some type of water damage in your house.
4. Wet spots
Now we’ve come to an obvious thing that is definitely a sign that something is wrong with your piping system or faucets. Many people think that these wet spots or dark circles appear only on the corners of the walls, but the reality is, they can appear anywhere.
First, check your ceiling and see if there is any discoloration on your walls. No matter how slight it is, it may be a sign that a pipe is leaking. If you can touch it to see if the surface is wet. Make sure you wash your hands with an antibacterial soap afterward.
You should also check the outside of your house, because sometimes, the dark spots may appear on the exterior instead of the interior.
If you notice something like this, you need to take action right away. Waterdamagekansas.com suggest that contacting a professional is your best bet because they can help you with the issue, and later on, help with the restoration. The longer you wait, the bigger the damage is going to be, and you don’t want to risk damaging the foundation of the house because that could cost thousands to repair.
5. Puddles
Last but not least, we have puddles. As you already know, when a liquid drip constantly, it forms a puddle. You may think that there is no way for someone to miss this sign, but the reality is, a pipe may be damaged in your basement or attic.
Experts suggest that even if you don’t use these spaces, you need to check them at least once per week to see if everything is okay. In case you have concrete in your basement, the good news is, there won’t be much property damage. But if you have wooden floors installed, and you notice puddles, the wood will get damaged and you may even notice bubbles on it.
Check to see if the walls are cracked near the puddles, and try to find the source of the water. It may be coming from a pipe that is installed behind the walls, or it may be just coming from the outside.
If you notice any of these things in your home, you need to act right away. Try to locate the source, and protect the furniture. Wipe everything clean, and call the plumbers or a restoration service that can be there the same day. There are a lot of emergency services that are just one phone call away and that will come to your house at any time in the day or night. Some people think that these things can wait until the next day, but the reality is, many things can change if you wait 12 hours.
Mold will not only affect your bills and do a lot of damage in your home, but it will also affect your health. If you sleep in a room that has moldy walls, you risk allergies, respiratory issues, and the bacteria that forms, can lead to serious health problems. Always inspect your home for things like these at least once per month, even if there are no common signs.
