According to recent studies, water damage covers for close to 70% of all property damage. This is due to two factors.
Firstly, water is ever present in our lives, coming into contact with our houses’ foundation either through pipe leakages or rain. Secondly, water leakages are extremely difficult to trace and diagnose. This is because it is capable of flowing in multiple directions and travelling through the smallest of openings.
As such, many homeowners are left unaware of water damage taking place in their own home till it is too late. Often times, this involves the crumbling of a wall or the ceiling. How then can homeowners such as yourself defend against such water leakages?
In this article, we cover the common symptoms of water leakages, spots of vulnerability and actions to be taken.
Symptoms of Water Leakages
When your house has a water leakage, water will tend to accumulate at a single spot. This is because it flows along the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, this spot may not be one that is visible.
Instead, you may first witness the peeling or dulling of your walls’ paint. This happens as water on the other side of the wall has created a moist environment that is ripe for mold growth. Over time, the mold eats away at your wall, resulting in the peeling paint or dulling of its colors.
If this stage of the symptoms go unnoticed, then water droplets will start to form on your wall’s surface. This is a sign that moisture has now reached an advance state and is starting to pass through your walls.
If you spot either of these symptoms, there is an immediate need to engage a waterproofing contractor as soon as possible. Their experience with water leakages and professional equipment such as moisture meters will allow them to quickly determine the severity of the water leakage.
Spots of Vulnerability
Three places in residential buildings are vulnerable to water leakages. Firstly, bathrooms are always under threat of leakages given how much water the surfaces in it are exposed to. In particular, the area whereby the floor meets the walls of your shower area will often yield to leaks. This because a natural gap exists between these two structures, this gap requires sealing which may weaken over time.
Two other areas of vulnerability are roofs and balconies. These two areas have a common issue of being highly exposed to rain. As such, if the prior waterproofing waters were not done correctly, or no maintenance is done on a regular basis, then leakages can be expected.
To safeguard these surfaces from water seepage, professional waterproofing contractors will have to be engaged to apply a waterproofing membrane. This would securely prevent any water penetration so long as no ponding occurs.