The most common sources for water leaks
Living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest has its perks, but having to deal with water damage in your basement or crawl space because of frequent rainfall isn’t one of them.
But constant rain isn’t the only way your home can suffer from water damage. Not just because of a leaky pipe or a broken gutter, there are a variety of ways your home can suffer from water damage.
1. Basement Walls
If your walls aren’t protected with a VaporLoc Wall Barrier, they’re highly susceptible to groundwater intrusion. Groundwater is the water that’s held within the soil or in the crevices of rocks. The groundwater within the soil surrounding your home seeps into your basement walls due to the porous nature of concrete. The water within your basement walls will seep out onto your floors or produce efflorescent basement walls that grow mold.
2. Water Heaters
Depending on how large your family is, your 10-50 gallon water heater could always be running throughout the day. If your water heater isn’t frequently inspected, it could eventually fail and leave you with gallons of hot water flowing into your basement.
3. Gutters
Gutters help to keep the rain from your roof away from your home and foundation, but if your gutters are damaged or clogged from debris, then they are doing more harm than good. Water that’s not exiting out of your gutter will seep down into your soil and create even more problems for your home’s basement walls.
4. Pipes
At 45 pounds per square inch, your home’s pipes are transferring hundreds of gallons of water throughout your home daily. With that much water rushing through your home’s pipelines, there could be built-up corrosion and other imperfections in your pipes, especially if they are old and haven’t been inspected recently. A busted pipe could lead to hundreds of gallons of water bursting within your walls and falling into your basement.
So what should you do?
With the constant rain and cold winters, it’s essential to keep your home’s potential water damage at the top of mind throughout the year. A great starting point for preventing water damage in your home’s basement or crawl space is to contact TerraFirma for a free inspection!
