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4 Ways to Prevent Water Damage in Your Cleveland Home

Water damage on a carpet in a home's doorway.

Water damage is always a possibility in your Cleveland home. Whether it comes from a flood, a leak, or a particularly bad spill (such as a bucket), water damage can happen to anyone at any time. Water damage can also lead to all kinds of problems, including structural damage, mold damage, and exposure to unsafe pathogens in the water. For example, if water sits for more than 72 hours, it’s automatically classified as “blackwater,” meaning it may have unsafe pathogens or contaminants in it. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent water damage from happening in the first place. Here are a few things you can do to prevent water damage in your Cleveland home!

Check Your Appliances

Appliance leaks, unfortunately, aren’t uncommon. Fridges, HVAC systems, and dishwashers are some common culprits for leaks in homes. The best way to prevent those leaks is by checking your appliances regularly. Have them inspected annually, especially your HVAC system. Not only can that help to prevent leaks, it can also extend the life of your HVAC system. Learn where the pipes and hoses are that feed water into your appliances, and check those every few weeks to make sure they don’t have any cracks or leaks, or haven’t come loose. If you find cracks or leaks, don’t use the appliance until those cracks are fixed.

Have Your Sump Pump Inspected Annually

A sump pump is used to direct water away from the foundation of a building, preventing water damage to your Cleveland home’s foundation and your basement if you have one. Sometimes, a sump pump can fail, usually during periods of heavy rain or storms. If the sump pump is the wrong size and can’t keep up with the amounts of water that are coming in during a storm, then it can fail. If it fails, then the water won’t be directed away from your home, instead leaking through the foundation and causing water damage in your basement. Having someone come out to your home and inspect your sump pump once per year can help prevent this. The person inspecting your sump pump may be able to spot potential problems before they happen and perform any necessary repairs. 

Maintain Your Roof

Roof maintenance is very important for water damage prevention. Unfortunately, if shingles become cracked or loose or if they fall off, the roof can leak and cause water damage in your Cleveland home. You should have your roof inspected every 1-3 years, depending on what kind of roof you have. The caulking on your roof may also crack, leading to leaks. You may have mold on your roof, which can get underneath shingles and cause the roof to weaken. 

Maintain Your Gutters

The purpose of gutters is similar to the purpose of a sump pump: to redirect water away from your home and prevent water damage from occurring. This is why gutter maintenance is so important in order to prevent water damage in your Cleveland home. You’ll need to make sure that your downspouts are directed away from your home, rather than towards it. If your downspouts are placed too close to the house or aimed towards it, you could easily end up with water in your home. You should also clean your gutters or hire someone to clean them twice a year. If the gutters become clogged, they can overflow and cause water damage to your foundation, your ceilings, or other parts of the building.

Do You Have Cleveland Water Damage?

Americon Restoration can help! We specialize in flooding, water damage, and severe weather damage. We know you may have concerns about COVID-19 and we want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to keep our employees and our customers healthy and safe. Americon Restoration is taking all necessary precautions before entering our customers’ homes and closely following CDC guidelines. We want you and your family to feel safe and stay healthy! Please contact us through our website or by phone at (216) 221-5200.