How Your Home and Family Can Stay Safe During a Monsoon

As you’ve probably learned from either your own personal experience or by reading our blog, water damage can have devastating consequences in your home. The problem is that many homeowners and renters don’t understand where various types of damage can come from or are unprepared when something occurs. We’d like you to be as prepared as possible and that starts with knowing the primary sources of water damage to be found in your residence.

Pipes and Hoses

First and foremost, it’s important that you be on the lookout for any leaks caused by worn-out or broken pipes and hoses. You may remember when we wrote a four-part blog about our employee Jenna who experienced a broken hose connected to her refrigerator, which turned her life upside down for weeks. This cautionary tale is a great example of how it’s easy to find yourself in a water damage situation.

Washing Machine

Your home’s washing machine uses a lot of water in each cycle, which can leak out when the unit is in disrepair. This issue may harken back to the issue above, where the primary hose connected to the home’s water supply could be loosed or weakened, which needs to be either replaced or repaired.

Toilet

If there’s anything in your home that rivals the water damage caused by what we’ve discussed so far, it’s the toilet. This equipment also uses a great deal of water and a leak or backup can quickly become catastrophic. Although this can happen when a unit isn’t in tip-top shape, a backed-up toilet is a much more common problem. When a toilet overflows, it can cause devastating damage to your floor, not to mention the accumulation of mold and other issues if not addressed right away.

Water Heater

Water heaters are built to last for years, but they do break down after a while, which can cause water to leak or the tank to burst. The best way to avoid this is to get the unit checked every two years while it’s under warranty and once a year after it has expired.

Gutters

The role of gutters is to prevent water from entering your home and they work pretty darn well most of the time. Unfortunately, when gutters get clogged up because of debris ranging from leaves and branches to nests and dead animals, it can cause water damage. The solution is simple – check your gutters after every storm and clean them twice a year to ensure that they’re free and clear.

Sewer Backup

If you’ve ever known someone who has experienced sewer backup or gone through it yourself, then there’s probably no need for us to explain how devastating it can be. When a sewer backs up, the results can be both devastating and disgusting. Even when the instance is relatively small, such an event must be handled by a professional because of the resulting damage and biohazards involved.

Storm Flooding

Colorado and other states can be subject to flooding caused by severe storms, heavy rain, or even snowfall. This unexpected event can cause considerable damage and repair costs, so the best advice is to check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you would be covered, and then consider separate insurance if it’s not.

When you experience water damage, it is essential that you enlist the assistance of a professional cleanup crew to make the proper repairs and restoration. Abbotts Fire & Flood has both the knowledge and equipment to fix damage to homes and businesses that have derived from water, fire, mold, smoke, biohazards, and more. If you’ve experienced damage, reach out to us and we’ll get your life back on track.