An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – I am sure you have heard that before and it really is the best way to go about things. While we here at Water Damage Hero are here to solve all your water damage needs, we would rather you and your home or business never suffer from it to begin with! Therefore, we have written today’s blog post filled with practical and easy to implement tips for preventing the kinds of events that cause water damage.

Look Up!

Please don’t let it get this bad!

Are your gutters clogged with debris? If you can’t remember the last time you actually cleaned out those gutters or knocked those tree limbs off the roof then you really need to do that now. There are so many ways junk collecting on the top of your home can become a source of water damage. Leaves and even bird nests in the gutters can cause rainwater to drain into the basement or even the house’s very foundation. Jesse, a partner in water damage restoration in Little Rock says, “Those gutters and storm drainage systems have an extremely important role and you need to make sure they can do it”.

Know Your Roots

Roots can wiggle their way into anything!

You need to know how invasive the root structures of the plants you have in your yard are. If you have installed sprinklers, those could be the most susceptible to roots growing into them and breaking them up. Also, the main pipes to the home and even septic tanks can be damaged by large tree roots. Have an experienced landscape designer help you choose the right plants for your home or business area to prevent water damage.

Don’t Clog your Arteries or your Pipes

That’s a lot of French fries…

Never ever, ever, ever pour grease down the drain. There is a reason restaurants trap their grease and have a company take it away for them. It really does not matter how hot th e water is when you are pouring the grease, it can stick to the inside of the pipes and solidify. Soap can help but it is not a cure-all for a serious grease clog. Please put your grease into a container and throw it out into the trash.

Snakes > Caustic Chemicals

Warning!

Eventually, every drain will develop a clog. It does not matter how cautious you are, you will develop a gradual build up of stuff like oils and hair that will either completely clog the pipe or slow down the flow of water tremendously. The liquid drain cleaners are convenient and easy to use but they can also eat away at pipes. This can result in a leak. It is far safer to rely on a drain snake, which can be purchased cheaply at a hardware store.

Are You Running Up a Huge Tab?

Do you know your water usage?

You need to pay attention to your water bills every single month. Setting your bills to be paid automatically can cause you to become ill informed about your water usage. It is important to know what normal water usage for each season of the year is. Understandably, you may use more water in the summer, but all water usage spikes should be investigated and explained. A slow but consistent increase in water usage may be the result of a slow leak. With there being so many pipes inside walls and in the floor of a structure, early detection of leaks is key to preventing water damage.