When water damage occurs to a home it can be devastating. The entire structure can be ruined including the floors, walls and ceiling and in extreme cases even the basement. Depending on the type of water damage you suffer the damages may be limited or extensive. A good way to deal with water damage is to stop it in its tracks and have professional water damage restoration services take care of the problem. In this article I will share with you some of the main reasons why water damage can occur and how it can be stopped.

One of the primary causes for water damage is overflowing gutters. Water leaves the gutters with large amounts of debris, which then cascade down to the ground and start to decay. As the water recedes the larger pieces of rotting material land on dry areas creating mold. If the water damage is not cleaned up in time the mold can spread and become a serious health hazard.

Another common cause for water damage in the home is leaking pipes. While most people think that the water coming into a house is clean once it makes it way through the plumbing system, some of the dirt, grime, food scraps and hair strands get trapped in the pipes and over time they become full of germs and bacteria. When this happens, the water starts to gradually leak into the home.

Mold is another common cause for water damage. Mold spores are airborne and when exposed to the air they produce toxins which then enter the respiratory system and cause symptoms such as cough, runny noses, rashes and sometimes even asthma attacks. It’s very important to get mold remediation done as soon as possible to avoid any long term damage from the mold spores.

There are a few other reasons for water damage. Flooding is another cause. In the case of flooding a river or lake can carry large amounts of floodwater into homes. If there are trees or any shrubs near the area of the flood, they can be damaged too. This includes roots. Roots have the potential to grow rapidly and cause severe problems for homeowners that have water damage.

One thing that is not usually thought about is sewer backing up. While water damage can cause sewer backups it is rare. However, it does happen and it does hurt. Sewer backups can cause extremely bad water damage in cases where the sewage backs up into the basement of a home. In the worst cases this can lead to septic tanks being ruptured and people getting sewage into their homes. Not only is this extremely bad for the people that have to live there but it is also a very expensive problem.

In most cases water damage is not a very serious problem. The most important thing is to make sure that you do not have any water damage to take care of. This means that in the event of a flood, a leaky pipe or flooded basement the first thing you need to do is to de-clog it so that the water can run away and not get inside your home.

In some cases this is easier said than done. You can ruin furniture, drywall and practically anything else completely with a simple wet wipe. In these cases you might need to hire a professional company. Even then you can rest assured that you can fix most small damage jobs yourself. Just remember that in most cases you can fix damage that is not too severe.

Some people call in water damage companies right after they have a disaster like flooding. If you do have water damage in your home, you should call a water damage company as soon as you can. These companies are able to remove mold and mildew that are a common culprit in many cases.

In other cases damage may come from structural damage. For example, if your home has poured water from a roof leak then this will often times result in more structural damage. These cases often times require steel rebar to be placed in the walls to help them stay standing. In most cases this is a temporary fix rather than a long term one.

You can avoid future cases of water damage by using protective equipment like absorbent materials when you are near water. You should also consider having a high efficiency heater in place if you are concerned about heating costs. You should also make sure that your gutters are clear of leaves and other debris so that your house is not ruined by rainwater. In most cases if you have a storm door this is no longer an option, so you should use it as instructed. In most cases a plumber can come out and take care of the problem.