Why Water Damage Is Your Home’s Sneakiest Issue

Throughout the multiple months of stay-at-home orders and quarantine, you more than likely saw your house in a way you never saw before.

Stripped from your commute, happy hours, and your kids after school activities, you were better able to scrutinize every corner of your home. You noticed repairs that need addressing, big and small.

You also noticed water damage. You’d never seen it before, but now that you have you’re not sure what to do. Water damage in the home is nothing to take lightly, and you shouldn’t ignore it.

Ignored water damage will sneak up on you and turn into a major problem very quickly. Read on to learn more about it.

Health Hazards

It’s true that water damage isn’t always easy to spot. We’re so often tipped off by a leaking roof or standing water in our basements – yet, our houses are full of dark corners that are hard to see.

Worse yet, it’s all too easy to ignore water damage because there isn’t a noticeable leak. It’s not something you can afford to forget about.

When talking about water damage, the first thing to note is that water inside your home will lead to multiple health hazards. Water damage compromises the health and well-being of you and your family.

Where water comes in, mold grows. Mold causes allergic reactions that will exacerbate already existing health issues like asthma and COPD.

Water damage also attracts pests. Spiders and other bugs love moist areas – cockroaches especially.

Cockroaches and other pests carry many diseases with them. Constant exposure could lead to severe illness.

Structural Damage

Left untreated, water damage takes a chunk out of your wallet. Hard to believe, but even a trickle of water will degrade the structural integrity of your home in severe ways if you let it.

Walls will bubble and crumble. Paint and plaster will chip from the ceiling. Brown water stains will crack and spread.

What’s inside those walls? Your electrical system. You know water and electricity don’t mix.

It’s not just your paint, plaster, and electrical system. Left alone, a trickle of water degrades your bricks and concrete. This type of concrete damage, especially to your home’s foundation, costs thousands to repair.

How to Spot Water Damage

What makes water damage such a sneaky home problem is its ability to hide for years. Basements, closet walls, crawl spaces, and attics are all dark rooms we don’t inspect often.

By the time water damage in these spots rears its head in other rooms in your home, you’re already in trouble.

The best way to stop water damage is to inspect your home for the signs – and yes, where to look for water damage means all the dark corners you ignore.

1. Smell

Does your house smell musty? Do you notice dank odors reminiscent of wet cardboard? An older home might have these smells in the basement or attic without any real problem.

If the musty odors grow prominent, you may have water damage. Take a look in your bathroom around the bathtub. If the caulking around your tub is cracked or peeled, there is water dripping underneath.

2. Cracks

When you’re in your basement, do you see cracks forming in the concrete walls? Or is the floor noticeably damp near the corners?

These are signs of basement water damage. Your basement is the most humid spot in your home. Underground, water finds its way in the smallest cracks or imperfections in your concrete.

3. Dripping Noise

Do you hear a loud dripping noise you can’t place whenever there’s rain? If you live in a cramped neighborhood, it’s easy to blame the noise on something outside like your neighbor’s gutters.

If you hear a dripping noise inside, it’s wise to take a look in the attic. A leaking roof doesn’t always show with dripping water into your bedroom or living room.

4. Spotting

You’ll see this on your ceilings. The spotting from initial water damage looks like a dark stain. If not repaired, this spot indicating damage spreads and degrades your subfloor and wooden beams.

You should take action if you notice any discoloration on your walls and ceilings.

5. Peeling Paint

Water damage doesn’t mean you have a leak, though water leaks do present large issues. Your home humidity levels might be high.

Bathrooms without ventilation are a common room to find this type of damage. Steam from hot showers lingers in the room’s atmosphere and causes damage to the paint, causing it to crack.

Moisture from condensation on exterior facing walls leads to water damage, too. Think of a soda can.

If these walls don’t have proper insulation, the cold from the outside meets the indoor heat. When this happens, water from the atmosphere beads on the walls and will crack the paint and cause mold growth.

Seek Professional Help Immediately

The cost of water damage repair increases the longer you ignore the problem. What could’ve been an easy patch and repair will transform into a much more expensive and complicated problem.

While your house is built to last, the materials will degrade over long periods of water exposure.

When you see the signs of water damage, you have to act fast and get a professional on the phone.

Don’t Let Water Damage Sneak Up on You

Water damage is too easy to miss. Found in the dark corners and rooms of your home, you might not notice it for years.

It’s also too easy to ignore. Leaks aren’t always obvious.

If you notice the signs of damage, seek professional care immediately. Doing so will save your home and your wallet.

Are you dealing with water damage in the Concord, NC area? Sedona Waterproofing Solutions is here to help.

Contact us today for an appointment.