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When dealing with your home, one of lifes largest financial investments, there are no shortage of issues that can go awry. When you consider the damage that can be done by plumbing issues, foundation damage, fires, water damage and flooding, it’s enough to make any home owner shutter with anxiety. These issues all have one thing in common, early detection will nearly always reduce damage and lessen the financial burden during repairs. This is exactly why self education is so important as a property owner. Knowing how to identify the early warning signs of these various issues before they balloon into full a full scale crises is vital.

In this post, we are going to cover how to spot some of the most commonly ignored signs of water damage in a home. If left unattended, residential water damage can deeply impact your home’s structure, compromise it’s foundation, lead to mold infestation, and cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair! And these are just the issues that can be solved with money. When you factor mold and it’s various health risks into the equation, the situation gets far more serious.

Continue reading below to learn more about methods for detecting water damage within your home.

1. Look Down

One thing is for certain across all of the possible flooring types in any home, they will all show signs of water damage if you look closely enough. The key is knowing which signs to look for in your home. For hardwood & tile flooring you will want to keep an eye out for buckled, cracked, or warped flooring. For carpet, the alarm bells should send anytime you discover unexplainable wet/damp spots, soft spots, bubbled areas, or the smell of mold or dank/dampness. These are surefire signs that water is finding it’s way to your floors. Whether it is coming from a plumbing leak, structural issue, or some other source will likely require inspection by a qualified professional. But if you notice any of the above signs, reach out to a water damage restoration company immediately for assistance. It’s the first step in insuring your home’s water damage doesn’t leave you up a creek.

2. Keep an Eye Out for Stains

Visible water stains on flooring around your bathtubs, shower pans, toilets, or sinks, as well as discolored areas on ceilings & walls, are amongst of the most tell-tale signs of water damage. Regardless of the location of the pooling water or water stains, you should treat them all with the same level of seriousness. Especially given the fact that stains along walls & on ceilings are a pretty good indicator of a leaking or busted plumbing pipe. Remember to never take plumbing leaks lightly. Pressurized pipes with small pinhole leaks can turn into complete ruptures spilling water a rates upwards of a 25 gallons per minute!

3. Damage Can Also Happen on the Outside

It is often recommended that homeowners perform a semi annual inspection along the exterior of their homes to check for signs of water damage. From blocked rain gutters to cracked & weather damaged seals along windows and doors, there is much to take into consideration when performing these checks. It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for pools of standing water on sidewalks, patios, and in your yard. Standing water in your yard can be an indicator of poor drainage at best and a damaged or cracked sewer line at worst. Keep in mind that any of the above issues can quickly threaten the foundation of your home if left unresolved.

4. Mold

First, you’ll want to perform the obvious visual inspection for any active mold growth inside closets, under sinks, along windows, & in attics and basements. Even the smallest amount of moisture in the right conditions can lead to a boom in microscopic mold spores growth. Some types of mold are toxic to humans and animals and can cause a slew of very debilatating health issues. Do not allow your home or most importantly your family to fall victim to a toxic mold infestation. Remeber to also be on alert for musty, unpleasant smells throughout the different rooms in your home. Trust your senses. If you think something is off, it probably is.

If you’re looking for water damage restoration in San Jose, or any city in the South Bay, contact the Bay Area experts at H&L Restoration today! We provide free on-site inspections and estimates on all water & mold remediation services!