How to Check For Water Damage

Whether you are selling a home or buying a home, it is essential to know some water damage signs. Water couldn’t only harm floors, walls, and cause growth of toxic molds, it could also cause structural damage to a house permanently. Water damage could be caused by leaky appliances, water accumulation in the basement, ice dams, overflowing sources of water, floods, and leaks. There are some significant areas with high risk to check first even though water damage could exist everywhere in your house.

Here are some steps to inspect a home for water damage in San Antonio:

• Check the Walls

The simplest water damage sign to spot is water stains on the ceilings and walls. Also, check around the door frames and window for stains. Any stains that are unusual must be seriously taken, as they can be a sign of a pipe that is leaking or leaking drain inside the wall. Look also for cracks in your dry wall. A wall area exposed to water could also have an appearance that is swollen and can be soft when you touch it.

• Check the Floors

Water damage could occur to any floor type and could also seep down to your sub floor. Watch out for any buckling or warping of the floors, especially in your basement. Water damage is might be the cause if the floor looks warped. Also, be aware of dark or white stains on wooden floors, damp carpets, or a general odor of mold and dampness.

• Check the Pipes

Inspect the piping in the basement, laundry room, bathrooms, and kitchen for pipe corrosion around the connections. Also, check for water stains and leaks. Inspect the sealing around the fixtures of the bathroom. Loose or missing sealing can be caused by water leakage. Watch out for mold signs or missing grout. Check the water heater for leakage and rust on its tank.

• Check the Basement

A common issue found in homes is basement leakage. Water in the basement sometimes cases damage to the furniture, walls, baseboards, and flooring. In addition to that, odors caused by mildew and mold could cause health problems and are unpleasant. Inspect for odors, mold, dampness, rust, stains, and cracks.

• Check the Attic

Check the attic for mold, stains, and other leak signs. Pay great attention to your valleys where two planes of roof come together, the flashing around roof chimneys and vents, and the flashing where the roof meets your walls. The insulation must be in good condition and must be dry. Homes placed in cold climates could develop ice dams on their roof. This could cause water to leak inside the attic from melting ice and snow on their roof.

• Check the Exterior

Make sure you inspect the house’s exterior too. Check the roof for curled, missing, or cracked shingles. The house must be located on the highest point of the land, with ground sloping away from the home. It could be a bad sign if you see standing water anywhere outside your home.