How To Protect Your Home From Rain Damage
There are few things more stressful to a homeowner than water damage. Water damage can be an issue that many don’t discover until it has already become a big problem, expensive to put right. At the worst, moisture can damage your home beyond repairs you can afford, causing structural issues like mold, wood rot, and cracks in the foundation. If you’re lucky, you can catch the damage early and stop it before it spreads. Even small leaks can let rainwater into the house and can need significant repairs.
The best way to handle water damage is to call a caloundra professional to stop it before it even starts. Here are the measures you can take to prevent water from getting into your home in the first place.
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Waterproof Your House Exterior
The outside of your home is the first line of defense against damage caused by water. Protect your home from the outside by keeping the exterior in good repair.
Maintain Your Roof
The primary purpose of your roof is to keep water out of the house. Neglecting your roof can lead to many problems, the worst of which could be severe water damage. Most roofs have a lifespan of twenty to thirty years, so it can be easy to assume everything is fine if your roof isn’t that old. That’s not always the case.
Climate, lousy weather, and trees can damage the roof, so inspect it for damaged, loose, or missing tiles. Replace any that are missing or in poor condition. Flat roof construction must be done correctly, with proper waterproofing, as water allowed to sit on a flat roof can cause real problems.
Seal Windows And Doors
Windows and doors are common places for water to get in. water can seep through the gaps around window and door frames if they aren’t sealed correctly. Make sure the weatherstripping and seals around your doors and windows are in good repair. Don’t wait for a leak.
Check the outside of doors and windows. If they are large cracks between the frame and the house, fill them with insulating foam sealant. Prevent new leaks by applying a new bead of caulking where the window meets the siding. A fresh coat of paint can stop moisture from penetrating the wood.
Maintain Your Home’s Exterior Finish
If you find signs of water damage inside the house, like mold, peeling paint, or discoloration, that doesn’t seem to have a source, and it could be due to water getting through holes in the exterior walls. If you don’t maintain your siding and exterior paint, water can leak through to the inside of the home.
Inspect your exterior walls. Look for any signs of damage, like holes, warping, or wood rot. If you find these early, you can clean out the wet materials and repair the affected siding.
The most common forms of siding need to be painted to adequately protect your home. Paint seals the surface and protects the walls against rain, snow, and sleet.