The very worst time for water damage to occur is when you’re away from home. What could be worse than coming home from a relaxing summer holiday only to find that your home has been flooded or severely damaged by water. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you might think. In fact, the second most common insurance claim filed by homeowners is water damage to the home. Whether it’s from ruptured washing machine hoses, leaky supply lines, or a busted pipe, the consequences can be devastating. To avoid disaster while you’re on holidays this summer and the need for water damage remediation, here are a few tips that will help to protect your home.
Complete a Thorough Check Prior to Leaving
Before you kick up your heels and take off for your summer holiday, be sure to take the time to inspect your home for any leaks. Check out all of the pipes under your kitchen and bathroom sinks, make sure that windows and doors are properly sealed and look out for any signs of roof leaks. Don’t forget to also evaluate any hoses that connect to major household appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and refrigerators to ensure that they aren’t leaking or showing signs of severe wear.
Following flood damage, our priority is to return the affected property to its pre-incident condition as quickly as possible, minimising secondary damage
Clean Your Gutters and Down Pipes
Clogged up rain gutters and down pipes can result in pooling water on your roof, and eventually to major leaks and severe water damage. Spending just a little bit of time on removing the leaf litter and debris from these areas can prevent major problems down the road.
Replace Supply Lines
It’s smart to check out your supply lines and swap out any plastic lines for stainless steel. It’s a really cheap fix and will reduce the risk of leaks, both while you’re at home and when you’re away.
Ask Someone to Check In On Your Home
If you’re going to be away for several days to several weeks, it’s wise to ask a friend or neighbour to look in on things around your house while you’re gone. Having someone housesit or visit your home once a day will ensure that any leaks that do occur will be caught and stopped before they can cause major damage.
Shut Off Water Supply Valves
Shutting off the water supply to the most frequent culprits of water damage, such as toilets, icemakers, washing machines, etc. These appliances will all feature individual stops on their supply lines. Simply turn the valve to stop water flow.
Water Damage Remediation | Australian-Wide Reach
Following flood damage in the home or at your business premises, our priority is to return the affected property to its pre-incident condition as quickly as possible, minimising secondary damage, efficiently, effectively and with the minimum of disruption for the customer. Water damage restoration or flood damage clean up is a process that can have consequences to the structure and integrity of your property, if the operation is not handled by experts in damage management.
If you are affected by flood or water damage in your home, or escape of water from plumbing installations, and need urgent or emergency advice on cleaning up after a flood, contact Sewage Cleaning Australia to ensure the remediation process is handled promptly, efficiently and effectively.
