Did you know that more than 10,000 gallons of water is wasted each year due to leaks in homes? Or that it leads to rotting wood, rusted metal, delamination of plywood, mold growth and more? You may think of immediate water damage caused by a serious flood, but frequently it is a slow process that may go unnoticed and leads to severe consequences for your property and finances.
How water damage starts
It may start small - a tree that hovers over your house or a vent cap that loses it seal. Other times it is a broken water line or toilet seal, or leaks from a washing machine or dishwasher. Another cause of slow water damage is cracks in pipes. You may not notice the problem until it has become severe.
How water seeps in
Over time with freezing and expansion, the water finds its way in through a crack, and you notice a leak in your ceiling, bubbling under the laminate floor, damp carpeting or raised paint on the wall. In basements or crawl spaces, you may see damp wood, cement or ground.
How water damage progresses to destruction
As the leak continues, it begins to cause damage to the surrounding materials including roof, plywood, insulation, drywall, flooring, supports, and joints. It can even cause cracking in concrete surfaces. As you can tell, there are some serious consequences. Water damage can potentially leave your home unlivable.
What you can do
Be aware of your surroundings. Take a review of your home every quarter to check potential areas for water collection and damage including your roof, vent pipes, water lines, doors, windows, kitchens, bathrooms, utility sinks, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines and basements. As soon as you notice areas of concern, seal or repair it, or contact a handyman to help.
What to do after water damage
RCS can help you to clean, repair and reconstruct your home or business after water damage. We offer services for mold prevention, mold removal, water extraction, crawlspace cleanup, and reconstruction services. Contact us to discuss how we can help you to get control over water damage.
We Californians don't normally have to worry about frozen pipes, so when we have to deal with them, such as when we have a vacation home in a place that endures winter weather, we may be unprepared to deal with things like frozen pipes. Read on to learn more about what frozen pipes are and how you can prevent or limit damage resulting from a pipe freeze.
Frozen pipes occur during winter months, when temperatures plummet below freezing. This impacts exposed or minimally protected pipes at risk, thanks to the unique nature of water, which expands when it freezes. The expansion of frozen water can compromise the integrity of the pipes it’s frozen in and can cause them to swell and burst.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
Prevention is key to avoiding frozen pipes, and there are some proactive measures that you can take to keep pipes on your property from freezing.
First, you need to assess the location of your pipes. Many newer homes built in colder climates are designed with pipes toward the center of the home to avoid issues with exposure to cold air and eliminate the likelihood that they will freeze. However, there are plenty of homes with exposed pipes in crawlspaces and poorly insulated exterior walls.
Regardless of your setting, here are some practical tips you should consider for preventing frozen pipes:
Wrap - use foam insulation to wrap pipes and keep them insulated from fluctuating temperatures
Dome - use specially designed domes to cover outdoor connection points, such as spigots
Open doors - keep doors to kitchens and bathrooms with sinks open to allow warm air from the center of the home into these piped areas
Drip - during bitterly cold times, drip a faucet or two to keep water moving through the pipes to minimize the risk of a freeze
What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze
Even if you’ve done your due diligence, a bitterly cold day or an unexpected freeze during a family vacation may result in frozen pipes. To avoid issues associated with a pipe burst, try the following tips to mitigate the problem:
Run a faucet - running a faucet will tell you if you should suspect a frozen pipe by releasing only a trickle, rather than a full stream
Apply heat to the suspected frozen pipe, in order to try and break up the ice inside the pipe
Use a hair dryer, heating pad, or space heater to apply heat
NEVER use a blowtorch or any other flame in an attempt to warm a pipe
Continue to run water
If pressure is not restored, call a plumber to get professional help in alleviating the frozen pipe problem
With the right prevention and care in minding your home’s pipe, you can avoid the nasty side effects of a frozen pipe problem. And should you encounter an issue, you can follow some simple steps to solve the problem and restore water flow to your faucets.
Few, if any of us, contemplate what steps should be taken if the unfortunate circumstances arise of a fire. It could be our home, place of business, or a storage building. We purchase fire insurance in the hopes it will not be used. Perhaps you are reading this as a result of a fire, or it could be that you are interested in knowing what steps can be taken if this occurs to you. Let’s dive into some of the basics of fire damage and what can be done to rebuild to the way the structure was before the fire damage occurred.
One of the biggest threats that occurs is, surprisingly, smoke and ash damage. Most people assume it is the flames themselves. Ash damage is not widely spoken of, but it is corrosive and emits powerful odors. In addition to these characteristics, ash discolors surfaces quickly. If the ash is left untreated for even a few days, it will permanently discolor walls, upholstery, and wood furnishings. Of equal concern is any metal in the home, as it will begin corroding within a few days as well.
Anytime a significant fire occurs, the inevitable water damage as a result of the fire department extinguishing the blaze needs prompt attention. Equally important will be a proper inspection to see if there is any significant roof and structure damage. It will have to be inspected promptly to investigate whether the home or business is structurally sound.
The good news is that nobody has to shoulder this burden alone. RCS will assist with all aspects of the cleanup and restoration of your fire damaged building; be it a home, place of business, or storage building. In fact, it is suggested that before you open an insurance claim that RCS is contacted as we work closely with the insurance companies to assist the customer with the urgency of the restoration. RCS works with, not for, insurance companies.
