Are Rainy Winters Causing Water Damage To Your Home?

Living in the Pacific Northwest allows you to experience beautiful summers of lush green grass and thick forests, sunny skies and comfortably warm days. Unfortunately, that is not the case for winter. In the valleys it is most common to have long rainy days with no break in the weather for weeks. As this is what allows the summers to be so green, it is also the culprit for water damage in your home.

Often water damage is happening over time right under the homeowner’s nose. Leaky roofs, blocked gutters and other unseen problems can, over time, create a very expensive and difficult repair and clean up. Left unnoticed this water damage could be responsible for a large amount of mold, which then becomes a health concern as mold can be responsible for coughs, nosebleeds and congestion. Mold can even cause asthma and bronchitis if not dealt with.

To avoid water damage, here are some simple steps a homeowner can take to prevent damage to a home during the rainy season:

• If you notice a water leak, stop the leak from its source immediately. The longer the area remains wet the more difficult as well as expensive it is to repair.

• Ensure the landscape around the home allows water to flow away from the home, and not towards it. Water damage to the foundation of the home due to run off is a nightmare to any homeowner.

• Clean out the gutters. If water cannot flow through the gutters freely, it will back up and could get under the shingles causing severe damage to the roof that will later lead to leaks in the ceiling

• Broken windows should be boarded up, or preferably repaired and sealed correctly. If the crack remains water can accumulate around the window and cause mold and mildew.

To get you through the rainy season, just keep in mind those memories of the beautiful Pacific Northwest summers. They will be here soon enough!

Tim Hayes

VP, Property Management