8 Ways to Mitigate Water Damage to Your Home

In many parts of the United States, the rain season is just around the corner. Temperatures will start to turn warmer, allowing snow and ice to thaw, and water pressure to consistently change. With the change in season and increase in precipitation, water damage becomes a more present threat. Throughout the U.S., water damage is a pervasive problem. Here are some quick stats:

• Water damage affects around 14,000 people in the U.S. every single day
• 98% percent of basements in the U.S. will experience some type of water damage during their lifetime
• 37% of U.S. homeowners claim to have suffered losses from water damage
• The average cost of a home water damage insurance claim is just shy of $11,605
• Americans waste roughly 1 trillion gallons of water yearly due to leaky pipes, faucets, sprinkler systems, and more¹²

As an insurance company, you’re worried of a sudden influx of water mitigation claims to your shop. Luckily, you can become a helpful resource to your homeowners by providing these helpful tips as we enter the busy water damage season. The following are 8 ways to mitigate water damage to a home. Use this information the next time you speak with a new customer or a share with your policyholders!

Find and fix leaks promptly

Often, leaks are very small and therefore hard to notice and catch before they cause significant water damage. Ensure pipes and appliances are regularly checked throughout your home for leaks when they’re in their infancy. When you find a pin hole in a pipe, it’ll be much less expensive to fix and most likely have not caused major water damage in the surrounding area.

Install a sump pump

A sump is a naturally constructed pit, usually a hole carved below the main surface of your basement floor. This is created to house a sump pump, a device that moves water from your basement to the outside of your home. This device protects your home from heavy rain, rising waters, and flooding.

Inspect your roof

Just like checking your pipes and appliances for pinholes and leaks, roofs are also a common cause of leaks in homes. It’s important to regularly check your roof yourself or hire a professional to check the quality of your roof every couple of years.

Clean your gutters and downspouts

About twice a year, clean your gutters to avoid blockage and ice dams. Standing water can cause damage to your gutters and roof and unmanaged overflow may create puddles that could damage your foundation. And, don’t forget to clean your downspouts to ensure water can flow easily through and out away from your home.

Install water detection devices

Similar to a smoke alarm for your home, a water detector is a small electronic device that sounds an alarm when its sensor is in contact with moisture. Its main benefit is that it detects low moisture levels or slow leaks that often go unnoticed. Install it near water heaters, sump pumps, washing machines, dishwashers and toilets to prevent extensive damage and mold growth.

Regularly maintain your property

Your entire property is important to maintain regularly. This includes surrounding bushes, trees, etc. If large landscaping is planted too close to utility pipes or your foundation, as they continue to grow, their roots may wrap around pipes and cause serious damage or start to grow into the foundation of your home causing splitting and cracking allowing water to seep in from the ground. Regularly maintain the property around your home to mitigate this potential.

Monitor your water bill

Sometimes the only way to notice a small leak is to see an unusual increase in your water bill. Seeing an increase should prompt you to investigate a potential leak in your home or hire a professional to inspect throughout your property.

Have a professional inspect your property

There’s a lot to maintain across your entire property and a lot of the time, you don’t have the knowledge or expertise to know what to look for when inspecting your own home. Have a professional inspector check your property for potential water damage or hazards every couple of years to ensure your home is in good working order.

 

By following these steps, you can help prevent water damage and protect your home from costly water mitigation repairs.

In this upcoming season of increased water mitigation claims, outsourcing may be your best option. And Comsearch is here to help. Comsearch’s llCRC S500 certified water mitigation claims specialists have over 20 years of estimate and claim experience. We treat every claim like it’s our own, protecting the insured and the insurer every step of the way. We are devoted to accuracy and operational efficiency when it comes to water mitigation claims. When you outsource to Comsearch, a team of trusted claims advisors are available no matter what you need – whether it’s as a partner, advisor, or extension of your claims team, we get it done. Expertly done. 

Talk to one of our water mitigation specialists today.

 

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¹² https://www.waterdamagedefense.com/pages/water-damage-by-the-numbers