Friday, December 6, 2013

Its Raining, Take the Time...

As we know its going to be raining for a while so we thought to send out a note on taking the time to look for water damage inside the house.

When its raining is the perfect opportunity to check for wet spots, or previous ceiling damage from water leakage through the roof.  Normally when ceiling damage happens such as the pictures below, there are two major causes.  (Roof experts can probably get more in depth and explain additional causes). One cause can be of moved, damaged, or torn/blown off roof shingling allowing for easy access for the rainwater to make its way inside.  Another cause can be of damaged, torn off, or rotted fascia on the side just underneath the roofing area. Moisture can flow in or rainwater can be blown in by winds into this area.  Any rain damage you have has a possibility of turning into mold, so it is recommended that you keep an eye on the damaged area and fix the problem if able to do so.  Minor water damage is less painful than mold infestation.



Another aspect of rain damage is the damage it can do to wood flooring.  Now everyone would love to have wonderful wood flooring such as the picture below shows.


However, once the rain settles in or a large amount of moisture (humidity) comes in and is captured, the wood will begin to swell and warp.  While not easily noticeable at first, the damage very quickly becomes evident.  Buckling and warping are the effects of the wood flooring swelling with moisture; In some cases depending on if a house has been vacant and uncared for, the wood flooring can go through a cycle of drying out and releasing the water into a very dry atmosphere and when the surrounding area is humid again the wood recaptures the moisture.  If any of this happens and you manage to capture it early, seek the assistance of a professional to see if you can minor repairs to the affected area.



Today's Tidbit: Take the time to look around.  You'll never know what you'll see when its raining.  Sometimes you might see that hidden damage, and it could save your pocketbook in the long run especially if you plan on putting your house up for sale.

No comments:

Post a Comment