10 Ways to Prevent Water Damage in Your Louisville, Ohio Bathroom

2/26/2019 (Permalink)

Water damage to a bathroom. We had to remove drywall before we could properly dry out this bathroom.

Bathrooms are a frequent source of water damage in a home. If not dealt with in a proper fashion water from toilets, showers, and sinks can cause damage to your ceilings, walls, and floors slowly affecting the structural integrity of your home. In order to take proper care of your home take these steps when in the bathroom.

1. Check your plumbing - Regularly inspect the pipes of your sink, shower, and toilet. These pipes are susceptible to rust and leaking so it is safe to periodically check them.
2. Regularly check for signs of leaks - In order to check for leaks watch for discoloration on walls or floors, drywall bubbling, and musty smells. Touch the walls to check if any areas are softer than others.
3. Upgrade your fixtures - More updated fixtures tend to save water and can prevent water damage in the future.
4. Do not overwork your toilet - Overflowing toilets are one of the most if not the lead cause of water damage in bathrooms. Try not to clog toilets. To do this only flush toilet paper and be aware of young children when they go to the bathroom incase they flush anything that does not belong in a toilet.
5. Be aware of how fast your sink drains - If your sink is draining slowly it can be a sign of a clog. It is important to get rid of it in a timely fashion to decrease chances of flooding and burst pipes.
6. Turn on the exhaust fan - Exhaust fans can be used to remove excess moisture from a bathroom preventing it from entering your walls.  
7. Always check floor for excess water - If there is excess water clean it until dry to ensure it does not soak into the floors.
8. Watch children in the bath - Try to minimize splashing in the tub to keep water from absorbing into the walls or floors.
9. Use bath mats - In order to minimize the excess of water build up outside the tub.
10. Repair or replace cracked, broken or missing tiles - These allow water to seep in behind walls and under floors. Do the same for cracked or decaying grout and caulking along sinks, tubs, and showers.

It may not be possible to prevent all water damage; however, taking these precautions lower your chance of water damaging the structure of your home. If you do find water damage in your home, please call SERVPRO of South & East Stark County at 330-823-4088 and we will restore your home “Like it never even happened.”