Expensive repairs from water damage might be needed in your home. Repair them before they multiply! Water damage is possible any time in the year-from the weather, malfunctioned appliances, clogs, or by poorly done home repair. You can save on most home repair costs by ensuring that your home is safeguarded from water damage seasonally before anything turns into expensive repairs.

What does water damage look like? Standing water can weaken a surface, causing it to rot, rust, or mildew, and eventually turn into expensive repairs.

The most expensive repairs are foundational damage and mold growths. Such home repair can force you to vacate if the home is deemed unsafe even after treated for water damage by professionals. Take control by learning how to home repair or prevent potential water damage sites.

Outdoor water damage prevention home repair tips:

1. Do-it-yourself home repair for gutters are simple and not expensive. Repairs can be minimized if you remember to check for water damage or leaks and clean out the gutters and downspouts each season.
2. Block debris with gutter guards, and use downspout extensions to help divert the runoff from the foundation to prevent further expensive repairs from water damage.

Indoor water damage prevention home repair tips:

1. Home repair any loose window and door caulking to prevent rain or snow from seeping in and causing water damage.
2. In below-freezing weather, keep the water running at a trickle and allow heat to reach the pipes. This will avoid having them burst, with the potential for water damage.
3. Avoid expensive repairs to your basement's sump pump by keeping it in working order.
4. Replace or home repair the sump pump as needed, ensuring the surrounding area remains dry and water-damage-free.
5. Check refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines regularly for water damage itself, or for leaks that can cause water damage to floors or walls.
6. Avoid needless expensive repairs or home repair to bathroom drains and pipes by using drain guards to trap hair.
7. Home repair clogged drains with a plunger or a bent wire instead of professional products.
8. Replace leaky faucets, run bathroom exhaust fans during use, and thoroughly clean and dry surfaces regularly to prevent water damage and mold from building.
9. Don't use carpeting in areas exposed to water-damage can occur if carpeting is damp.

When to call on professional help:
1. To thoroughly dry carpeting/floor after flooding.
2. When home repair fails to correct a problem.
3. If water damage causes you to vacate the home.
4. To service your air conditioning unit.

Before you can file a claim for expensive repairs caused by water damage to your home, your insurance company expects you to have followed through with all safeguarding measures. Otherwise, be prepared to pay for any home repair due to your negligence.

When water damage comes from floods, make sure your home insurance includes flood coverage, for it to pay for each home repair-including all of the expensive repairs-caused from water damage. In the U.S., the reality is that flooding and water damage can occur anywhere. Home insurance covers home repairs needed as a result of structural damage or theft, but in most cases you will need to purchase a separate flood policy if you want any water damage home repairs covered as a result of flooding. Flood insurance is truly a safeguard on home repairs, an affordable investment that pays for itself.