The best way to prevent or prepare for water damage is to understand the statistics.

4/9/2020 (Permalink)

How does water damage happen?

According to insurance claim statics from 2017 water damage is the second highest reason people file a claim with their insurance, taking a whole 19% of all claims categories just under wind damage which was highest at 25%.  Florida itself is second of all states for water damage claims in the U.S.

A Leaking roof is the highest cause of water damage in your home.  Simply put, how many people inspect or have their roofs inspected on a regular basis?  Storms are pretty common here in Florida, and many times it isn’t until one of these storm events or even days of rainy weather that people realize they have an issue.

The second most common reason for water damage is appliance and equipment leaks or failure.  Some of the most common water damage calls we get are caused by Ice maker lines, water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers.   Anything that has tubes, gaskets, pipes, or filters that have water running through them are susceptible to failure causing water damage.

Pipe and fixture failures and weather-related events are the other most common reasons for water damage.  Ageing pipes are definitely a problem and a slow leak over time that is not seen can really cause much bigger issues like mold.  Weather related issues especially from flooding which is black water can also be very devastating and costly.

The best way to prevent water damage in your home is to be knowledgeable and aware of the causes of it which can help you in being proactive at preventing it.  Inspect your roof, appliances and fixtures on a regular basis as well as maintaining them per manufacturer specification.  Unfortunately, in many cases even with the know how not all water damage can or will be prevented.  In this case the best defense is knowing who to call when it happens.  SERVPRO of Gainesville West/Alachua County west should be the first person on your list of who to call in the case of an emergency.  Not only is our technology, equipment, and knowledge the best in the industry, but our technician’s customer service and industry know-how are well above our competition.