We have all found ourselves in that position where we are admiring our beautiful homes and suddenly, our ‘beautiful homes’ do not seem so beautiful anymore. We find these massive marks and bubbles on our ceilings and walls. Most of us will hit a panic and do not know what to do next, the other half consider it a small problem but do not realise that it could escalate into a major issue very quickly.
Water damage is one of those issues in the home that is often ignored, we think a small leak in the roof or bathroom tile cannot possibly do much damage. But the reality is that over time, a small leak can lead to a much bigger issue. In order to lessen the effects of water damage on the roof or walls we have made a list of five of the most common types of water issues experienced in different houses and what you can do about them.
Plumber Cape Town: Water issues in the house
The first water issue is damp floors. Damp floors could be caused from poor ventilation, water under the house or blocked vents. In order to try and solve this problem you can clear out leaves and rubbish from gutters, unblock any vents and ensure no water is lingering around outside the house. For a damp floor situation that is not too bad, dehumidifiers and a fan can fix the problem.
The second water issue is water coming in from balconies. This could be due to swollen wood, cracked grout or broken windows, doors that aren’t installed properly or insufficient drainage. In order to reduce the damage, towels and buckets can be put down to try and catch the water.
If the situation worsens, get external help immediately from a plumber cape town as water damage can spread and damage electrical systems and even cause the balcony to collapse. The third water issue is roof leaks, this will show up as water stains on the walls or the ceiling. There could also be puddles on the floor.
This could be caused from no roof maintenance, blocked gutters or even different metals in the roof. In order to figure out where the leak is, look for big wet areas or day by day hose down the roof to find the leak. If you are fortunate enough it will be a tiny hole which can be fixed by using silicone, if it is bigger and more of a problem a plumber cape town will need to come in and repair it.
The fourth water issue is gutters leaking, this will come up as damp patches on the walls and ceilings. Moss and deterioration may happen on the external walls as well and this is caused from gutters not being cleaned or gutters that have been built incorrectly so water does not flow away properly. To fix this problem ensure the gutters are cleaned correctly and often, most of the time trees surrounding the gutters will continue to clog the gutters so the trees may need to be cut in order to stop this from being a continuous problem.
The fifth water issue is bathroom leaks, this can be seen when the water rises higher than normal when flushing the toilet, a shower or bath that does not drain freely and takes a long time, a drain that makes a gurgling noise and a sewer smell that indicates that the pipe is damaged. Small issues like these can result in serious problems. There are a few other signs such as damp walls, tiles falling off the wall or chipping on the floor and even drops of water on the roof.
Most drain blocks are caused by hair, sanitary products, toilet deodorisers, toys, underwear and baby wipes. If the bathroom is not waterproofed properly water finds its way through a weak point and causes a massive problem. In order to fix this problem a special grout or sealant can be used as this will fix the waterproofing issue.
If it is a major issue then a plumber cape town will need to come in as incorrect waterproofing causes rotting, floors to collapse and damage to all structures below the bathroom. What you can do in the meantime is shut off the water and wait for help. Now that you are aware of the most common types of water problems you now need to know what indicators to look out for
Plumber Cape Town: Three indicators to look out for if you are concerned about the water damage on your roof and walls
The most common indicator to look out for is leaks and water stains on your roof and walls. These stains will appear as brown spots or brown lines running down the wall.
Leaks are a sign that there is a substantial amount of damage that has already been done internally as there will be loads of water that has entered your walls or roof.
Water stains indicate that there is a small leak that needs to be stopped to prevent it becoming a water leak, if water stains are left they could potentially cause more damage. The second indicator to be aware of is on the outside of your house, you need to regularly check that there are no damaged or missing roof shingles. The shingles on your roof function as the skin of the house and if these are damaged or missing, the longer you leave them the more you are exposing your roof to water damage.
The third indicator is if your ceiling starts to sag or your walls start to bubble, when this begins to happen, you have already got a severe water problem on your hands. When the ceiling starts to sag it means that there is a build up of water in the structure that is already heavily compromising the overall integrity. Now that you know what indicators to look out for the next step would be to know what to do when you have indicated that your roof or walls have water damage.
Plumber Cape Town: Tips for repairing water damage to a leaking roof or wall
The quicker the roof or wall is repaired by you or a plumber cape town the better the outcome and less time will be needed to be spent fixing the leak. The reason why a leaking roof and wall needs to be fixed is because if it is left it will not just show water stains but moisture will start to build up which will lead to mould. The issue with mould is that it spreads so fast and mould can also be harmful and poisonous to human beings and some pets, so it is very important that leaks on a roof or a wall are fixed immediately.
If there is a leak that is dripping or water running down the wall you need to try to find the source of the leak straight away. All the materials that have been wet during this leak need to be dried immediately to prevent mould from growing and once the source of the leak has been found, it needs to be patched and you need to try and soak up as much water as possible in all the affected areas. This could be done using towels and fans.
Most roofs built on houses today are not flat and this means that it could be more difficult to find a leak. Climbing in the roof can be quite daunting as it is dark, smelly, dusty and often very cramped. If you are unable to climb in your roof and find the leak it will be best to phone your local roofing company or a plumber cape town to come and fix the leak.
They will have way more experience and all the necessary tools to fix a leak straight away. An example would be a roofing company that uses drones to inspect the roof and find the leak. This is a tool that not every person has sitting around at home.
Walls can be very different to roofs, besides the obvious fact that one is vertical and the other horizontal and although they both can show signs of water damage the causes and solutions to roofs can be quite different. First you need to clean the area that has been affected with water and stains so that you can begin to fix it, without proper cleaning all your or a plumber cape town’s work will be for nothing and the damage will come back even quicker than before. To do this you can use sugar soap and a damp cloth, when you’re done be sure to give it enough time to dry.
Next when it has dried you need to remove any bubbling or flaking paint with a scraper, it will be easiest to work with a smooth surface so try to get it as smooth as possible without chipping your wall. Next you will need to apply a sealer or some type of binder, you can either speak to your hardware store or a plumber cape town to find out the best product for your situation. This sealer will seep into the pores of the wall and make it very difficult for any water to get in or pass through, remember to give it enough time to dry before moving onto the next step.
Once the sealer has dried and become solid you can then apply a filler to smooth out the surface and make it easier for repainting. You should give filler at least one day to dry before applying paint so that no cracks or other deformities will appear on your new surface. Once the filler is dry you then need to sand the new surface down to the correct grain so that it matches the rest of your wall.
Once the wall has been sanded to the correct consistency you will then need to follow the normal procedure of painting a wall, first you need to apply a water-based primer or sealer as these are the preferred type for interior walls but again you can speak to your plumber cape town or anyone at a local hardware store as they will be able to give you all of their experience for your specific issue. Now that your surface has been cleaned, sealed, sanded and primed there is no way that the water can get back in, it is now time to reapply the colour that your wall is so desperately missing with those nasty stains that were running down before. Always make sure you are choosing the correct colour so that it matches the rest of your wall or room, it might be best to bring in a professional who can correctly colour match for you.