As the country starts to clean up and assess the
damage of the recent storms, the UK market leaders in property maintenance, Peter Cox, advise homeowners and landlords
to carry out a few basic checks, to look for any penetration of rainwater.
Richard Walker said: “Water damage
can have a devastating effect on a building and can cause damage after even
minimal rain. Some problems, if left unchecked, can lead to thousands of pounds
worth of property damage or could even compromise your health.”
When people
think of rain damage they usually assume it will come from the roof but that is
not always the case. Leaks and water penetration can also occur through walls, the
chimney, windows and doors, and if you have experienced water tables and floods,
even up through the floors.
First, look for
standing water on drive ways and outside your property. This is a tell-tale sign that water is not
draining away. It could be rectified by cleaning drains to allow the water to
run off – however, if this fails it could mean that water is not draining away and
could be running into your building. If you have a cellar or basement, check it
for leaks, damp, mould and standing puddles of water.
Gutters should
be inspected and cleaned for any blockages.
If water overflows it could seep into your building masonry. This will
eventually become visible as a damp patch on the internal wall surface - often
causing discolouration and peeling or flaking of paintwork or wallpaper and
even plaster damage.
This in turn may
turn into mould. Mould fungi are not always visible as they prefer dark, moist
areas and so can colonise inaccessible parts of the home such as wall cavities,
insulation or under floorboards. Some types of mould can cause health problems
especially for the very young and the very old.
Richard said: “Mould won’t appear immediately after water
leakage, but if you have found water, we recommend you keep checking for mould
on a regular basis as it could take a few weeks to appear.”
Dry rot and wet rot in the home are
the most frequent and serious causes of timber damage in domestic properties. Both
types of ‘rot’ can cause widespread damage to the timber and affect its strength
and severely damage a building. Roof failure, leaking gutters and poor
sub-floor ventilation can be the starting point for the rot to get a foothold.
The first
evidence of a dry rot outbreak may be a mushroom-like fruiting body or fine
grey-white hyphae strands spreading over the wood, which can appear overnight. Although
it is called 'dry rot', dampness is a key factor, so dealing with any sources
of moisture is the first action to take, and then ventilate the area to aid the
drying process.
“The problem
with water is that in some cases damage is not always immediately apparent,”
said Richard. “If your home has taken a
battering in the storms and you find areas where water or damp is evident, keep
a watchful eye for problems as they can sometimes take a few weeks or even
months to develop into something that will become a lot worse.”
Further
information on water damage and is treatment is available at www.petercox.com
