Water Damage Restoration-The Culprits in Your Home

1/3/2019 (Permalink)

Damaged Wood Flooring from Pipe Leak

It is easy to think about severe weather when we think of water damage to the home; in fact, severe weather is usually one of the first things that comes to mind for many.

Yes, storms and flooding can cause extensive and catastrophic water damage and, yet, they are often not the main culprits. Instead, various items and systems in your home can be responsible for many water damage situations.

Water damage is something that many homeowners will face. In fact, it is the third most common reason for a homeowners insurance claim filed between 2011 and 2015, with an average payout per claim of $8,861.

There is, however, a difference between water damage and gradual damage, which impacts insurance claims. Gradual damage is something that has been going on over time, such as plumbing issues within the walls, which causes damage to walls, ceilings or floors, or it can be water damage caused by cracks in the foundation. Unfortunately, many of these examples of gradual water damage are not covered by homeowners insurance, while storm-related water damage usually is.

According to statistics, the leading causes of water damage are:

• Plumbing supply system failures. This can involve frozen pipes that may burst due to frozen water, which causes water pressure buildup, or when the materials used for the supply system fail resulting in a leaking or burst pipe. Per IBHS, plumbing supply system failures are the leading source of residential water damage losses, costing an average of $5,092 per incident after meeting the deductible. It was also found that homes built over 16 to 40 years ago accounted for the majority of claims filed for supply system material failures.

• Plumbing drain system failures. This occurs when the sewer drain backs up, causing it to overflow into a home, or from material performance issues. In their study, IBHS found that 52% of drain system failures were caused by sewer backups and 37% were related to material performance issues. Their study also found that, on average, drain system failure was more expensive in southern states than in northern states.

• Toilet failures. Toilets are the second highest cause of residential water damage loss after plumbing supply system failures caused by anything from faulty fill valves or clogged drain lines. According to IBHS, if a toilet on the first floor of a home fails, the resulting claim was more extensive than those that happened in basements or upper floors.

• Water heater failures. When your water heater reaches its life expectancy, the tank can begin to rust and corrode, which can result in leaking or bursting issues. IBHS found that 69% of all water heater failures were caused by a slow leak or sudden burst and, on average, cost $4,444 per incident following the deductible.

• Washing machine failures. These are caused by supply hose failures, machines overflowing and drain line failures, making washing machines one of the top 10 sources of residential water losses. Per IBHS, supply hose failures were the cause of over half of all washing machine-related losses.

If your home has experienced any water damage, the team at SERVPRO® of Henderson/Boulder City is always available to help with cleanup and restoration and make it “Like it never even happened.”

702-564-8508