Valparaiso homeowners: take five minutes this weekend and walk around your house. 🔍
Most water damage does not start with a flood. It starts with a small opening on the outside of the house that lets a little rain in, storm after storm, until the wall behind it is wet all the way through. These four photos are from a recent inspection.
1. CRACKS. A crack in an exterior wall or foundation is a direct path for rain. Freeze and thaw cycles make it wider every winter.
2. GAPS. Look where the siding meets the foundation and where hoses, pipes and wires go through the wall. Old caulk and foam shrink and fall out.
3. ROTTED SILLS. Push on the wood under your windows. If it is soft, flaking or green, water is already getting in.
4. INSIDE THE WALL. This is what those openings lead to: wet insulation, stained framing and damage you cannot see from the room.
Valpo gets its share of weather. Lake effect snow piles up against siding and foundations, spring storms drive rain sideways, and the freeze and thaw between them opens up every weak spot. Older homes near downtown and the university, and lake homes around Flint Lake, Long Lake and Loomis Lake, are especially worth checking.
Inside the house, watch for:
• Stains on ceilings or at the top of walls
• Baseboards pulling away or paint bubbling
• A musty smell in a basement or closet
• Damp carpet along an outside wall
If you find any of these, BlueRed Restoration can help. We provide water damage inspection and restoration
