Water Intrusion - Protect Your Home!

Except for the foundation, water is not your home's friend. There are numerous areas were water leaks or water intrusion causes damage to your home. Proper maintenance and professional installation is key to preventing water intrusion and water related damage. Here are some of the most common areas of water intrusion which should be addressed in every home.

Roof

Your home's roof has the job of keep out rain and melt water. Damaged, missing or improperly installed flashings and roof covering materials allow water intrusion into your home. Water intrusion through the roof covering can sometimes go undetected for a long time. Water leaks around fireplaces, chimneys and roof vents are common and easily avoided with proper maintenance, improvements and professional installation. Your Professional Home Inspector can inspect these areas for defects and recommend solutions.

Fireplace & Chimney

While part of the roof covering system, the fireplace and chimney are inspected separately by our home inspectors. Mortar chimney caps are often cracked which allows water intrusion that damages the chimney siding and sometimes even ends up in the fireplace. Proper flashing at the base of the chimney as well as replacing mortar chimney caps with solid metal caps prevent water intrusion in these areas.

Walls

Exterior siding such as at second stories, and gables should not be in direct contact with the roof covering. There should be flashing installed under the roof covering and the siding. There should also be a gap of as much as two inches between the siding and roof covering. This include siding on chimneys. Water becomes trapped between the siding and roof covering causing pre-mature wood rot, water leaks and wood destroying insects when space is inadequate. Wooden type siding may also act like a wick and pull moisture off of the roof covering.

High soil and mulch at the exterior walls creates conducive conditions for water intrusion and wood destroying insects. Soil and mulch should be about 4-6 inches below the foundation and first row of bricks or siding. Weep hole are openings in the first row of bricks at the bottom which allow proper ventilation of moisture (condensation) from the walls. Weep holes blocked by soil and mulch prevent wall ventilation and allow water intrusion through the weep holes.

Shower pans, shower enclosures and tubs should be well sealed to prevent water intrusion into the adjacent structures. Along with the wood rot cause by water leaks in these areas, fire ants, roaches, termites and carpenter ants love to find their water in these areas. Properly sealed wall tile, grout and sealants are important to keep water were it belongs, down the drain.

Plumbing

Thank goodness for indoor plumbing! But, water leaks at sinks, tubs, toilet and drains are not good. Our Home Inspections have discovered multiple toilet floor seals leaking in the past few weeks, more than normal. Look for discolorations in the tile grout and sealants around the toilet base or use a moisture meter to confirm and repair. Sinks in your home, including the water supply fixtures should be regularly checked for leaks. Drains and p-traps should be checked as well. If you have metal p-traps, look for corrosion. Chalk like deposits on water lines and p-traps are a sign that they are in need of replacement.

Doors & Windows

Doors and windows are also prone to water intrusion. Door and window weather stripping should be checked regularly. Water damaged floor coverings are common, especially at south and western facing doors here in North Texas. Improperly installed window flashings can cause water intrusion. Water intrusion at windows most often appears as water stains at the interior window sills.

Garage door seals are often neglected. There should be installed a weather stripping across the bottom full length of the garage door to prevent water intrusion into the garage floor.

Air Conditioning

Air conditioning produces anywhere from 4 or more gallons per day of water from the moisture removed from the air. Air conditioners normally have a drain system for dealing with the moisture removed from the air to keep our homes comfortable. Air conditioning cooling lines and condensation drain lines should be insulated (especially in the attic) to prevent moisture intrusion from condensation. The condensation drain system should be routinely inspected for evidence of moisture, leakage and defects. Rust in the air conditioning condensation drain pan may be a sign that your air conditioning system is not performing as intended. Our Home Inspectors recommend that air conditioning condensation drain pans have water sensor alarms installed to prevent damage to adjacent structure from water intrusion.

Water Heaters

Water heater can and do leak. Water heater tanks can leak as well as water leaks at the plumbing connections. Water supply connections at the water heater should be inspected for corrosion and rust which are signs of an intermittent or immanent water leak. The water heater should have an overflow pan installed underneath with a drain to the exterior of the home. The TPR (thermal pressure relief valve) should also have a completely downhill slope (gravity drain) and drain to the exterior of the home. Selman Home Inspections recommends that water sensors be installed in water heater overflow pans, especially when the water heater is above the ground floor.

There are numerous areas were water intrusion can occur in your home, in unwanted areas which cause damage. Those listed above are just the most common areas of concern. Your Professional Home Inspector checks these and hundreds of other components during an complete home inspection. Protecting your home from water intrusion saves you money and protects your biggest investment.

If you have questions about water intrusion or home inspections, feel free to call your Professional Home Inspectors. We have many clients who hire us to perform annual home inspections to find these defects for them. Preventive maintenance can save you and your family money as well as improve your quality of life.