Building materials and water don’t mix. Insulation, wood studs, plywood sheathing, and subflooring can all degrade, rot, or develop mold when they’re repeatedly saturated with water. Of all the forms in our house, the kitchen offers the most opportunities for hidden water damage.
The multiple sources of water can lead to many wet places. To keep you home safe, look inside of, underneath, and around your refrigerator, dishwasher, wine fridge, sink, microwave and stove. Double check seldom used small appliances like coffee makers, rice cookers and crockpots for forgotten moisture. Thoroughly inspect every aspect of your garbage storage areas.
A slow drip from a water line or the drain line beneath a kitchen or bathroom sink will often go unnoticed since the area under a sink is a prime place for mold to develop. One of the most distinctive and notable signs of water damage is a musty odor, like damp wood. That must smell is hard to describe but is easy to recognize as a problem. The most common reason for a musty smell in your home is the presence of mold and the microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) emitted. Call the water damage cleanup experts in MA Restoration to find it and correct the problem.
Water damage starts affecting the integrity of your floors, ceiling, and cabinets. According to Wholesale Cabinets, water damage can come from steam from cooking, water dripping off of dishes, and so much more. These can cause water damage and warp your cabinets, cupboards, or anything else made of wood. Poorly closing cabinet drawers and doors could indicate problems.
With so much water running through the walls and under the sink, the odds are high that your home will have a leak sooner or later. Use a flashlight and put your hands on every connection under the sink to feel for moisture. Investigate any suspicious puddles on the floor or counter. Inspect the ceiling, as well, if your bathroom or any plumbing runs above the kitchen.
Many kitchen floods are caused by a broken refrigerator ice maker water supply line or connection. The typical plastic water supply line degrades and cracks; replace the inexpensive plastic with a copper or stainless steel line that offers better durability.
Dishwashers are sealed to keep the water inside the tub, but leaks can develop in the joints of the water supply line that runs to the dishwasher or in the drain line beneath. Because you can’t see under the dishwasher, over time a slow leak can do serious damage to the subfloor.
When a homeowner hooks up a new washing machine, hot and cold water hoses attach to valves already installed in the wall. These coupling are similar to those on garden hoses, and if they’re not attached snugly, or if the rubber washer in a coupling fails, they’re prone to leaking. Once the washing machine is in place, the valves are typically hidden behind the machine, and a slow leak can saturate the drywall unnoticed, destroying it and allowing mold to develop.
Garbage disposals typically last seven or less years then mechanical failure can lead to home water damage. Over time, water may seep through some of the areas where your disposal connects to the rest of your plumbing system. These leaks may leave puddles under your sink, pool on the floor by your cabinet, or drip from under the garbage disposal itself. Checking your garbage disposals may save you a costly water damage cleanup in the future.
If you’ve had water damage in your home, look for a provider with the knowledge and training to effectively dry the area. You’ll need one with extensive experience in the construction industry to 1) intelligently demo material that cannot be restored while 2) saving material that is costly to replace. In Worcester, your top choice are the water damage cleanup experts at MA Restoration.
Within an hour or two of the flood, the water damage cleanup team could be removing all the shoe molding, cabinet kick plates, and baseboards to check for water under the kitchen cabinets. With years of experience and the best team in town, they are on call right now. Use the MA Restoration Water Damage Cleanup Emergency Line or check out our website for more information.