If you have had water damage to your home before, there are specific steps you can take to ensure that your home doesn't suffer from water damage again.

#1 Keep Invasive Roots Away from Your Home

The first thing you need to do is make sure that you are keeping invasive roots away from your home. There are certain plants and trees that are well known for having invasive roots. For example, weeping willows have root systems that will stretch out as far as necessary in order to get some extra water.

Keep large trees and bushes away from the edge of your home and near where your plumbing is located. You don't want invasive roots damaging your plumbing system. This can lead to leaks and water damage.

#2 Keep Your Roof Gutters Clean

Second, you need to make sure that you keep your gutters clean. When you keep your gutters clean, precipitation has somewhere to go. When your gutters are clogged with junk, water cannot go through your gutters and out through your downspouts. Instead, that water may leak behind shingles on your roof, run down the side of your home, and get behind your siding and into your basement. Keeping your gutters clean can prevent water from getting into all sorts of places that it shouldn't.

#3 Be Careful with Your Drains

Next, be careful with your drains. Do not allow grease or fat to go down your kitchen drains. Pour grease and fat into the trash and wipe down your pans with a paper towel before you clean them.

Use traps or covers over your bathroom drains to keep hair and food out of them. Hair, lint, and food can clog up your drains, causing leaks. Using traps or covers can help you catch this material and ensure that it doesn't clog your drains and cause leaks.

You should also clean your drains with vinegar and baking soda at least once a month to keep everything flowing properly.

#4 Watch Your Water Usage

Finally, be sure to watch your water usage. If you are suddenly using twice as much water in January as you have for the past four years, that is a warning sign that you should pay attention that you may have a leak somewhere.

If your home has experienced water damage before, there are steps you can take to prevent it from occurring again. Keep plants with invasive roots away from your home, always keep your roof gutters clean, be careful what you put down your drains, clean drains on a regular basis, and be sure to watch your water usage for any unexpected spikes that could indicate a water leak. Taking these preventative steps are just a few ways to ensure that you don't have to deal with water damage to your home again.

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