You should never delay water repairs as they can have severe consequences.
Looking after a home can be a lot of work and often times, certain repairs get pushed to the back burner. However, when it comes to water repairs, delaying them is not a good idea. The leaking pipe, appliance or faucet can cost you losses that go up to thousands.
The following are some known consequences that homeowners have to deal with when they put off their water repairs:
Greater Water Damage
Left as it is, the leaking pipe or appliance can start to make water damage to a greater degree. In some cases, it can end up meaning that a larger area of the house is getting affected by the leak. Suppose you have a leaking dishwasher in your kitchen that you’re delaying on repairing.
The water leaking can not only affect the kitchen flooring, but it can also absorb into the sub-level of the house. If you keep ignoring it, the leak will reach the basement roof. This means that you will have to repair the basement as well as the kitchen when you are getting everything fixed.
Mold Infestation
Mold grows the most when it has a source of moisture. When there is a leak, it seeps into the flooring and provides not only moisture but also a food source. The rotting flooring or wall material will feed the mold and it will grow a lot. This, in turn, will end up being an issue as the mold will then spread across the sub-level.
The presence of mold is an issue as it ends up affecting the indoor environment of a house. Additionally, mold spores can aggravate allergies and cause respiratory distress. In certain cases, black mold can cause toxic poisoning and even result in death.
Structural Damage
Water repairs that are delayed can also cause structural damage which can make the house unsafe for the inhabitants. A leak in the roof can allow water to spill into the walls and the flooring on a wider scale. To repair it, the walls and the flooring will have to be dried out properly. If left as it is, the walls can slowly weaken and there is a real danger of the roof caving in.
In basements, the water leak can damage the foundation of the house. A poor foundation can ruin the stability of the house and there is a danger that the house can collapse if the foundation is not fixed.
Expensive Repairs
Most people delay repairs because they want to wait until they have more time or more money. However, delaying it will only allow the leak to cause more damage. By the time you get around to it, what could have cost you less than a hundred will now take hundreds or even thousands to fix.
Conclusion
It is a good idea to get in touch with a professional as soon as possible to fix the repairs immediately. The right professionals will not only fix it quickly but also not cost you an arm and a leg.
