3 Major Ways Water Can Enter Your Home

Water intrusion into your home can create foundation problems and cause damage from rot and mold. Be aware of these major ways that water can enter your home.

A soil grade that slopes back toward your home

If the soil on your property isn’t graded properly water can drain back toward your home and cause foundation movement and cracking, and damp or wet crawlspaces. When water wicks up the foundation it can lead to mold in your walls and rotting framing. Telltale signs of foundation movement are window frames that are out of square, interior doors that develop uneven gaps between the doors and door frames when closed, and visibly slanted floors.

Problems with your stucco exterior

If you have a home with a stucco exterior it can last for the lifetime of your house. If water finds its way through any cracks in the stucco it will travel down the house wrap and to a weep screed—a component that’s applied where the foundation meets the sill plate—and out of your home. Sometimes, however, the weep screed gets covered over when concrete for things like sidewalks, patios and stoops is poured too high. This prevents the water drainage system from working and water could enter your walls and living space.

If you walk around the outside of your home and you see that the weep screed becomes covered by concrete your home is at risk for water intrusion and damage.

Aging or improperly installed roofing materials

As the material covering your roof ages it becomes increasingly susceptible to water intrusion, and if it’s installed improperly from the outset it can age prematurely.

The most common roofing materials include asphalt shingles, terra cotta tile, wood shakes/shingles, slate, and concrete tiles. Synthetic materials like plastic, rubber and polymers replicate the look, color, and texture of natural materials like wood and slate.

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