Fix Your Roof Problem Before It Turns Into A Leaky Basement

Did you know that problems on your roof can lead to a leaky basement?

The roofing system on your house, which includes the shingles, eavestroughs, and drains, are meant to do one thing; to channel rain water from your roof and away from your foundation.  If the system is working properly, that’s exactly what it will do.  If it’s not, then rain water will begin to pool around your home’s foundation, eventually causing water problems in your basement.

Here in Toronto, the roofs on our homes are subject to some severe weather conditions.  The long Winters, with snow build up, thawing, then re-freezing, can really wear down your roof over time.  It’s important to schedule times throughout the year where you can inspect your roof system and make sure that it’s properly channeling water away from your foundation.

The infographic below provides a nice pictorial of potential problems you may come across when you examine your roof.  Take a few minutes of preventative maintenance to help avoid costly foundation repairs later on.  Have questions about channeling water away from your foundation?  Feel free to contact us here, we’re happy to help!

Roof Maintenance Infographic

 

5 Simple Tasks to Avoid Household Water Damage

Fixing water leaks around the homeWater damage occurs in a number of vicious ways. From leaky pipes to cracks in a home’s foundation, water is determined to find its way inside and wreak havoc. It’s in its nature to do so and it’s in ours to prevent it from happening.

It’ll happen when you least expect it and even sometimes right in front of your face. The key fundamental to beat household water damage isn’t to just fight back, but to think ahead. Avoiding it altogether is way better than fighting the hassles of a water damaged household later on.

Plant Greenery around Your Home

Homes that reside in areas that receive an ample amount of rain or have poor drainage systems, tend to have water linger around the exterior, sometimes in puddles or small ponds. This gives water a chance to seep into the home’s foundation and into the basement. Not to mention, the longer water sits and soaks into the ground, the more it loosens the soil up, which means the ground can alter to cause foundation damage and even more water damage.

One way to dispose of this excess water is to plant shrubs, flowers and other greenery. Plants love water and will be able to absorb some of the excess water sitting around the home. However, this probably won’t be enough to avoid water damage from a larger excess of water, since plants can only soak up so much before becoming waterlogged. At this point, it’s somewhat pointless, since water still lingers around the home and the plants have too much water, which is why it’s also a good idea to…

 

Funnel Water Away from Your Home

Water lingers as a result of improper drainage. A home’s drainage system starts on the roof and doesn’t end until water completely drains away from the home.

  • Check Gutters:  The roof drains water into the gutters and if gutters aren’t clean, then that drastically puts a dampener on a home’s drainage system. The stagnant water adds extra weight to the gutters and gives time for the water to find a way into the roof. If the roof is also in need of repair, then this allows for much easier access.
  • Gutter Extensions:  Okay, so the gutters are clean, but now the water lingers around the base of the home and the plants can’t soak it all up. Add extensions to the gutters to funnel the roof water away from the home. If you’re worried about having ugly plastic drain pipes running across your yard, then place them underground. This may also help with better drainage anyway.
  • Create Trenches:  Your gutters are clean and you installed extensions, but water still lingers around your home. The gutters take care of roof water and the plants still can’t soak up all the water around the base of the home. Create additional downward paths, trenches or pipes that drain the water properly away from your home.

Seal Doors and Windows

The tiniest crack or space in a window or door is all that is needed for water or moisture to infiltrate a home. This is especially dangerous for double-paned windows. If the outer glass or frame has a crack, then moisture seeps in and condensation forms in between the window panes. Basement windows and window wells are also a target for water to enter into a home. These windows are sometimes on ground level, which means water in the soil has a greater chance of leaking into the basement.

Buy a Dehumidifier

It’s important to keep a house’s humidity level around 50% or less. Too much humidity means an abundance of moisture inside a home. If you’re unsure of your home’s current humidity level, use a hygrometer to get an accurate reading. If the level is too high, then purchase a dehumidifier to lower your home’s humidity level.

Clean Your Pipes

Leaky pipes are major contributors to water damage. Leaks can occur from many cases, but one way to prevent these from happening is to have healthy pipes. If you clean your pipes frequently, there will be less build up and fewer clogs. Less strain and pressure will be on the pipes and they will be more resilient to potential problems in the future.

 

Be proactive in your maintenance

Water damage occurs in several ways and sometimes it’s difficult keeping up and maintaining your home to prevent it. Although much time and effort is required, it will certainly save you further time and effort down the road if faced with the wrath of water damage. At that point, there won’t be much you can do except call a professional. In the meantime, do the simple things yourself to prevent these potential threats.

Can An Air Purifier Remove Mould?

Although not all air purifier are the same, most are capable of removing air-borne allergens including mould spores from your home. This is helpful if you have upper bronchial infections or allergies. At the same time, they are also a useful ally in the endless battle to stop mould forming in the first place.

However there is a limit to their efficiency because they can’t remove an existing fungal infestation. Hence your first step is always to call in a mould-removal cleaning firm to clear it out for you. After that, regular cleaning and an air purifier should reward you with a relatively mould-free home.

Toronto Mould removal air purifier

Even More Benefits

The air inside our homes is full of a variety of other pollutants. Some of these drift in from outside while others are a consequence of modern lifestyles. Air purifiers also help remove the grime that stains our air-conditioner filters. Chief among the culprits are animal fur, cigarette smoke, dust mite droppings, pollen spores and sundry bacteria.

Which Design is Best?

There are four main varieties of air purifiers in Canada, the main difference being the filters through which they force the air. These often appear in different combinations Replaceable high energy particulate air HEPA ones are often preferred because they use replacement filters that don’t generate potentially harmful by-products.

Carbon pre-filters help remove smells and volatile organic compounds. Filterless ionizers are energy-efficient but of little use against mould spores, while ozone generator air purifiers are only really effective at power levels that may be injurious to our health. For these reasons the most popular combinations are carbon filter-HEPA ones.

Air Purifier Buying Tips

  • Capacity – Clean air delivery rate (CADR) measures the volume of air processed per minute. A score below 100 is unsatisfactory whereas above 300 is excellent. Calculate the volume of air in the room before you start.

 

  • Energy Cost – Air purifiers run day and night off electricity. Although their draw is low compared to air conditioners and heating plants it does add up over time. You contribute indirectly to less power-generation pollution by buying energy efficiently.

 

  • Maintenance – If you buy a good quality air purifier it should reward you with a long, trouble-free life. However those with HEPA filters require owner-servicing every few months. Find out how long the filters last and how much replacements cost.

 

  • Noise Levels – Most domestic air purifiers emit an almost imperceptible hum which is a trade-off against their level of cleaning efficiency. Some can appear more pronounced when you’re trying to fall asleep at night. Ask the salesperson about decibel (dB) levels which should be in the instruction manuals.

While an air purifier cannot remove mould per se, it can be a great ally in the fight to contain it while removing irritating pollutants from the air we breathe. Like most other things in life you get the quality you pay for. Don’t buy cheap. Keep a weather eye out for special offers outside of pollen season for the best deals.

Have questions about mould and air quality in your home?  If you live in Toronto or the surrounding GTA, we can have a service specialist come out to your home for a free on-site inspection and estimate.  Contact us here.