Water damage is the expensive kind of surprise: it hides behind fresh paint and under new carpet, and it shows up on your repair bill after you own the place. Take a slow walk through any house you are considering with these eight checks in mind. Do you know what to look for before you make the offer?
Walls and ceilings
Discoloration, peeling paint and lifting wallpaper all point at moisture behind the surface. Bubbling or cracking paint means something wet has been pushing at it. A sagging or warped ceiling suggests a roof leak or plumbing above it, and neither improves on its own.
Floors
Warped or buckling boards, particularly in bathrooms, kitchens and basements, are a classic sign of water. Press on suspicious areas: soft or squishy spots mean the subfloor has been wet for a long time.
Windows and doors
Look for water stains or mold around the frames. Windows and doors that are hard to open or close may have swollen frames, which is moisture doing its work.
The basement
Basements flood and leak. Water stains on the walls, especially low down near the floor, are the giveaway, along with a musty smell or anything visible growing.
Roof and gutters
Missing or damaged shingles, and gutters full of debris or showing signs of overflow, both let water into the house where you cannot see it arrive.
Attic
Check for water stains, mold and a musty smell, and poke at the insulation for dampness. Wet insulation means the roof has been letting go for a while.
Plumbing
Look under sinks, around toilets and behind appliances for active leaks. Water stains or warped cabinetry under a sink mean a leak has been there before, possibly more than once.
Outside
The ground should slope away from the house so water does not pool against the foundation. On exterior walls, look for efflorescence, that white chalky residue, and for cracks.
Bring in someone with instruments
A qualified home inspector can find hidden moisture with tools you do not own. In areas that flood or run humid, add mold testing to the inspection. Finding it before you sign costs you an afternoon; finding it after costs you a renovation.
For a second opinion on water damage in a house you are buying in Connecticut, call JP Maguire at 877-576-2484.
Where to go from here
If this is happening in your house right now, these are the pages Connecticut homeowners reach for, each one saying what the work involves and how to get a crew rolling: water damage restoration. Water extraction, drying, then the rebuild. fire damage restoration. Soot, smoke odour, and putting the rooms back. mold remediation. Finding it, containing it, and removing it properly. storm damage restoration. Wind damage, fallen trees, emergency tarping. burst pipe repair. Stopping the leak, then repairing what it reached. 24/7 emergency restoration. A person on the phone, any hour of the night.
Also from the blog: Does Your Homeowners Insurance Actually Cover Fire and Water Damage?, How to Stop Ice Dams Before They Leak Into Your House and More on water damage.