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Examining Common Causes of Water Damage in the Home | SERVPRO® of Kingston/New Paltz
12/7/2018 (Permalink)
Severe weather is not always the main culprit in water damage.
Severe weather and water damage can often go hand-in-hand, so when many think about water damage, it’s usually one of the first things that comes to mind.
While storms and flooding can cause catastrophic water damage, they are often not the main culprits. Instead, various items or systems in your home can be responsible for many situations resulting in water damage.
Unfortunately, water damage is something many homeowners will face, and it was the third most common reason for a homeowners insurance claim between 2011 and 2015, paying out an average per claim of $8,861.
There is a difference between water damage and gradual water damage, each of which can impact insurance claim payouts. Examples of gradual water damage are things that have been occurring over time, such as plumbing issues in the walls that can cause damage to walls, ceilings or floors, or water damage caused by cracks in the foundation. Unfortunately, many claims for gradual water damage are not covered by homeowners insurance, while storm-related water damage usually is.
According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), here are the leading causes of water damage:
Plumbing supply system failures can involve frozen pipes that may burst due because the backup caused by frozen water creates an increase in water pressure or when materials used in the plumbing supply system fail, resulting in leaking or bursting pipes. Per IBHS, plumbing supply system failures are the leading source of residential water damage losses and cost an average of $5,092 per incident after the deductible. It was also found that homes over the age of 16 to 40 years made up a larger group of supply system material failure claims.
Plumbing drain system failures can occur when a sewer drain backs up and overflows into a home or from material malfunction issues. IBHS found in its study that 52% of drain system failures were caused by sewer backups and 37% were related to poor material performance issues—and these types of failures are more expensive in southern region states than in northern region states.
Toilet failures are the second highest source of residential water damage loss after plumbing supply system failures and can result from faulty fill valves or clogged drain lines. Interestingly, according to IBHS, toilet failures that occur on the first floor of a home resulted in more extensive claims than those that occurred in basements or upper floors.
Water heater failures can happen when your water heater has reached its life expectancy and the tank begins to rust and corrode, which creates leaking or bursting issues. IBHS found that 69% of all water heater failures resulted from a slow leak or sudden burst and, on average, cost $4,444 per incident following the deductible.
Washing machine failures are generally caused by supply hose failures, machine overflows and drain line failures. Washing machines are one of the top 10 source of residential water losses, and per IBHS, supply hose failures accounted for over half of all washing machine-related losses.
If your home ever experiences any water damage, rest assured that our professionals at SERVPRO® of Kingston/New Paltz are available to help with cleanup and restoration and make it “like it never even happened.” Call us at 845-255-4334.