Types of Water Damages

3/7/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Burlington Township / Mount Holly wants to keep you educated on the different types water can damage your property.Preventing water damage is the primary challenge for any structure seeking durability. Thermally efficient homes do not dry out as quickly as the energy wasting houses of older generations. Newer, engineered lumber products are less tolerant of frequent wetting. Most damage hides behind finishes, with long term negative impacts on indoor-air quality.The most common and destructive type of water damage is typically rain related and includes many sources:

Water seepage though basement walls.

Leaks through walls at areas like doors and windows

Roof leaks, usually through penetrations and flashing errors

Plumbing leaks, an outlier but relevant

Bulk water leaks come in many forms from the rare catastrophic plumbing failure to the more common hidden leak that causes its damage over many years. Homeowner maintenance goes a long way to preventing and reducing problems. For those building new, we suggest hiring builders who take these matters seriously. We think blower door test results offer a fair measurement for distinguishing between builders for this type of hidden craftsmanship.Uncontrolled, random air leaks are responsible for the second leading cause of water and moisture damage in our homes and buildings. Humid-air will deposit its moisture on cold surfaces which adds up over time to an amazing amount of moisture and resulting damage. This type of damage rarely reveals itself in the ways bulk water intrusion does but it still causes serious problems behind the finished surfaces.Air leaks do most of their damage in the form of energy costs. Reducing air infiltration and ex-filtration is often pointed to as one of the most cost-effective strategies for reducing energy costs and resulting environmental impacts. Increasing comfort is another huge reason to pay close attention to this important issue. Vapor diffusion is a confusing subject. There are two main ways it does damage in our climate.

When moisture reservoir cladding (masonry, fiber cement siding, stucco) gets saturated with rain and the sun or warm outdoor temperatures drive the stored moisture towards the inside. Interior vapor barriers like vinyl wallpaper increases interior vapor drive problems. Expect more damage in our region with masonry against wood common practices.

In the wintertime, when exterior sheathing or framing is cold and interior humidity is too high.Amy has blogs on the subject of wintertime humidity in homes. Keep interior humidity below 40% during cold weather. Exterior sheathing helps keep vulnerable structural members warmer, thus safer from risky dew points.Its common for people to misdiagnose a vapor diffusion problem for one of the first two. When evaluating water damage, suspect number one is bulk water. Most mold inside hidden building cavities, not exposed to bulk water is caused by air leakage.If still unsure about the differences of uncontrolled air movement and vapor diffusion, this blog may help:Breathing Walls?Siding or exterior finish materials that store water can become a problem if not detailed correctly. Selecting the right Weather Resistive Barriers are important along with the right installation details. Rain screens –technically required by code for brick– are an easy way to add durability and reduced maintenance to these types of exterior.Water is lazy but also persistent. It will defy gravity given the right substrates and conditions. It starts in design with features that readily shed water and are less prone to problems. Know and account for the main weaknesses during assembly on site. Prove the project is airtight with a blower door test. These are some of the most important ways of increasing the durability of homes and buildings.