Preventing Water Damage In Older Bathrooms

Water damage can occur anywhere within the house, but it is most likely that water damage affects your bathroom. Unsurprisingly, water is used most within this room, so there are a lot of opportunities to go wrong. The toilet, sink, shower, tub, pipes, and fittings can leak, as well as accidental overflows. Moreover, humidity is a huge culprit of water damage that is often overlooked. Because of this, it is important to take steps to dehumidify the bathroom every time it is used. 

The most common way of doing this is putting down a bathmat and turning on the bathroom fan or vent. However, it may not be feasible if you live in an older home that doesn’t feature fans or vents. It can seem difficult to ensure that water damage won’t happen, but there are steps that you can take outside of the norm to keep your bathroom dehumidified.

Water Damage Restoration – Bakersfield

Though older homes are often seen as a great find, there are downfalls that come with purchasing one. In this situation, the lack of technology that is basic in newer homes can be easily overlooked, but sorely missed when realizing the absence. It’s important to ensure that when using a bathroom without ventilation, the moisture must be taken care of. If it is missed, mold and mildew can begin to grow and cause water damage. 

Here are the steps that you can take to ensure the water damage does not happen to your bathroom:

Open The Door And Windows

This step is the simplest solution that you can take to lower the moisture levels in your bathroom. While showering, keep the doors and windows open to keep a steady flow of air in and out of the bathroom. By doing this, steam and condensation cannot build on the walls. This condensation can cause paint to peel and mold and mildew to grow, so keeping it out is vital. If you cannot have the door or windows open during your shower, open them immediately after the shower to allow steam to escape.

Hook Up A Fan

Something as simple as a box fan can be another great way to get steam out of the bathroom quickly. Position a fan in the bathroom to blow moisture out the window or door and help with air circulation.

Use A Dehumidifier 

If you are unable to keep windows open or use a fan, a dehumidifier is a great alternative. Dehumidifiers remove water from the air until the humidity is reduced to the chosen. Turn it on before you begin your shower and turn it off a few minutes after you exit the shower. This will keep your bathroom nice and dry, keeping out the possibility of mold and mildew. Just remember to empty it often. 

Dry Towels And Bathmats Elsewhere

Keeping wet fabrics in a small, enclosed area that is already prone to humidity can cause the moisture levels to stay high. Because of this, it may be beneficial to take those wet articles and hang them to dry in a different part of the house, or even outside: somewhere that has great circulation. 

Though there are preventative measures that can be taken to avoid water damage, sometimes it is inevitable. Sometimes, accidents happen, and situations occur that are unavoidable. Because of this, you need someone that can help you to restore your home after the damage has been done. Professionals are readily available to help you, no matter how big or small the damage is. If you have questions or need help with water damage repair, reach out to the experts at Alert Disaster.