RESTORATION BLOG IN TORONTO & GTA

​Winter can be a dangerous time of year for your home. Water can infiltrate your home and cause damage once the temperatures dip below freezing. Water pipes can freeze and burst, ice dams can form on your roof, and melting snow can infiltrate your home. Spend the colder months staying warm and bonding with family and friends instead of worrying about the risk of water damage. Consider this list of things that you can look out for and prepare against before the temperatures get too cold.

In the winter months when the temperatures begin to dip, your water lines become increasingly likely to face catastrophic failure. Water lines that run along outside walls, in attic spaces, or inside of crawl spaces are the most vulnerable to the cold. You will also need to pay close attention to any outside faucets that are not rated for the cold temperatures. If your pipes become cold enough to freeze than it is likely they will burst, like a frozen can of soda pop. This is especially likely for outdated and poorly installed plumbing pipes. Here are a few ways to help you prevent that from happening.

• If any of your faucets supply lines are at an elevated risk of freezing, then you can keep a small stream of water running through them. Even a small steady stream is usually enough to keep the faucet and its water lines from becoming frozen. Keeping the water moving through the pipe will help keep it from freezing.
• Take a good look around your home’s exterior and foundation for sources of infiltration and leaks. Look for cracks or holes which you can seal with silicone. Look for any gaps or obvious points of entry through your siding. If you have an access hole to your crawlspace, then you can seal it up for the winter to help keep the moisture and the cold air out.
• Insulate all the visible water lines, even if they are under your home they can still freeze. You can find a pre-made pipe insulation at most big box stores that will help prevent your pipes from freezing. This may be all the difference that you need this winter.
• Opening cabinet doors that have plumbing behind them will let the warm air from your home circulate around the pipes helping to keep them warm. Remember to put all the chemicals and cleaning materials up where children and animals are unable to bother them.
• You should leave the temperature in your home set at the same temperature through the night as you do the day. If you are lowering the temperature at night, your house may cool off, making it harder for your home to stay warm. Leaving it at one temperature will assure your home stays warm and making it less likely that your pipes are will freeze.
• If your pipes do freeze, then you should shut the water off to your home immediately and call a certified repair company.

Ice dams form when warm air from your attic melts the snow along your roof. The water rolls down into the eaves of your roof where it is cooler, and it can refreeze. Or the water can pool up around clogged gutter systems where it will freeze over and prevent the water and snow from leaving the roof. This leads to water potentially seeping up under your shingles and can causing damage to your roof. You will need to prevent or correct this problem to avoid having potential issues in the future. Here are some ways to help prevent it.

• You should clean and inspect your gutter system regularly to assure that the melted snow can easily roll off your roof and away from your home in a safe and proper manner.
• Installing gutter screens to make sure that your gutters remain clean and clear. Having gutter screens installed will help prevent any future blockages in your gutter drains.
• Make sure that you have an appropriate amount of insulation in your attic. The warm air in your attic is what causes ice dams. Making sure that it is well insulated and not allowing excessive air to leak from the living space is one of the best ways to prevent this issue.
• Make sure that there is proper ventilation in your attic. There should be soffit vents that allow cold air in at the bottom of the attic and roof vents near the peak that allow the warm air to escape. Your attic space should be around 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the temperature outside.
• Removing the snow on your roof once it gets deeper than 6 inches. Excessive snow build-up can put too much pressure on your roof, it can cause the water to seep under the shingles, and it will take much longer for it to melt away.
• When you have a new roof installed you can have a water membrane installed under the roofing which will help prevent any water from being able to leak inside.
• You can also have a snow shield installed with your roofing to help protect your home

When spring arrives, you may have a ton of melting snow to deal with. This can cause a whole list of problems itself. Water will try and seep through your foundation and into your home if you allow it. Here are some ways to avoid this problem.

• Clearing the snow off your roof before it starts to warm up too much. This will prevent ice dams from forming and keep your roof in a better condition for spring without the worry for repair.
• Check your basement regularly for any water seeping through the foundation or burst water lines. You may not realize that a waterline has burst until it has already caused serious damage. Regularly inspect your drain lines and make sure they are not leaking, this can also quickly become a big issue.
• Keep your gutter drains clear and pointed away from your home or into your sewage system. Make sure they currently and continue to drain correctly and are not pooling the water up next to your foundation.
• Shoveling the snow away from your foundation before it melts will help keep a lot of that water and moisture away from it before it has time to seep into your home or potentially cause foundation issues.

Sometimes there are less obvious things that you may need to do to help your home whether in the cold months. Here are a few things that will help make it a little bit easier.

• Disconnect any outdoor hoses. This will prevent them from freezing and breaking the hoses. Once the hose is disconnected from the faucet it will allow you to turn it on just enough that it can avoid freezing. You can also insulate it to try and avoid having any issues.
• Keep an eye out for condensation in your homes. As your heater runs and warms up your home, you may notice that windows, pipes, or maybe even walls have condensation forming on them. This can be a sign of an issue; you will need to lower your homes' humidity by mechanical means or by fixing the issue that is causing the excess in humidity. This could be a sign of a water leak infiltrating your home.
• If there are areas in your home where you are concerned that a leak may happen, like around water lines, water heaters, sump pumps, or drain lines. You can buy and install moisture alarms to alert you if excessive moisture becomes present.
• It is a good idea to look over your water lines yearly to ensure that there are no leaks that you should correct before the cold weather arrives. An already leaking water line is far more likely to burst once the temperatures get below freezing.
• You can also purchase sewer back up insurance. Most insurance plans will not cover it if your sewer backs up into your home. With the excessive amount of water draining into your sewage system from the snow melting it can easily overcome the capabilities of your system. Leading to it backing up into your home and causing much more serious issues.
• Keep an eye on your old water heater is another thing that you should do throughout the winter months. The cold weather can put more pressure on your old water heater which can cause it to leak. Having to heat colder water than normal, longer hotter showers, and more time inside your home puts a lot of strain on older water heaters. 

What do you do when the worst has happened, and you have water damage in your home? Whether you have some water seeping down a wall from the attic caused by an ice dam, or if you have a flooded basement from a frozen and burst water line, you need to call a professional company. A company that can guide you through the entire process from incident to restore. Call GTA Restoration today and let them help you get back to normal

• ​Save your life and property.

As we have already mentioned above, water damage seriously affects valuable property and poses risks to lives. It is imperative to call the emergency restoration services and request them to resolve the problem before it gets too late. Calling the emergency restoration service is highly recommended because trying to fix it on your own may temporarily work but, it will not last long. After some time, the black mold would start developing, which would aggravate the problem. 

• Get rid of the leakage.

When there is a permanent solution available, why go for a temporary fix? There are plenty of risks involved with the water damage problem. It is better to get rid of the issue once and for all.
Emergency services by experts technicians can save precious life and valuable property. Quick fixes don’t always work, so it is in your interest to pick your phone and call the emergency plumbing service providers to get rid of the leakage. 

• No more insects and bugs

Harmful insects and bugs nurture in a moist and wet environment. The water accumulation due to leaking pipes serves as the breeding ground for the insects. The attic becomes the perfect place for the bugs when water starts dripping from the ceiling. Permanently solving the leakage problem can prevent the growth of black mold in the attic and, it can prevent the insects and bugs breeding there. 

• Solve your plumbing problems once and for all

There may be many reasons for the poor plumbing. Most of the common reasons for the leakage and water damage are the poor plumbing of the structure. Untrained technicians start the work without a proper examination of the building and the environment of the locality. To make the situation even worse, they use substandard material. 
 
They have done whatever wrong they could. But, now is the time to act rationally without wasting even a single minute. Book an appointment with the consultant or make a phone call to the immediate response team to fix all the plumbing issues of your building. 

• Save your hard-earned money.

Eventually, it is the money that matters. Hiring unprofessional technicians and using substandard material in plumbing will not save you money. These practices will cause you to lose in the long run. It is always better to hire a highly trained team of professionals for a permanent and lasting solution. 
 
As soon as water damage and leakage happen, contact the emergency restoration services to fix the issue before black mold develops. Any further delay will cost you extra because the water damages everything that comes in its way.

Water damage can leave you with a costly bill and can result in irreversible damage. Fortunately, there are some common signs to look out for, so you can catch it early if it does happen and get it repaired as soon as possible. ​

If your floors are looking a little odd and not as they used to, trust your gut as it may be water damage. What constitutes odd? You may notice that your floors are what experts call ‘cupping’. This is when the sides of your floorboards are higher than the centre of the floorboards. This generally occurs when moisture builds up inside the wood and swells it while weighing down the centre. You will notice the opposite effect when too much moisture is removed from the floorboards and they shrink. In addition, your hardwood floors can ‘crown’ which is the opposite of cupping. Moisture builds up inside the boards and the centre of the wood is higher than the sides of the wood. 
 
If you notice your hardwood floors ‘buckling’ than this could be a sign of water damage. When your hardwood flooring buckles, the wood will lift from the subflooring several inches in multiple places or one. 
 
You must take into consideration how your wood flooring was installed. Sometimes it is not due to water damage at all, but to wear and tear and improper installation. Hardwood flooring needs time to get used to the environment and the elements it will be exposed to. If this doesn’t happen and it is installed before it is ready, cupping, crowning, and buckling can occur as well. ​

Take a look at your ceilings and floors and take note of any stains. Feel your carpets as well and if they are wet to the touch, that is definitely a sign that a leak has occurred and there may be water damage. If the stains on your ceilings are yellow or brown and are various shapes and sizes, that is a sign of water damage. Take note of where the stain is as well. If the stain is underneath your bathroom where the toilet or shower is, that increases the chances of it being water damage from a leak. ​

A tell-tale sign that there is water damage in your home is mold as mold can only develop if there is a source of moisture. You may find mold spores on your hardwood floors, inside the wall and outside the wall, and on the ceiling. Check your basement thoroughly as well as most people find Mold there. It can be a variety of colours, the most common being black mold. Keep in mind that no mold does not mean you are safe from water damage and it doesn’t exist. Mold is highly dangerous to your health and can even lead to death with long-term exposure, so it is not an issue to be taken lightly. 
 
For most cases, Mold Damage will only begin to grow if the source of the water damage has been damp for a long time. In this case, you may have water damage long before you notice it.

Water Damage Repairs Contractor
Finding the right contractor after a Flood and Water Damage event

Are you currently affected by water damage? Perhaps do you have properties that were severely damaged because of this kind of incident? If that is the case, then worry no more. As such, there are already tons of contractors that you can be able to contact with regards to this kind of concern. Even more, they are just a call or an email away. They can be relatively easy to get in touch with. For sure you can be able to even search one online. There are already varied modes where you can be able to hire one the soonest. However, with the many possible providers that you can get and have, which one to hire? This is one big question to start.

If you are imploring the aid of water damage contractor to fix just about any water damage concern of yours there are things to keep in mind when hiring an appropriate water damage company. If you haven’t had this kind of concern before, here’s a small checklist that you can carry around.


Company Background

The first thing to consider would be the background of the company. Identify when did the company started. The longer they are in the business, the better they are. Most reputable brands and companies have been in the business for quite some time. This could also mean that they are good with the job. Identify as well what the company is expert at. Are they geared towards water drying? Perhaps mold and mildew cleaning? And more. From there, assess also your concern if it best fits the kind of service of the water damage company. You may also opt for the other ones if you think they are not particularly good at in solving your specific concern.


Reviews and testimonials

Another thing to take note when picking a good company for you would be to read on related reviews and testimonials from their former clients. It would be best that you get to know how good or how bad they are in the first place. And what better way to identify it but from the words of their former consumers. With this, you can be able to gauge the quality of work they can provide and can deliver to you.

There are still other things you might want to look at when finding the right company for you. Of course, there is still that reputation, credibility and all. However, the first two that were mentioned are already good indicators of a company to trust. That is why prior to hiring do your homework about them first.
 
When we talk about water damage repairs, it is necessary to ensure and also safeguard the structure of the house. After all, if ever a water damage could happen, this could greatly deteriorate the house and more so the properties that were affected. This is a major concern for many homeowners. It is a great loss in the process because it can affect the entire area and more so the house. The damage can also either be minor or major. Regardless of the initial damage, in the end it will be progressive and can turn catastrophic. With that in mind, it is but right that you get to consider varied items and things should that occur in your home.

When confronted with this kind of concern, water damage repairs can address a good number of risks. For one, there are several kinds of damage that are cause by water. The first level is due to clear water. Second is because of broken pipes and even water spots. Then we have gray water that has contaminants. This could be sewage water or even failure of water to be discharged out. Then we have the black water than can be caused by catastrophic events and this can be relatively hard to fix. When solving a water damage problem, it is best to identify what kind of water that seeps in your property.

After identifying the water colour, the next thing to note would be to ask your-self if a DIY would be ideal. When considering it, there are in fact DIY methods that are relatively simple and easy to do. For instance, if the damage has not seeped through the system across your home and also the furniture, you can do simple repairs. You can also pump the water out of the house. However, if the problem is widespread like wooden structures have been moistened with broken pipes or what not, it would be best to call the experts for this regard. You see, this could develop molds and mildew over time. And this can cause illness.

If something like this happen to your house, it would be best that you get to resort it to the expert. Give a call to your trusted water damage repair. In a minute they would be able to scout the entire property and they can be able to work on it right away. True you may need for you to fund it however you would be guaranteed that they will give your home and your property a new life as if no damage occurred at all.



Construction and Property Repair after a Water Damage

​When we talk about water damage, it is necessary to ensure and also safeguard the structure of the house. After all, if ever a water damage could happen, this could greatly deteriorate the house and more so the properties that were affected. This is a major concern for many homeowners. It is a great loss in the process because it can affect the entire area and more so the house. The damage can also either be minor or major. Regardless of the initial damage, in the end it will be progressive and can turn catastrophic. With that in mind, it is but right that you get to consider varied items and things should that occur in your home.

When confronted with this kind of concern, water damage repairs can address a good number of risks. For one, there are several kinds of damage that are cause by water. The first level is due to clear water. Second is because of broken pipes and even water spots. Then we have gray water that has contaminants. This could be sewage water or even failure of water to be discharged out. Then we have the black water than can be caused by catastrophic events and this can be relatively hard to fix. When solving a water damage problem, it is best to identify what kind of water that seeps in your property.

After identifying the water colour, the next thing to note would be to ask yourself if a DIY would be ideal. When considering it, there are in fact DIY methods that are relatively simple and easy to do. For instance, if the damage has not seeped through the system across your home and also the furniture, you can do simple repairs. You can also pump the water out of the house. However, if the problem is widespread like wooden structures have been moistened with broken pipes or what not, it would be best to call the experts for this regard. You see, this could develop molds and mildew over time. And this can cause illness.

If something like this happen to your house, it would be best that you get to resort it to the expert. Give a call to your trusted water damage repair. In a minute they would be able to scout the entire property and they can be able to work on it right away. True you may need for you to fund it however you would be guaranteed that they will give your home and your property a new life as if no damage occurred at all.