You might want to ask yourself if it ever rains in your town or city; or if the property you own has plumbing lines. Unless you live out in the middle of the desert, you are certainly always at risk of experiencing some type of water damage to your home or place of business. Water can be equally as disastrous as fire; there is no difference when every item you own can be destroyed beyond recognition. Unfortunately, as is the case with a fire having engulfed an entire property, restoration of water damaged facilities is just as difficult to perform, if not impossible (often the case).

Water damage is obviously a matter that should be taken seriously. It occurs far more often than people may think. Statistics published by the U.S. Fire Administration indicate an average of approximately one and half million fires occur each year in the United States, resulting in losses of about 11 billion dollars. It can be said that all homeowners have experienced loss due to water damage, meaning a lot more cases than fires, and generally a much more costly situation overall. One can easily determine that water damage cleaning services are called out to locations more often than the fire department. What may seem mind-boggling is that if the water wasn’t from a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or flooding of river or lake, over 90% of them could have been prevented by taking precautionary measures.

Don’t let your guard down. A small drip from a leaking pipe in your home could, over time, collapse the house. You can prevent water damage by conducting a thorough check of pipes, hoses from appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines, roof shingles, air conditioning insulation, drains, and rain gutters. You will surely be far more satisfied with having saved your lifetime personal items than filing a claim with the insurance company for money that can’t replace those sentimental possessions. That is, if you are covered.