The storm has passed. You don’t see water on the floor, the ceilings look okay, and everything seems normal. That doesn’t always mean your Dayton or Cincinnati-area home stayed dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heavy rain and wind-driven water can enter a house in places you may never notice. Water can travel behind walls, beneath flooring, through insulation and from one level of the home to another. Sometimes the first visible sign of hidden water damage after a storm doesn’t appear until days\u2014or even weeks\u2014later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a significant storm, there are simple things Dayton and Cincinnati homeowners can check for themselves\u2014but hidden moisture isn’t always easy to find. Here are the warning signs to watch for, what you can safely check, and when it may be time to call a professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suspect hidden water damage? Call PuroClean Emergency Services \u2014 Dayton & Cincinnati’s storm damage restoration experts \u2014 before it spreads.<\/strong> (937) 401-9700<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water often ends up far from where it first got in, behind walls, under flooring, in the attic or in the basement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are nine places to check first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest challenges with water is that it can travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water entering around a roof, window, door, foundation or exterior wall may move behind drywall or paneling before reaching a place where you can actually see it. The wall surface can look and even feel dry while moisture remains inside the wall cavity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you can do:<\/strong> Walk through rooms along exterior walls and look closely at baseboards, drywall and paneling. Watch for bubbling paint, swelling, staining, warped trim or anything that looks different than it did before the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t start removing drywall just to see what’s behind it. If something doesn’t look right, professional moisture detection may help determine what is happening without unnecessarily removing materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heavy rain can saturate the soil surrounding your home\u2019s foundation and allow water to enter through cracks, joints, window wells and other openings. Water can also originate above the basement and travel downward through walls or building cavities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not every basement water problem results in several inches of standing water. Sometimes it’s a damp wall, a wet corner, moisture along the floor perimeter or water underneath stored belongings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you can do:<\/strong> Don’t just look at the middle of the basement floor. Check corners, foundation walls, around basement windows and where the wall meets the floor. Look behind accessible stored items and move cardboard boxes and belongings away from damp areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you find basement seepage, don’t stop your investigation at the basement. The source of the water may actually be outside. Your gutters and downspouts are a good place to look next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gutters and downspouts have a simple but extremely important job: collect rainwater from the roof and move it away from your house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During a heavy storm, clogged gutters can overflow, and damaged or improperly positioned downspouts can deposit large amounts of water right next to the foundation. Once the ground becomes saturated, that water may find its way into the basement through cracks, foundation joints, windows or other vulnerable areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A basement leak doesn’t necessarily mean you have a foundation problem. Sometimes the problem starts several feet above it, with water not being directed away from the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you can do:<\/strong> Once the storm has passed and it is safe, walk around your home. Look for overflowing or sagging gutters, disconnected downspouts and areas where downspouts discharge too close to the foundation. Also look for evidence of soil erosion or areas that remain unusually wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fixing an obvious drainage problem may help prevent the same water intrusion during the next heavy rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your house can have a moisture problem without having visible standing water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your home suddenly feels unusually humid or clammy following a storm, moisture may have entered the structure, or an area may not be drying properly. According to the CDC<\/a>, indoor relative humidity should be no higher than 50%. Over our years restoring water damage<\/a> and removing mold<\/a> in Dayton and Cincinnati homes, we typically recommend homeowners target closer to 40%.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes your nose discovers a moisture problem before your eyes do. A new musty or earthy smell can indicate damp building materials or trapped moisture, particularly in basements, crawl spaces, closets and rooms along exterior walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pay attention to what your house is telling you.<\/strong> If you notice an odor that wasn’t there before the storm, try to determine whether it is stronger in a particular room, closet, basement area or near an exterior wall. Don’t simply cover it up with an air freshener and assume the problem will go away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water doesn’t always stay on top of the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can travel underneath carpet and pad, hardwood, laminate, luxury vinyl plank and other flooring materials. The surface may appear dry while moisture remains trapped underneath or has reached the subfloor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the flooring, you may eventually notice buckling, cupping, lifting, separation, staining or an unusual odor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you can do:<\/strong> Walk through the areas of your home that could have been affected and pay attention to changes. Walking in dry socks can sometimes help you notice dampness you wouldn’t feel through shoes. Also watch for flooring that feels soft or different or begins to cup, lift or separate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t start pulling up flooring simply to investigate. Finding trapped moisture early may provide more options for drying and potentially reduce the amount of material that ultimately needs to be removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t limit your inspection to the inside of your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After heavy rain, walk around your property and see where the water went. Look for areas where water collects near the foundation, low spots that stay saturated, and drainage areas that don’t move water away from the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also check exterior drains, stairwell drains and basement window-well drains for leaves, dirt and debris. A clogged drain can turn an otherwise manageable amount of rainwater into standing water, and eventually allow that water to enter the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is also a good time to review the gutters and downspouts discussed earlier. Where is all that roof water actually going?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standing water outside doesn’t necessarily mean water has entered your home. However, repeatedly letting water collect against the foundation increases the chance that moisture will find a way inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A simple step:<\/strong> Pay particular attention to areas that stay wet long after the rest of the yard has drained. Those areas may be telling you something about how water moves around your property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A roof doesn’t need a large hole or missing section to leak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wind-driven rain can enter around damaged shingles, flashing, roof penetrations, vents, chimneys and other vulnerable areas. Strong winds can loosen or damage flashing without creating an obvious problem when viewed from the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once water reaches the attic, insulation can absorb and hold moisture without creating an immediate ceiling stain below. That means a roof leak may exist for some time before you see evidence of it inside the living space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you can do:<\/strong> If your attic is safely accessible, look from a stable location for obvious staining, dripping, damp roof decking or visibly wet or matted insulation. From the ground outside, look for obvious missing or displaced roofing materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t climb onto a wet or storm-damaged roof. A trained, equipped professional can evaluate roof and flashing concerns safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A yellow, brown or slightly darker area on a ceiling can be an early indication that water has entered somewhere above it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t assume a small stain means a small problem. The visible stain may be the point where water finally reached the finished ceiling\u2014not where it originally entered the structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A simple step:<\/strong> Don’t paint over a new stain right away. Take a photo and note when you first noticed it. If it changes in size or color, particularly after another rainfall, that information can help identify the source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The important thing isn’t making the stain disappear. It’s understanding why it appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wind-driven rain doesn’t always fall straight down. During severe storms, water can be forced against windows and doors and through small cracks, failed seals or gaps that normally stay dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Routine exterior maintenance can make a difference during heavy rain. Periodically check caulking and seals around windows, doors and exterior penetrations, and address cracks, gaps or deteriorated materials that could provide a path for water to enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And remember: water flows down, out and wicks up drywall or anything porous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where you see the water isn’t necessarily where it entered the house. For example, a crack or gap around an exterior door on the main level may allow water into the wall or floor system. Instead of appearing beside the door, that water may travel downward and eventually show up in the basement or lower level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same thing can happen around windows and other exterior openings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What to look for:<\/strong> Check window sills, trim and areas around exterior doors for staining, peeling paint, swelling or visible water. But also look below<\/strong> those areas. If a main-floor window or door was exposed to significant wind-driven rain, check the basement or lower level beneath it for new dampness, staining or water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding where the water ended up is important. Finding<\/strong> where it came from<\/strong> is what helps prevent it from happening again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a storm, homeowners naturally look for the obvious\u2014missing shingles, fallen trees, a flooded basement or water dripping from the ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But some of the most important warning signs can be much more subtle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A musty smell. A slightly discolored ceiling. Damp insulation. A swollen baseboard. Flooring that suddenly feels different. A basement corner that has never been wet before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These clues don’t automatically mean you have a major restoration project. They mean you should investigate the source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also an important difference between looking for warning signs<\/strong> and determining whether building materials are actually wet. Homeowners can\u2014and should\u2014pay attention to changes after a storm. But when the source isn’t obvious, materials aren’t drying, or you suspect water may have traveled into areas you can’t see, professional moisture detection becomes valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Storm preparation isn’t only about what you do when severe weather is approaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A little routine maintenance can go a long way. Keep gutters, downspouts, and exterior drains clear; maintain caulking and seals; and correct areas where water collects near the foundation. Don’t overlook your sump pump, either. Most have an expected life of about 7\u201310 years, so if yours is getting older, consider replacing it before a major storm\u2014not after you discover it has failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can’t prevent every storm-related water loss, but you can eliminate some of the common pathways that allow water into your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water doesn’t always take the shortest or most obvious path through a house. That’s why the place where you discover damage may not be where the problem started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding unwanted moisture early may give you more options for drying materials rather than removing them. It can also help prevent additional damage and give you better information about the extent of the problem before you decide what to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At PuroClean Emergency Services, we use professional moisture-detection equipment to determine what is wet, where the moisture may have traveled and what, if anything, needs to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your Dayton or Cincinnati-area home has been through a storm and something doesn’t look, feel or smell quite right, don’t guess; call PuroClean Emergency Services. <\/strong>Our IICRC-certified<\/a> technicians are ready to respond. (937) 401-9700<\/a>. Where Does Water Hide After a Storm?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Water Behind Drywall or Paneling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Basement Seepage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Gutters and Downspouts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. High Indoor Humidity, Musty or Unusual Odors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Moisture Under Flooring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Standing Water Around Your House<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Attics, Roof Leaks, Damaged Flashing and Wet Insulation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Ceiling Discoloration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Window and Door Leaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What You Can’t See Can Matter Most<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A Little Maintenance Before the Next Storm Can Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don’t Wait for Small Water Damage to Become a Big Problem<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who Should I Call for Water Damage Restoration After a Storm?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Read more about PuroClean Emergency Services<\/a> and our service areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n