From insurance perspective water damage is the most frequently filed claim. The average homeowner's claim is $3,000 to $4,000 dollars. Add mold to the claim and it shoots to $ 20,000. to $ 30,000.

A client of mine just got back from a family trip to Israel to find his basement covered in mold. Twelve hours before he left for this trip to celebrate his daughter's bat mitzvah, a pipe fitting in his basement disconnected and flooded his basement with a few inches of water. In their hurry to clean it up before they left, they (and their water damage contractor) made a few mistakes.

In addition to causing destruction, water damage also has an adverse affect to the indoor air quality of your home. Damage from water can cause wood rot, insect infestation and mold.

The obvious causes of water damage are leaking roofs, windows, doors, foundation cracks and visible plumbing leaks. These are fairly easy to detect, enabling a quick repair before maximum damage occurs.

The not-so-obvious culprits are moisture behind finished basement walls that are insulated with fiberglass; poor grading around foundation walls and air leaks that occur between the living space and attic.

Insulating finished basement walls with fiberglass is not a good idea.

It doesn't take much water to damage your home. Mostly seems innocent, the power of water is usually underestimated in its potential to do damage. A trap that is not tight, clogged drain, and even a small crack in a water can, over time, cause extensive damage.

Generally, water leaks and malfunctions leave warning signs, you need to be aware of in order to treat water damage in the most efficient way, prevention. the following is a list of the common water signs that can help you identify water damage and fix it before it becomes a disaster.