Protecting Your Home From Water Damage And Restoration Needs

Houstonians are looking for new ways to maximize their time and money. In Texas, a traditional home averages about 1800 square/foot,  but a home built in Houston this decade has an average of 2,316 square feet. Many of our neighbors are choosing tiny homes less than 500 sq/ft. Whether they replace their main home, choose a second home on Lake Conroe or at Crystal Beach, or choose to travel full time with a portable version, all living situations require care for the potential of water damage:

Water Damage Restoration In Houston

Elements

When planning for a tiny house, you need to plan for rain. For example, don’t place a window on the front of the home since it will force its way into every crack. A leaking window can cause a lot of damage in a very short period of time. Plus,  plywood leaks, delaminated and splits apart.  

If you have gutters on your tiny home, make sure to keep them clean.  Dirty gutters can lead to leaks, causing damage to the exterior and the humidity levels to rise.

Rainwater Collection

Some people collect rainwater that falls onto their tiny house by redirecting their guttering into a water container (or by installing a purpose built rainwater catchment system outside, since a tiny house’s floor space is not big enough to collect loads of rainwater). This can be a good way of getting water for washing and bathing. 

Two problems with rainwater collections: 1) opportunities for leaks and b) can be illegal in some localities. 

Internal Plumbing

However, you also have additional dangers from the running water you use every day. Many tiny homes are built on a trailer frame and are designed to be portable, so water pipes and drainage options are usually less sturdy. 

If your tiny house is on foundations, you can hook up to the city’s water and permanent sewer lines. In all other cases, off-grid refers to getting away from main cities and towns (which have infrastructure grids for water and electricity), and living in a more remote location. This area will not have a standard water source to tap in to. Often, tanks are stored under some of the kitchen cabinets. Water is then pumped to the faucets and shower whenever required. Since there are various options for bringing water into your property, along with how to properly drain the waste water, be thoughtful about water damage prevention by identifying weak points. 

Man Made Moisture Problems

An improperly vented tiny home presents problems.   Water can buildup on the windows, walls, and ceilings.– leading to  mold and mildew. Electronic devices can eventually be destroyed and they can even become dangerous. 

Take steps to control water that gets in plus water that you give off. For example, try your best to dry your laundry outdoors. Hanging wet clothes indoors will release a lot of moisture into the air. 

Maximize Ventilation

Start with the correct HVAC system. Choose the right size for your home to maximize comfort and protection from water damage. Some tiny homes are large enough to warrant large window units or mini-splits but many are not.  If you have a small tiny home, you may have to go with a small RV AC ceiling unit. 

The more windows you have, the more opportunities you have for venting out the condensation and airing out the home. It can be difficult to place windows in tiny homes as it does reduce the amount of wall storage you can put into the tiny home; many people place their windows higher up on the walls.

A large number of vents helps to keep airflow moving throughout the home: ceiling vents in the bathroom, the kitchen, the living area, and the bedroom. All of the vents do not have to be open at once but at least one of them should always be in use. If you’re in the bathroom, run the bathroom fan.  If you’re cooking, turn on the kitchen fan. Or, better yet, cook outside when possible. 

A standard dehumidifier will work to suck moisture out of the air.  These work very well but they can take up quite a bit of space and give off with substantial heat– especially inconvenient in the summer months.

If You Have Water Damage In Houston…

… call 24/7 Restoration Specialists for quick, courteous, professional water damage restoration. Whether you have the smallest tiny house, or a sprawling mansion, the faster you get a professional team on site, the better your restoration results.