If your family is like many others in America, you use 400 gallons of water every day. The vast majority of that consumption takes place indoors, with the bathroom being where water flows most freely.

When everything works as it should, your home can be one sweet home indeed. But when faucets drip, drains clog or burst, fixtures leak or condensation builds up on windows, you could incur hundreds and even thousands of dollars in water damage. And that can turn a sweet sensation into a bitter pill to swallow.

Depending on the terms of your home insurance policy, some water damage might be covered. But if the company can show that you failed to take proper precautions, it could deny your claim. To spare yourself the trauma of water damage and costly repairs to your home, let the Chico plumbers at Experts In Your Home help you safeguard your bathrooms by zeroing in on potential problem spots.

Toilets

• Check for water line leaks and repair them immediately.
• Look for water stains on the floor; they could mean the toilet rim and tank should be sealed.
• Push down on the floor around the toilet. If it's soft, it could indicate structural damage that Experts In Your Home plumbers and carpenters should thoroughly inspect and repair.

Showers and Bathtubs

• Inspect the caulk and replace portions that are cracked or loose.
• Look for cracked tiles and missing grout, both of which could cause water damage, and replace with care.
• Check that a puddle of water doesn't remain in the bathtub after it drains. It could signal structural weakness in the floor underneath it – another repair job suited to our plumbers and carpenters.

Other Plumbing

• Listen for drips in the walls, where most plumbing is hidden. Drips often are a sign of a serious problem that a plumber should inspect immediately.
• Run your hand along a discolored wall. If it's moist to the touch, water damage of some sort is already taking place and should be repaired before it gets worse.
• Listen and look for leaks around sinks and toilets. Leaks will intensify if they're ignored.
• Check for water damage in flooring not only in bathrooms but in adjacent rooms. Then “follow your nose.” Often, a mildewy smell can lead you to possible water damage that our plumbers can investigate and repair.

Exhaust Fan

• Test the fan – a vital moisture control tool – to ensure that it works properly. It might need to be replaced or the wiring might need updating by a Chico electrician.
• Check that the fan vents to the outdoors and that the dampers operate and are seated properly.
• Inspect the fan for dust or mildew. Keep it free of these elements.

Windows

• Look for flaking paint. Remove it before repainting and resealing.
• Check the weather-stripping and seals, which help control humidity. Replace them if you notice breaks or imperfections.
• Ensure that locks and closure mechanisms function as they should.

Other Bathroom Tips

• Check the ceiling underneath bathrooms for water stains and moisture. Contact Experts In Your Home if you notice anything suspicious.
• Regularly inspect drain traps and supply lines under sinks for leaks.
• Clear drains – and especially shower drains – of hair and soap buildup on a monthly basis.
• Turn on the exhaust fan while bathing or showering and let it run for 15 minutes after you're finished to clear the bathroom of moisture and humidity.

Keeping your bathroom free of excess moisture, repairing small water leaks before they get bigger and being vigilant about maintenance in general will safeguard your bathrooms from water damage. Experts In Your Home's Chico plumbers will, too, so call us the minute you suspect trouble. Like electrical issues, plumbing problems don't just “go away” on their own. In fact, they can wreak havoc on your home sweet home – opening a virtual floodgate of problems that could have been mitigated all along.

Other Areas of Your Home

Your bathrooms aren't the only place in your home that you should protect from water damage. Look for future Experts In Your Home articles in which we will share tips for your: kitchen; laundry room; utility room (where your HVAC system is located); basement and crawlspace; attic; and outdoors.
This will add up to a small library of practical home advice that we are eager to impart because when we say we're “experts in your home,” we mean it in every way.