Your home should be your refuge. It’s the place where you should feel safe and secure, where you can relax at the end of a long day. It’s where you and your family or friends should make memories to last a lifetime.

While your home may be those things most of the time, it can also be a source of stress and significantly impact your finances. On average, every home requires approximately $3,100 in maintenance annually. Unfortunately, when home disasters strike, this number can skyrocket. Read on to learn about the most common home disasters and what you can do to prevent them from occurring in your home.

Plumbing Leaks

Indoor plumbing was first introduced in the 1840s, but many homes still lacked hot water a century later. Today, plumbing is standard in every modern home. People no longer boil water for baths or head outside to an outhouse, but this modern convenience can turn into an inconvenience when you have plumbing leaks.

Corrosion, loose connectors, broken seals, high water pressure, and rapid temperature changes can all cause your pipes to leak. When pipes leak, moisture builds up inside your home. The water can rot through cabinets, floors, and ceilings. Moisture build-up also leads to mold growth and dangerous water damage.

Leaking pipes cost money before you even call a plumber because they can increase the amount of water you’re consuming. A high water bill can be one of the first signs of a leak. Other signs include a musty, mildew-y odor, suggesting the presence of mold. Google “leak detection in Chicago” to find plumbing experts who can track down the source of the water leak, even if it’s behind walls or in your ceiling. Look for a plumbing company that offers service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure you won’t be kept waiting for a plumber to address a water leak in your home.

The best way you can prevent leaks is by maintaining safe water pressure levels and ensuring your water temperature doesn’t spike or drop suddenly.

Poor Air Quality

Your home’s ventilation refers to its ability to draw in the fresh air. Adequate air exchange enables your home to release moisture and remove pollutants in the air.

Inadequate ventilation will have a significant impact on you if you’re a pot smoker or live with someone who smokes weed. The smoke odor can build up in your clothes, walls, and furnishings. Google “how to get smoke smell out of clothes” for strategies to remove the smell of smoke from your clothes. Common strategies include adding a cup of white vinegar or baking soda to your wash when cleaning your clothes or washing clothes with extra hot water.

You can prevent smoky clothes by wearing clothes made from natural materials, such as cotton, silk, and leather. Avoid synthetic materials, which retain the smoke odor. You can also keep the smoke odor from building up in your clothes and furnishings by using a sploof that captures the smoke smell and toxins, preventing them from circulating throughout your home. You can also improve your home’s ventilation by running fans near windows. Alternatively, use a smoke smell neutralizer, as these devices will keep the odor at bay in the first place.

Fires

Kitchen fires and electrical fires can cause extensive damage to your home. Even if you contain a kitchen fire promptly, you may still have smoke damage to address. Smoke can affect paint colors and damage walls, furniture, clothes, curtains, and other possessions.

Common causes of electrical fires include overloading your electrical circuits and damaged wires. If you notice you’re tripping breakers regularly, call an electrician and have them check your system. You may need to add more circuits or upgrade your electrical system to meet your needs.

Signs of damaged wires include flickering lights and electrical outlets that aren’t working. This could indicate that someone’s cut through wires or that rodents have chewed through wires. Call pest removal specialists to check for signs of rodents and remove rodents from your home. You’ll want to seal the access point the rodents used to get inside and have an electrician repair the damaged wires immediately. You can prevent fires by upgrading your electrical system before your demand exceeds its capacity and ensuring your home is rodent-free.

Common home disasters include plumbing leaks, poor air quality, and fires. Maintaining stable temperatures and safe water pressure levels can help prevent water leaks. You can avoid ventilation issues by running fans near open windows to prevent a smoke smell from affecting your property. Upgrading your electrical system and sealing access points rodents could use to enter your home can help you prevent fires.