Are Your Gutters Overflowing?

10/16/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of East Central Austin Professionals are available 24 hours/7 days a week and will respond quickly to a restoration emergency.

How Overflowing Gutters in Your Austin, TX Home can Lead to Cavity Water Damage Issues

Gutters play a vital role in collecting rainwater in passages beneath the roof and transporting that water into an open sewer point. In the fall, leaves can get into these gutters, causing blockages, thereby preventing water from reaching the sewer point. During the winter months, high winds can result in debris or fallen branches from further clogging up the gutters. With the additional rainfall expectations throughout the winter, these blockages can become a significant concern for the interior of your home.

Overflowing gutters can result in moisture entering your attic space or into wall cavities causing unseen water damage in your home. With the help of gravity, moisture overflowing into the structure migrates downwards. SERVPRO of East Central Austin recommends that homeowners perform regular checks on both the exterior of their home and the interior walls throughout the colder months. Common symptoms of excessive moisture inside wall-cavities may be peeling of wall-paper, musty odors, or disjointing between baseboards and floor.

Restoring wall cavity damage can be tricky. There needs to be practical measurements and understanding of where moisture is before the, often necessary, removal of drywall or baseboard. SERVPRO technicians can call upon thermal imaging cameras that provide readings of surface temperatures on walls, which can indicate where moisture might reside. Alternatively, our technicians may use borescopes to see inside the cavity and assess the extent of mold or water damages.

It may be necessary for SERVPRO to provide advanced structural drying technicians to your property to restore wall cavities. These technicians are adept at using Injectidry systems that attach hose nozzles into the small holes drilled into the wall. From there, a centrifugal fan can circulate heated air into the cavity to address moisture issues and dry out the pit. In some situations, water damage may be too severe for non-invasive systems, and we must remove sections of the wall to provide drying access to more powerful equipment like air-movers, vent fans, and portable heaters.

If you notice any symptoms of cavity damage in your home, do not hesitate to contact SERVPRO of East Central Austin at (512) 420-9886.