How to Avoid Flooded Basements from Window Water Leaks

Rain in the Midwest, and Omaha especially, can get pretty intense when spring rolls in. If you notice a sudden storm coming on, you race to close all the windows in the house and make sure no rain gets in to cause damage to your property. But what if our water damage restoration team at Restoration Now! Omaha told you that even after all that work, you might end up with a flooded basement anyway? It’s true, and we’ve seen it a lot—windows with inadequate insulation can let seemingly small leaks go unnoticed for a long time, leading to all kinds of water damage issues.

Help! Why Did My Windows Leak?

We at Restoration Now! Omaha want you to be aware of the fact that water damage issues do arise frequently from windows without enough insulation, so if you do find that that this is the case with your windows, we’ll give you some information about what you can do to get your windows insulated and avoid water damage to your property. If you find that you have a window leak that you hadn’t noticed for a while and now have a big mess on your hands, you can give Restoration Now! Omaha a call day or night at (402) 502-7277 for fast and effective water damage restoration service!

How to Tell If Your Windows are Leaking

Identifying a leaky window is pretty easy, even when the conditions are dry and you don’t see any immediate evidence of leakage. Simply look at the window and determine if there are any signs of rot, mold, or staining on the frame or even on the inside wall or floor by the window. These can be indications of ongoing water damage problems, and a professional water damage restoration team in Omaha will know exactly what to do to correct the problem.

Measures to Prevent Omaha Water Damage

In the old days, a lot less thought went into installing a window. You simply cut a hole, put the window frame and panes in, and called it art. This led to windows that let in all sorts of bad things: wind, bugs, and even worse, water. Not exactly the greatest protection from the elements. Now though, window installation is much more sophisticated, and much like roof-building, there are specific steps taken by professionals to ensure that rainwater and other unwanted things can’t slip through the cracks and cause damage.

Sill-Flashing – Helps Slope Away Water

This sounds like it could get you into some trouble with the law, but trust us, it’s not that kind of flashing. Sill-flashing is simply a piece of plastic or metal that’s installed underneath the window and slopes away from the window opening. This flashing prevents any water that finds its way underneath the siding from collecting in the space beneath the window. It’s imperative to use sill-flashing when installing a window to channel excess water away from the window.

Sealant – Liquid or Tape Can Help Restoration Now! Water

There are a couple different things the term “sealant” covers. First, there’s the liquid kind that comes in a tube. This waterproof caulk is applied to any areas around the window where a crack may let moisture in. Second, there’s a sealant tape (also called flashing tape), applied around the window surfaces in a specific series of folds that prevents water from collecting in crevices. These two layers of protection do a great job of channeling excess water away from your windows so it doesn’t stagnate in the window frame, causing water damage to both the window and the wall around it.

Contact Restoration Now! Omaha Today at (402) 502-7277!

The measures of protection against water damage you need to take on your home’s windows depend on a number of factors, including how much exposure to rain and wind your windows have (which in Omaha is usually quite a bit). For drier conditions, you’ll likely get by just fine with a weatherproof caulk, but for windows that need to stand up to a lot of rain and wind, you’ll need to use flashing as well.

If you take a look at your windows and see signs of water damage (remember, these can include wood rot, mold, and staining of any areas around the window), call Restoration Now! Omaha today at (402) 502-7277. Our water damage restoration experts are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve you. We’ll correct the problem quickly and efficiently, and prevent a water damage problem from turning into a flooded basement!

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