After a series of wet and windy storms our family woke up to a massive leak in our roof. Lucky for us it was over the master bath shower and it was covered under warranty. However, it was a great reminder that water damage is an expensive mess.

Here are a few ways AAA recommends preventing water damage in the four walls of your home.

• Look around. Do you see any warped wood or moisture spots around the fridge, dishwasher, sinks, toilets, etc.? If so, that can be a sign of a leak. Also check your hoses and replace any that seem worn. A $10 replacement hose can save thousands in repair and replacement costs.

• Check the bill. Is your water bill higher than normal? If so, it could be an indication that you’ve got a leak somewhere.

• Feel the heat. If you have warm spots on your floor it could be a red flag you have a hot water leak under your slab. Get that checked out as soon as possible because it could be a silent soaker that can cause lots of costly damage.

• Test Annually. Buy a gauge from the hardware store and test your water pressure. Normal water pressure should be between 45-65 psi, according to AAA. Excess pressure cause stress on your plumbing system. I recommend adding this to a semi-annual house inspection list. (See previous blog entry — http://3girlsandapug.com/category/tidy-up-tuesdays/page/2/)

• Go to the root of the problem. Check your main sewer line to make sure tree roots or other obstructions aren’t clogging your system. One of my friend’s young sons threw giant rocks into their main sewer line and it cost them a pretty penny to fix the problem.

• Take a break. When you hit the road for a vacation you may want to consider shutting off the water to your home. We came home from vacation once to find that our hot water heater exploded and sprayed water all over the entire contents of our garage. We were thankful our neighbor noticed and called the fire department.

Question: Have you sprung a leak in your home recently?