11 Easy Ways to Protect Your Home From Water Damage
Most leaks are actually preventable.
Nobody wants to come home to find water pouring through their ceiling or pooling on the floor. The water damage in California this week from Tropical Storm Hilary has us thinking about prevention. (We were sobbing right there with her when we saw the bubbling ceiling and gushing water in Vanderpump Rules alum Stassi Schroeder Clark's nursery.) It's important to be prepared for water damage if you live in a flood zone or storm-prone area, but most water damage actually isn't related to weather emergencies. More often than not, water damage comes from within your home itself.
"Non-weather-related water losses are the number-one source of property damage for homeowners, with plumbing supply systems being one of the top causes," says Jennifer Naughton, executive vice president and risk consulting officer at Chubb Personal Risk Services. "This includes plumbing failures such as supply lines, joints/valves, and pipe bursts as well as appliance failures like ice makers, dishwashers, and water heaters."
That may sound like a long list of things that can go wrong, but are you hearing the good news here? With smart maintenance, you can prevent most of the leaks that lead to catastrophic water damage in your house or apartment. We asked Naughton and Mallory Micetich, home expert at Angi, to weigh in on the best water damage preventative measures you can take to help avoid costly repairs. Many of them are simple and affordable to do.

Stefanie Waldek is a Brooklyn-based writer covering architecture, design, and travel. She's worked on staff at Architectural Digest, ARTnews, and Oyster.com, a TripAdvisor company, and has contributed to Condé Nast Traveler, The Washington Post, Design Milk, and Hunker, among others. When she's not dreaming about midcentury chairs, you can find her re-watching The X-Files, likely in an airport lounge or on a plane.

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