Water Damage is one of the primary reasons for filing a home insurance claim. As a matter of fact, it represents almost 25% of all home-insurance claims filed, according to IBHS or the Institute for Business and Home Safety. With this in mind, it is pertinent to prevent water damage to avoid joining the statistics of homeowners filing claims for water-damaged properties. Keep in mind that even with insurance coverage, dealing with water damage can be time and effort consuming.

To stop water damage before it can even begin wreaking havoc, we should be aware of its causes and perform necessary actions. The causes are sub-divided into two categories - the visible causes and the invisible or hidden causes. In this article, we will tackle the latter.

Hidden Causes
There are many hidden causes that are very difficult to spot. To locate these, you should check the following:
* Leaky pipes. It is one of the most common hidden causes for water damage. The usual places for leaky pipes are bath-tubs, sinks, hot-tubs, toilets and faucets.
* Water-intensive appliances like dishwasher, washing machine and refrigerators. They can have faulty hoses or pipes that can contribute to water damage.
* Finished basement walls with fiber glass insulation. Fiber glass absorbs all the moisture making it a difficult place to spot. A solution is to use rigid insulation.
* Holes in the attic, chimneys and fireplaces. When these holes are open to the roof and recessed lights that are not tightly fixed, this will result in ice dams and subsequent water damage to the house. Improper insulation can cause heat from inside the house to escape to the roof during winter.
* Low-quality air-conditioning systems. Especially during summer, these can cause water damage to the walls.
* Clogs in drainage pipes. These will obstruct the flow of water resulting in water accumulation.
* Unbalanced duct system. These will suck humidity from outside and this can produce water between the walls.
* Sump-pumps and rain-water gutters. These will help to keep rain-water away from the house during rainy-season. If they do not function properly, then it can result in water damage.
* Materials used in foundation walls. Poor materials will retain the moisture causing damage.
* Equipment used to remove humidity. Over-sized equipment may not remove enough humidity and this may result in increased levels of moisture.
* Faulty exhaust fans. These can contribute to increased dampness.
* Water heaters. Old ones can rust and burst unexpectedly. This can flood the bathroom and the adjacent rooms.

Consequences
There are many unpleasant consequences of water damage including decreased quality of indoor air, insect breeding, formation of molds, rotting of wood and increased humidity inside the house.
In order to prevent water damage, all the above-mentioned hidden spots must be checked. As soon as the problem is identified, steps must be taken to correct it. There are many experts available today who have the right kind of knowledge and equipment to detect and rectify water damage problems. Their help can be sought as and when needed.