Tips and Tricks for Dealing with Rain Leaks

| Maintenance
Tips and Tricks for Dealing with Rain Leaks
Tips and Tricks for Dealing with Rain Leaks

Over the past few months, Los Angeles and Santa Monica residents undoubtedly noticed the increased rainfall. Massive downpours and flooding throughout the state have been the cause of many issues in homes and apartments, requiring residents to be more vigilant than ever. Here are a few tips for identifying and solving issues caused by rain and floods.

1. Use your senses

Water damage can be identified visually, but often there are other indicators including smell, sound, and touch. Water dripping or leaking is an obvious sign of damage to the structure of one’s home, however, there are other less obvious indicators that are worth looking out for. Firstly, smell. Non-visible rain leaks are often accompanied by a mildew smell. If you smell this in your home or apartment, consider looking for the possible cause and understand that you may have a rain leak. Additionally, dripping or gushing sounds are a good indicator of a leak. If you hear any sounds of water dripping or gushing, make sure to try and identify the cause, as it could be a leak. Finally, touch. If you feel dampness where there normally wouldn’t be, you may have a leak. Wet walls, ceilings, or other surfaces in your house, even unaccompanied by any other signs, could indicate a leak. Make sure to take these indicators seriously, as it could be the difference between a minor leak and major water damage.

2. Prevent further damage, and alert someone as soon as possible

If you notice a rain leak in your home it is important to act promptly. Putting a bucket under an active drip or cleaning up residual water are both important steps in preventing long-term damage to your home. Additionally, report any issues to your respective landlord or property management company, should you have one. For Roque & Mark tenants, make sure to call the office or email indicating where the rain leak is and whether or not it is ongoing. We maintain a phone for emergency maintenance 24/7, so if there is ever an issue make sure to call or email. It is also important to recognize that many rain leaks cannot be fixed until after it has stopped raining, so make sure to be patient with handymen who fix existing leaks.

3. Watch the weather and stay informed

The best way to prevent dealing with rain leaks and water damage is to understand the weather and prepare. Especially with increased rainfall in recent months, residents in the Los Angeles and Santa Monica area must stay informed by watching weather reports. If another storm does come through the area you live in, prepare by reporting any existing maintenance to do with holes, patches, and ceiling damage, all of which could be made worse by rain. Additionally, it’s good to keep leak supplies handy in your home, just in case an issue occurs. Buckets and rags are perfect for collecting leaking water and minimizing water damage.

All in all, rain leaks need to be taken seriously. While they may not seem so at first, a leak can very quickly turn into a larger problem, so it is important to be vigilant, report issues, and stay prepared.

Offhand Wine Bar located at The Stanford West building at 3008 Santa Monica Blvd. (developed and managed by Roque & Mark Co.) was recently featured… Read more »

Read More

Spark of Love is on its 30th annual toy drive, hoping to provide toys to underserved children and teens in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange,… Read more »

Read More

Living and working in Santa Monica can be a real treat thanks to the sun, smell of the ocean, and beautiful views. Even though the… Read more »

Read More