Winter is over—which means that spring flooding could be on the way in cottage country. But rising water levels in lakes and rivers isn’t the only potential source of cottage water damage, indoor dampness, and mould. Here are four other culprits.
1) A not-so-obvious plumbing leak. Every cottager knows that in the winter, frozen plumbing can lead to burst pipes, and therefore, water damage. But keep in mind that pipes freezing and thawing can also cause tiny leaks that aren’t immediately detectable. Think you might have one? Look for damp spots, mould growth, or water stains; all of these signs could indicate a small pipe leak (or a leak in a hidden pipe). A musty smell—say, under a cabinet—is also a sign of slow-leaking plumbing.
How to fix a leaky pipe at the cottage
2) A roof leak—despite the fact that your roof doesn’t actually leak when it rains. You can go all summer and fall with no roof leaks, no matter how many downpours the cottage receives. But winter ice damming at the eaves of a roof can cause meltwater to pool instead of draining away. Eventually, this water can work its way in through tiny openings around roof shingles, or at the seals of a skylight, for example.
3) High indoor humidity. Without enough ventilation—either passive, through openings in the cottage, or active, through fans ducted to the outside—moisture can build up in your cottage over the winter as the structure heats up and cools down. One sign of this kind of moisture buildup is damaged wood windowsills. (This is because condensation has formed on the inside of the windows, then trickled down and pooled on the wood.) Mould in the bathroom or kitchen is also a sign of high interior humidity.
How to reduce indoor humidity (and prevent mould)
4) It’s probably not a shock that spring snowmelt can lead to flooded basements or crawl spaces. But even mild temperatures through the winter can cause dampness to get into your basement, through cracks in the foundation, or around window wells, for example. This is especially likely if snow has piled up against the side of the cottage, and if the ground surrounding the building slopes towards it, not away from it.
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