Water damage to buildings can be caused by a range of different mechanisms including but not limited to:

• Ingress of water during a storm event due to rising water, blocked roof drains or failed window seals;
• Failure of joints in HVACs (Heating, ventilating and air conditioning units) pipework;
• Bursting or leaking pipes generally;
• Condensation;
• Sprinkler head activation due to inadvertent contact or malicious tampering;
• Back flow or overflows caused by blockages in the plumbing system;
• Human error such as leaving taps running;
• Build up in areas prone to collecting water, such as basements, underground car parks and
  sumps; and
• Faulty or malfunctioning appliances.

The most common form of water damage relates to water ingress arising as a result of storms or flooding, followed by plumbing system and condensation issues or human error, then HVAC failures and finally fire suppression system failures.

After the Flood Checklist