Water Damage - How New is it? - Find Out by Taking These Steps

When you have backed-up bathtubs, toilets or sinks that overflow, you know that water damage restorations will be necessary. Still, your residence can experience water damage in ways that aren't as clear. Since you have pipes running through your residence, you can have a leaky pipe or a buildup of condensation between your walls or ceilings. It's an inconvenient circumstance since this isn't visible- you won't know until you have water damage, and then it's difficult to diagnose how long the problem has lingered.

Nevertheless, when you recognize water spots on your ceiling or damage to your walls, these are the sure signs of a pipe that's leaking or condensation causing a problem. Since the area is concealed, though, it's hard to determine how long the issue has been at hand. Even though there isn't an approach to find out exactly how long your water damage problem has lingered, there are some ways to indicate whether the water damage is old or new.

Tips On Water Damage - Determine its Age

Below are some tips you can follow in order to find out the time frame of your water damage:

  • History of the House: If your residence has any water spots, it's critical to take note of them when finding out whether damage provoked from water is old or new. Furthermore, you'll want to be cognizant of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like heavy rain. Know your home, since pipes with a slow drip can take some time to appear, and if you understand what's new and what's old, you'll be able to identify your issue faster.
  • History of the House: Keep track of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences such as a heavy rain storm. Damages and spots caused by water can take some time to present themselves if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older house, the water damage spots may have been there for awhile. So it's critical to take note of the spots you observe while determining whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: Go on and touch the spot- this will inform you a lot about the age of the water damage. A new spot will be wet but your ceiling or drywall will still be the same, while an old spot will be mushy and squishy since your material would have absorbed a good amount of moisture.
  • Look for Rings: If you see one dark spot with no rings around it, this indicates that the water damage is new. Old water damage usually has rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings shows the age. Different colored and shades of rings exhibits that the area has been saturated, dried, saturated, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: It's critical to be cognizant of the materials that make up your ceiling or walls, since things such as tiles or thick paint can actually trap the water. If this is the situation, even a water spot that's small can indicate the accumulation of water has been lingering for a while.
  • Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria is present, your water damage has been there for about two to three days.
  • Rot: Your material won't rot by the first occurrence of damage generated by water. And if there has been rot, this indicates your material has been vulnerable to constant flooding or standing water.

Water Damage Repair Technicians - Reach Out to Paul Davis

No matter the size of your water damage, Paul Davis is here to assist. Our team of expert water damage repair technicians can fix the issue and have your residence in a good state. Fix the problem now before it gets even worse and contact us at (819)774-0403 to find a local franchise near your area.