Old-New Water Spots - Tips by Water Damage Restoration Experts

One of the more persistent problems a home can experience is water damage. As water damage restoration professionals, Paul Davis is aware of the complications that water damage generates, especially when it isn't in sight. Your home has pipes running throughout it, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. If these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can slowly wear out your walls and ceilings. One of the more hard aspects to this is finding out whether the water damage is old or new.

For these areas that aren't visible, it's hard to establish how old the water damage is. Nevertheless, you could have a pipe that's been slightly leaking for a period of time but because it's been hidden, you don't know how long. There's no way to determine the precise time of the problem, but there are methods to approximate the age of the water damage.

Discover How Old or New Your Water Damage is with This Guidance

Listed below are a few steps you can take in order to find out the time frame of your water damage:

  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences like heavy rain. Damages and spots caused by water can take months to pop up if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older house, the water damage spots could have been there for awhile. So it's fundamental to take note of the spots you perceive while finding out whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences like heavy rain. Damages and spots caused by water can take months to pop up if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older house, the water damage spots could have been there for awhile. So it's fundamental to take note of the spots you perceive while finding out whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: Go ahead and touch the spot, because this will tell you a lot about the age of the water damage. A newer spot will feel wet but your drywall or ceiling will still feel durable, while an older spot will be mushy and spongy because your material would have taken in a fair amount of water.
  • Look for Rings: Remember how rings on a tree presents how old a tree is? The same method can be used towards water spots. An older water spot will have rings around it. They will also be discolored since the spot gets saturated then dries and gets saturated again then dries again, etc. A newer spot will be darker with zero rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: It's essential to know about the materials that make up your walls or ceilings, since things like thick paint or tiles can trap the water. When this is the case, even a water spot that's small can indicate the accumulation of water has been lingering for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria, or mold, is present, your water damage has been there for about two to three days.
  • Rot: Deteriorated material indicates that your water damage is either a repeat offender or that it's extensive because there's standing water. A first instance of water damage typically doesn't cause deterioration.

Dispose of Damage Caused by Water & Call Paul

For any water damage restoration emergencies, contact Paul Davis. If there's a leak that you can't find, it's critical to call an expert. The expert team at Paul Davis has the industry knowledge and response time required to get your home back in order. For a local franchise in your location, give us a call at (403)342-4666 and we'll get an expert for your assistance.