Water Damage Restoration - Find Out the Age of Water Damage

One of the more persistent complications a house can experience is water damage. As water damage restoration professionals, Paul Davis recognize the issues that water damage generates, especially when it can't be seen. Your house has plumbing running throughout it, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can gradually erode your ceiling or walls. One of the more difficult parts to this is verifying whether the damage caused by water is new or old.

Yet, when you catch water spots on your ceiling or damage to your walls, these are the sure signs of a pipe that's leaking or condensation generating the issue. Because the space is unseen, though, it's hard to ascertain how long the problem has lasted. While there isn't an approach to know precisely how long your water damage issue has lingered, there are some ways to diagnose whether the water damage is new or old.

Discover the Time Frame of Your Water Damage

By following the steps listed below, you can determine the age of your water damage:

• History of the House: Keep track of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any strong weather you had in your location like heavy rain. Water spots and damages can take months to develop if it's a slight leak. Older properties could already have some water spots and damages that were sustained previously. So it's critical to take note of the spots you see while indicating whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
• History of the House: An old house could already have some previous water damage, so it's important to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage changes overtime. Tracking the weather is a great idea as well, because if you have a small leak, it can take months for a water spot to surface. Taking note of your water spots and damages can save you lots of time when figuring out whether your water damage is new or old.
• Touch the Spot: You can feel the spot, because this will reveal a lot about the age of the water damage. A newer spot will feel wet but your ceiling or drywall will still feel the same, while an older spot will be mushy and squishy because your material would have absorbed a good amount of moisture.
• Look for Rings: If you see just one darker spot with no rings around it, this demonstrates that the water damage is new. Older water damage usually has rings around it, and like trees, the more rings determines the age. Different colored and shades of rings reveals that the area has been saturated, dried, saturated, dried, etc.
• Examine the Materials: It's crucial to know about the materials that comprise your ceiling or walls, since things like tiles or thick paint can trap moisture. If this is the circumstance, even a small water spot can indicate the accumulation of water has been around for a period of time.
• Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria is there, the damage generated by water has been present for about two to three days.
• Decay: Decomposed material indicates that the damage generated by water is either happening consistently or that it's extensive because there's standing water. A first case of water damage usually won't cause decay.

Eradicate Water Damage & Call Paul

When you're having complications with damages that are created by water, Paul Davis' professional team is here to assist you. It's important to remedy any dripping pipes in your home before the damage becomes extensive. Our water damage restoration professionals can detect a leak and repair your house back to normal conditions no matter how big or small the job is. Reach out to Paul today at (403)342-4666 and a local franchise will be there to assist you.