A Guidance to Find Out the Age of Water Damage

When you have backed-up sinks, bathtubs or toilets that flood, it's obvious that you're in need of water damage restoration. Though, your residence can sustain water damage in ways that aren't as obvious. Since you have plumbing running all over your property, you can have a pipe leaking or a buildup of condensation between your ceilings and walls. It's an alarming problem because this isn't in sight- you won't notice it until you there's water damage, and then it's hard to define how long the problem has lingered.

You can establish how new or old your water complications are by evaluating the water damage itself since the pipes are hidden. Unfortunately, it's hard to find out a precise timeline, but we have some guidance on how to examine the damage so you can come up with an estimated time on how long you've had water in the area.

Figure Out the Time Frame of Your Water Damage

The following step-by-step process can help you judge whether your water damage is new or old:

• History of the House: Keep track of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences such as heavy rain. Water spots and damages can take some time to surface if the leak is modest. An older home could have some water spots and damages that were sustained previously. So it's essential to keep track of the spots you see while indicating whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
• History of the House: If your property has any water spots, it's essential to keep track of them when finding out whether your water damage is new or old. Additionally, you'll want to be aware of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as heavy rain. Know your home, because pipes with a slow drip can take some time to appear, and if you understand what's old and what's new, you'll be able to pinpoint your problem quicker.
• Touch the Spot: Go ahead and feel the spot, because this can disclose 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 absorbed a good amount of water.
• Look for Rings: You know how rings on a tree indicate the age of the tree? The same method can be used towards water spots. An older water spot is going to have rings around it. They can also be discolored because the spot gets soaked then dries and gets soaked again then dries again, etcetera. A newer spot will be darker with zero rings around it.
• Examine the Materials: Materials such as thick paint and tiles can trap water, so if you have a spot created by water seeping through one of these, this can mean there's been water lingering for a period of time. Being aware of the materials can help you focus on your water damage issues more effectively.
• Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria, or mold, is there, your water damage has lingered for about two to three days.
• Rot: Decomposed material means that your water damage is either happening on a regular basis or that it's serious because there's standing water. A first instance of water damage usually doesn't cause decay.

Water Damage Restoration Specialists - Get in Touch with Paul Davis Today

No matter the measure of your water damage, Paul Davis is here to help. Our team of skillful water damage restoration technicians can resolve the problem and have your property in a good state. Remedy the problem now before it gets in a worse condition and call us at (403)342-4666 for a local franchise near your area.