Figuring Out the Age of a Water Spot - Water Damage Repair

When you have clogged toilets, sinks or bathtubs that flood, it's obvious that water damage restorations will be needed. Unfortunately, your home can come under water damage in ways that aren't as visible. Since you have pipes running all over your home, you can have a leaky pipe or a buildup of condensation between your ceilings and walls. It's an alarming circumstance since this isn't visible- you won't know until you there's water damage, and then it's difficult to identify how long the problem has lingered.

You can figure out how new or old your water problems are by evaluating the water damage itself since the pipes aren't in sight. Unfortunately, it's difficult to figure out a precise timeline, but we have some tips on how to evaluate the damage so you can come up with an estimated time on how long you've had water in the damaged space.

Determine the Time Frame of Your Water Damage

By following the step-by-step process listed below, you can figure out the age of the damage induced by water:

• History of the House: An older home might already have some previous water damage, so it's critical to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage changes over a period of time. Tracking the weather is a good idea as well, since, if you have a modest leak, it can take awhile for a spot to appear. Keeping track of your water damages can save you lots of time when determining whether your water damage is new or old.
• History of the House: If your home has any water spots, it's fundamental to take note of them when finding out whether your water damage is new or old. Furthermore, you'll want to be conscious of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like heavy rain. Know your house, since modest leaks can take some time to appear, and if you know what's old and what's new, you'll be able to identify your problem faster.
• Touch the Spot: You'll can figure out whether the damage generated by water is old or new just by touching it. An old spot is going to be spongy since the material has absorbed a good amount of water. A new spot is going to be wet, but the material will feel solid.
• Look for Rings: If you see just one dark spot with zero rings around it, this indicates that the water damage is new. Old water damage will have rings around it, and like trees, the more rings indicates the age. Different shades and colors of rings exhibits that the area has been drenched, dried, drenched, dried, etc.
• Examine the Materials: Materials such as tiles and thick paint can actually trap water, so when you have a spot caused by water leaking through one of these, this can indicate there's been a buildup of water for awhile. Knowing the materials around your property can help you focus on your water damage issues more efficiently.
• Mold Inspection: Bacteria growth usually means that the damage generated by water has lingered for about two to three days.
• Decay: Rotting material indicates that the damage generated by water is either a repeat offender or that it's serious because there's standing water. A first instance of water damage usually doesn't lead to rot.

Get Help from a Skillful Water Damage Repair Specialist

For all your water damage repair emergencies, contact Paul Davis. When there's a pipe dripping that you can't detect, it's essential to contact a professional. 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 near your area, give us a call at (403)342-4666 and we'll get an expert to come help you out.