Old-New Water Damage - Tips by Water Damage Repair Experts

When you have backed-up toilets, sinks or bathtubs that flood, you know that you're in need of water damage repair. Nonetheless, your residence can sustain water damage in ways that aren't as visible. Since you have plumbing running all over your house, you can have a pipe leaking or a buildup of condensation between your walls or ceilings. It's an alarming situation because this isn't visible- you won't recognize it until you there's water damage, and then it's difficult to diagnose how long the problem has lingered.

It's difficult to establish how old or new the water damage is for these areas that aren't visible. After all, you could have a pipe that's been slightly leaking for a period of time but because it's not in plain sight, you don't have a timeline. There's no sure way to determine the precise time of the problem, but there are approaches to approximate the age of the water damage.

Find Out the Time Frame of the Damage Produced by Water

By taking the step-by-step process listed below, you can discover how new or old the damage produced by water:

  • History of the House: An old residence might already have some previous water damage, so it's important to keep a record of what's there and to note if the damage changes over a period of time. Keeping track of the weather is a great idea as well, because if you have a a slow leak, it can take some time for a spot to appear. Taking note of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when figuring out whether your water damage is old or new.
  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any strong weather you had in your area like a heavy rain storm. Water spots and damages can take some time to emerge if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older house, the water damage spots might have been there for some time. So it's fundamental to take note of the spots you perceive while figuring out whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: Go ahead and touch the spot- this can disclose a lot about the age of the water damage. A newer spot will feel wet but your ceiling or drywall will still feel strong, while an older spot will be spongy and squishy because your material would have absorbed a good amount of moisture.
  • Look for Rings: Outlining rings around your water damage spot shows its age. Consider it as if it was a tree- the more rings it has, the older the water damage is. Discoloration of the blemish is also helpful since it indicates that the area leaks, dries, gets saturated, dries, so on and so forth. If it's a brand new water spot, the area will be a single blemish with no rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: It's fundamental to know about the materials that make up your ceiling or walls, since things like thick paint or tiles can trap moisture. When this is the circumstance, even a water spot that's small can indicate the buildup of water has been lingering for a while.
  • Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria, or mold, is present, the damage caused by water has been there for nearly two to three days.
  • Deterioration: Your material won't deteriorate from the first occurrence of water damage. And when there has been decomposition, this means your material has been susceptible to persistent flooding or standing water.

Reach out to Paul Davis - Your Skillful Water Damage Repair Specialists

For all your water damage repair needs, call Paul Davis. When there's a leak that you can't detect, it's important to contact a professional. The professional team at Paul Davis has the know-how and response time required to maintain your house. To find a local franchise near your area, call us at (403)342-4666 and we'll get an expert for your assistance.