Follow These Steps to Discover the Age of Water Spots

A common complication that a lot of properties confront is some form of damage caused by water. As water damage repair experts, Paul Davis understands the complications that water damage causes, especially when it isn't in sight. Your residence has plumbing running throughout it, this includes the inside of your walls and ceilings. When these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can gradually wear out your ceiling or walls. One of the more frustrating aspects to this is checking whether or not the damage caused by water is old or new.

Because the pipes aren't visible, you can get an estimate of how long you've had water issues by analyzing the water damage itself. Unfortunately, it's hard to find out a precise timeline, but we have some guidance on how to analyze the damage so you can come up with an approximate time on how long you've had water in the damaged space.

Find Out the Lifetime of the Damage Caused by Water

By practicing the tips listed below, you can learn how new or old your water damage:

  • History of the House: An older house 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 overtime. Keeping track of the weather is a good idea too, since, if you have a a slow dripping pipe, it can take awhile for a spot to appear. Keeping track of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when determining whether your water damage is old or new.
  • History of the House: An older house 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 overtime. Keeping track of the weather is a good idea too, since, if you have a a slow dripping pipe, it can take awhile for a spot to appear. Keeping track of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when determining whether your water damage is old or new.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is aged, it will be squishy and spongy because during the time of the water leak, your drywall or ceiling has taken in a good amount of water. A newer spot will feel wet but it won't be soft to the touch.
  • Look for Rings: If you see one darker spot with zero rings around it, this indicates that the damage caused by water is new. Older damage caused by water will have rings around it, and like trees, the more rings shows the age. Different colored and shades of rings reveals that the area has been drenched, dried, drenched, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: It's important to know about the materials that make up your walls or ceilings, because things such as thick paint or tiles can trap the water. If this is the situation, even a water spot that's small can indicate the accumulation of water has been around for a while.
  • Mold Inspection: Bacteria, or mold, development normally indicates the damage caused by water has been present for approximately two to three days.
  • Decomposition: Deteriorated material means that the damage caused by water is either occurring consistently or that it's extensive because there's standing water. A first instance of damage caused by water usually won't lead to decay.

Contact Paul Davis - Your Experienced Water Damage Repair Specialists

For any water damage repair emergencies, get in touch with Paul Davis. When there's a leak that you can't detect, it's vital to call a professional. Paul Davis' professional team has the experience and response time required to maintain your home. For a local franchise in your area, give us a call at (403)342-4666 and we'll get a professional to come help you out.