Approaches to Tell if Your Water Damage is New or Old

A common problem that a lot of homes deal with is some form of water damage. As water damage repair experts, Paul Davis understands the complications that water damage produces, especially when it can't be seen. Your house has plumbing everywhere, including the inside of your walls and ceilings. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can gradually erode your walls and ceilings. One of the more hard parts to this is detecting whether the water damage is new or old.

Yet, when you notice damage to your walls or water spots on your ceiling, these are the sure signs of a leaky pipe or condensation generating the problem. Because the space is concealed, though, it's hard to ascertain how long the issue has been at hand. Even though there isn't an approach to know exactly how long your water damage problem has persisted, there are some ways to indicate whether the water damage is new or old.

Tips On Water Damage - Evaluate its Age

Listed below are a few steps you can take in order to determine the age of your water damage:

  • History of the House: Keep a record of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences such as a downpour. Water spots can take awhile to come up if the leak is small. An older house may already have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's important to take note of the spots you notice while indicating whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences such as a downpour. Water spots can take awhile to come up if the leak is small. An older house may already have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's important to take note of the spots you notice while indicating whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is old, it will be spongy and soft since during the period of the water leak, your ceiling or drywall has absorbed a good amount of water. A newer spot will feel wet but it won't be soft to the touch.
  • Look for Rings: Outlining rings around your water damage spot indicates age. Consider it as if it was a tree- the more rings, the longer the damage produced by water has been lingering. Different shadings of the blemish is also helpful since it reveals that the area leaks, dries, gets saturated, dries, so on and so forth. If it's a new water spot, the area will be a single stain with zero rings.
  • Examine the Materials: It's vital to be cognizant of the materials that comprise your walls or ceilings, since things such as tiles or thick paint can actually trap moisture. If this is the case, even a water spot that's small can mean the accumulation of water has been lingering for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria is there, your water damage has been present for about two to three days.
  • Decay: If your materials rot from damage created by water, this is normally the issue of regular flooding or standing water. Decomposition normally won't occur from the first situation of a leak.

Call Paul - Your Skillful Water Damage Repair Specialists

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