Methods to Indicate if Your Water Damage is New or Old

When you have backed-up sinks, bathtubs or toilets that flood, you know that water damage restorations will be needed. Unfortunately, your residence can sustain water damage in ways that aren't as obvious. Since you have pipes running through your home, you can have a pipe leaking or a buildup of condensation between your walls or ceilings. It's a difficult situation since this isn't visible- you won't recognize it until you there's water damage, and then it's difficult to define how long the issue has lingered.

Since the pipes aren't visible, you can get an estimate of how long you've had water problems by analyzing the water damage itself. Unfortunately, it's difficult to figure out a precise timeline, but we have some advice on how to analyze the damage so you can come up with an estimated time on how long you've had water in the damaged space.

Determine the Age of Your Water Damage

Listed below are some tips you can follow to evaluate the age of your water damage:

• History of the House: If your home has any water spots, it's essential to keep a record of them when finding out whether damage provoked from water is new or old. Also, you'll want to be conscious of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like a rain storm. Know your property, because modest leaks can take some time to appear, and if you know what's new and what's old, you'll be able to pinpoint your problem quicker.
• History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences such as a heavy rain storm. Water spots can take some time to appear if the leak is small. Older properties might have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's essential to keep a record of the spots you see while indicating whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
• Touch the Spot: You can feel the spot- this will disclose a lot about the age of the damage produced by water. A new spot will be wet but your drywall or ceiling will still be durable, while an old spot will be mushy and soft since your material would have taken in a fair amount of water.
• Look for Rings: Outlining rings around the damaged spot generated by water presents its age. Consider it like a tree- the more rings, the longer the damage produced by water has been lingering. Discoloration of the stain is useful because it reveals that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, etc. If it's a brand new water spot, the area will be a single stain with zero rings around it.
• Examine the Materials: It's crucial to know about the materials that make up your ceiling or walls, because things such as thick paint or tiles can trap the water. If this is the circumstance, even a water spot that's small can indicate the buildup of water has been remaining for a while.
• Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria, or mold, is there, the damage produced by water has been present for approximately two to three days.
• Rot: If your materials deteriorate from damage produced by water, this is normally the consequence of consistent flooding or standing water. Decomposition normally doesn't occur from the first case of a leak.

Eliminate Damage Caused by Water & Call Paul

When you're having water damage problems, look to Paul Davis. It's important to remedy any dripping pipes on your property before the damage becomes extensive. Our water damage repair experts can locate dripping pipes and fix your property back to normal no matter how big or small the job is. Contact us today at (403)342-4666 and a local franchise is there to help out.