Ways to Figure Out if Your Water Damage is New or Old

When you have backed-up bathtubs, toilets or sinks that flood, you know that you're in need of water damage repair. Though, your property can experience water damage in ways that aren't as straightforward. Since you have plumbing running throughout your house, you can have a leaky pipe or a buildup of condensation between your walls or ceilings. It's an alarming situation since this isn't in view- you won't know until you there's water damage, and then it's hard to diagnose how long the problem has lingered.

However, when you recognize damage to your walls or water spots on your ceiling, these are the sure signs of a leaky pipe or condensation generating the problem. Since the area is hidden, though, it's challenging to ascertain how long the issue has lasted. Although there isn't an approach to know exactly how long your water damage problem has lingered, there are some ways to diagnose whether the water damage is old or new.

Discover the Lifetime of the Damage Caused by Water

By following the steps listed below, you'll be able to indicate how new or old your water damage:

• History of the House: An older property could already have some previous damage provoked from water, so it's essential to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage alters over a period of time. Tracking the weather is a good idea too, because if you have a modest leak, it can take months for a spot to appear. Keeping track of your water spots and damages can save you a lot of hassle when diagnosing whether your water damage is old or new.
• History of the House: Take note of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any strong weather you had in your area like a heavy rain storm. Water spots can take awhile to come up if the leak is modest. If you occupy an older home, the spots caused by water damage could have been there for some time. So it's critical to take note of the spots you perceive while indicating whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
• Touch the Spot: When the water spot is old, it will be spongy and squishy since during the period of the leaking water, your ceiling or drywall has taken in a good amount of water. A new spot will feel wet but the area won't be soft to the touch.
• Look for Rings: Outlining rings around your water damage spot presents age. Consider it like a tree- the more rings, the longer the water damage has been around. Different shadings of the spot is also helpful since it indicates that the area gets soaked, dries, gets saturated, dries, etc. If it's a new water spot, the area will be a single blemish with no rings.
• Examine the Materials: It's critical to be aware of the materials that comprise your walls or ceilings, since things like tiles or thick paint can actually trap moisture. When this is the case, even a small water spot can indicate the accumulation of water has been remaining for a period of time.
• Mold Inspection: If bacteria has had time to colonize, this implies your water damage has been there for approximately two to three days.
• Decay: Your material won't decompose by the first occurrence of water damage. And when there has been deterioration, this indicates your material has been vulnerable to constant standing water or flooding.

Water Damage Repair Technicians - Contact Paul Today

If you're having water damage complications, look to Paul Davis. It's important to remedy any leaks in your home prior to the damage becoming more serious. Our water damage repair experts can locate dripping pipes and repair your home back to normal conditions no matter how big or small the job is. Get in touch with us now at (403)342-4666 and franchise near your area will be there to help out.