The Age of Water Damage - Help from Water Damage Restoration Experts

When you have clogged bathtubs, toilets or sinks that overflow, you know that you're in need of water damage restoration. Nonetheless, your house can sustain water damage in ways that aren't as noticeable. Since you have plumbing running all over your residence, you can have a leaky pipe 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 hard to diagnose how long the problem has persisted.

Because the pipes can't be seen, you can get an estimate of how long you've had water problems by analyzing the water damage itself. Unfortunately, it's hard to find out an exact timeline, but we have some guidance on how to analyze the damage so you can come up with an estimated time on how long you've had water in the area.

Discover How Old or New the Damage Generated by Water is with These Tips

By taking the steps listed below, you can learn the age of the damage caused by water:

  • History of the House: Keep a record of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences like a heavy rain storm. Water spots can take months to pop up if it's a slight leak. Older properties may have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's essential to take note of the spots you perceive while finding out whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: If your residence has any water spots, it's essential to take note of them when finding out whether damage generated from water is old or new. In addition, you'll want to be apprehensive of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like heavy rain. Know your house, since pipes with a slow drip can take months to surface, and if you understand what's new and what's old, you'll be able to pinpoint your problem quicker.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is old, it will be squishy and spongy since during the time of the water leak, your ceiling or drywall has taken in a good amount of water. A new spot will feel wet but the surface won't be soft to the touch.
  • Look for Rings: Having rings around the damaged spot produced by water shows its age. Think about it like a tree- the more rings it has, the longer the water damage has been present. Different shadings of the blemish is also helpful since it indicates that the area gets soaked, dries, leaks, dries, etc. If it's a brand new spot produced by water, the area will be a single blemish with zero rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: It's critical to know about the materials that comprise your ceiling or walls, since things like thick paint or tiles can actually trap moisture. If this is the case, even a small water spot can mean the accumulation of water has been around for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: When bacteria has had time to colonize, this indicates the damage generated by water has lingered for nearly two to three days.
  • Decay: Your material won't deteriorate from the first instance of water damage. And if there has been rot, this indicates your material has been susceptible to repeated flooding or standing water.

Get an Experienced Water Damage Repair Specialist

The measure of the damage generated by water doesn't matter, Paul Davis is here to help. Our team of expert water damage repair contractors can resolve the problem and have your residence in a great state. Fix the problem now before it gets in a worse condition and get in touch with us at (403)342-4666 to find a local franchise near your location.