How to Tell the Age of Water Damage - Water Damage Restoration

One of the more persistent complications a house can sustain is water damage. As water damage restoration professionals, Paul Davis is aware of the problems that water damage produces, especially when it can't be seen. Your property has pipes everywhere, this includes the inside of your walls and ceilings. When these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can slowly deteriorate your walls and ceilings. One of the more frustrating parts to this is checking whether the water damage is old or new.

You can discover how old or new your water problems are by analyzing the water damage itself since the pipes are hidden. Unfortunately, it's hard to figure out a precise timeline, but we have some advice 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.

Discover How Old or New Your Water Damage is with These Tips

By practicing the tips listed below, you can discover how old or new the damage caused by water:

• History of the House: An older home may already have some previous damage provoked from water, so it's important to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage alters over a period of time. Keeping track of the weather is a good idea too, since, 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 lots of time when pinpointing whether your water damage is old or new.
• History of the House: When your house has any spots caused from water damage, it's fundamental to keep track of them when determining whether damage caused from water is old or new. Furthermore, you'll want to be cognizant 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 awhile to appear, and if you know what's new and what's old, you'll be able to identify your problem quicker.
• Touch the Spot: You'll can establish whether the damage generated by water is old or new just by feeling it. An older spot is going to be spongy because the material has taken in a lot of moisture. A newer spot is going to be moist, however, the material will still feel solid.
• Look for Rings: Having rings around your water damage spot indicates age. Consider it like a tree- the more rings, the older the damage generated by water is. Discoloration of the blemish is useful since it shows that the area gets soaked, dries, leaks, dries, so on and so forth. If it's a new water spot, the area will be a single mark with zero rings around it.
• Examine the Materials: It's essential to know about the materials that make up your walls or ceilings, since things like thick paint or tiles can trap the water. When this is the case, even a small water spot can indicate the buildup of water has been lingering for a while.
• Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria is present, the damage generated by water has been there for about two to three days.
• Deterioration: When your materials deteriorate from damage generated by water, this is typically the issue of repeat flooding or standing water. Rot typically doesn't occur from the first situation of a leak.

Call Paul - Your Professional Water Damage Restoration Specialists

For any water damage restoration emergencies, contact Paul Davis. When there's a pipe dripping that you can't find, it's fundamental to contact a professional. The expert team at Paul Davis has the know-how and response time you need to maintain your house. To find a local franchise in your area, call us at (403)342-4666 and we'll get an expert to come help you out.