Water Damage - How New is it? - Find Out by Following These Steps

A common issue that a lot of properties face is some form of damage caused by water. As water damage repair professionals, Paul Davis recognize the complications that water damage causes, especially when it can't be seen. Your property has pipes running throughout it, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. If these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can gradually wear out your ceiling or walls. One of the more hard situations to this is verifying whether or not the damage caused by water is new or old.

But, when you notice water spots on your ceiling or damage to your walls, these are the sure signs of a leaky pipe or condensation generating the problem. Because the area is concealed, though, it's difficult to verify how long the issue has been at hand. Even though there isn't a way 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.

A Step-by-Step On Water Damage - Learn about its Age

By taking the step-by-step process listed below, you'll be able to indicate the age of the damage produced by water:

  • History of the House: Keep a record 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 awhile to materialize if the leak is modest. Older properties could already have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's fundamental to keep a record of the spots you see while determining whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: If your house has any spots from water damage, it's fundamental to keep a record of them when figuring out whether your water damage is new or old. Additionally, you'll want to be aware of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as heavy rain. Know your property, because smaller leaks can take awhile to surface, and if you understand what's new and what's old, you'll be able to identify your issue faster.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is old, it will be squishy and spongy because during the period of the leaking water, your ceiling or drywall has taken in a good amount of water. You'll feel wetness with a new spot but the surface won't be soft like an older spot.
  • Look for Rings: If you see one dark spot with zero rings around it, this demonstrates that the water damage is new. Old water damage usually has rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings indicates the age. Discolored rings exhibits that the spot has been saturated, dried, saturated, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: Learn about the material in your property, because water and moisture can get trapped by tiles and thick paint. And if water spots show up through these, this means the accumulation of moisture has been lingering for awhile.
  • Mold Inspection: If mold has had time to settle in, this indicates the damage produced by water has lingered for nearly two to three days.
  • Decomposition: Deteriorated material indicates that the damage produced by water is either a repeat offender or that it's serious because there's standing water. A first instance of water damage typically doesn't cause deterioration.

Water Damage Repair Contractors - Reach Out to Paul

For all your water damage repair emergencies, call Paul Davis. If there's a pipe dripping that you can't identify, it's essential to contact an expert. Paul Davis' professional team has the industry knowledge and response time you need to maintain your house. To find a local franchise in your area, contact us at +1-403-696-8886 and we'll get a professional for your assistance.