Figuring Out the Age of a Water Spot - Water Damage Repair

When you have clogged bathtubs, toilets or sinks that flood, it's obvious that you're in need of water damage repair. Unfortunately, your home can sustain water damage in ways that aren't as noticeable. Because you have plumbing running through your property, you can have a pipe leaking or a buildup of condensation between your ceilings and walls. It's an alarming problem because this isn't visible- you won't know until you there's water damage, and then it's difficult to identify how long the problem has persisted.

For these spaces that aren't visible, it's difficult to find out how old or new the damage generated by water is. After all, you could have a pipe that's been slightly leaking for awhile but because it's not in plain sight, you don't know how long. There's no way to check exactly how long the problem has persisted, but there are some methods to estimate the age of the water damage.

Evaluate How Old the Damage Generated by Water is with These Steps

The following tips can help you gain insight in figuring out whether the damage generated by water is new or old:

• History of the House: An old home may already have some previous water damage, so it's fundamental to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage changes overtime. Tracking the weather is a good idea as well, because if you have a a slow dripping pipe, it can take awhile for a spot to surface. Keeping track of your water spots and damages can save you lots of time when figuring out whether your water damage is new or old.
• History of the House: Take note of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences such as heavy rain. Water spots can take awhile to occur if it's a slight leak. Older properties may already have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's fundamental to take note of the spots you observe while determining whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
• Touch the Spot: You'll be able to establish whether the damage generated by water is old or new just by feeling it. An old spot is going to be squishy because the material has absorbed a lot of water. A new spot is going to be moist, but the material will feel solid.
• Look for Rings: Remember how rings on a tree indicate the age of the tree? The same approach can be used for water spots. An old water spot is going to have rings around it. They will also be shaded differently because the spot gets soaked then dries and gets soaked again then dries again, etc. A new spot will be dark with no rings circling it.
• Examine the Materials: It's vital to know about the materials that comprise your walls or ceilings, because things such as tiles or thick paint can actually trap moisture. When this is the circumstance, even a small water spot can indicate the buildup of water has been around for a period of time.
• Mold Inspection: If mold has had time to settle, this implies that the damage generated by water has been there for approximately two to three days.
• Rot: When your materials decay from damage caused by water, this is usually the result of repeat flooding or standing water. Rot usually doesn't happen from the first instance of leakage.

Eradicate Damage Generated from Water & Call Paul

No matter the intensity of the damage generated by water, Paul Davis is here to assist. Our team of experienced water damage restoration technicians can resolve the issue and have your property back in good condition. Fix the problem now before it gets in a worse condition and get in touch with us at +1-403-696-8886 for a local franchise near you.