Old-New Water Spots - Tips by Water Damage Restoration Experts

When you have backed-up toilets, sinks or bathtubs that flood, it's obvious that you're in need of water damage restoration. Unfortunately, your home can experience water damage in ways that aren't as visible. Because you have pipes running all over your residence, you can have a pipe leaking or an accumulation of condensation between your walls or ceilings. It's a troublesome circumstance since this isn't visible- you won't notice it until you have water damage, and then it's difficult to diagnose how long the problem has lingered.

It's complicated to check how old the water damage is for these areas that can't be seen. After all, you could have a pipe that's been slightly leaking for a period of time but because it's not in plain sight, you don't know how long. There's no sure way to determine exactly how long the problem has persisted, but there are methods to estimate the age of the water damage.

Figure Out the Time Frame of the Damage Produced by Water

You can find out whether the damage generated by water is old or new by using these tips:

  • 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 such as heavy rain. Water spots can take some time to materialize if the leak is modest. If you live in an older house, the water damage spots may have been there for awhile. So it's essential to take note of the spots you notice while indicating whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: When your residence has any spots caused from water damage, it's essential to take note of them when finding out whether damage generated from water is new or old. Furthermore, you'll want to be observant of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like a downpour. Know your house, since smaller leaks can take some time to appear, and if you understand what's new and what's old, you'll be able to pinpoint your issue quicker.
  • Touch the Spot: You can touch the spot, because this will reveal a lot about the age of the water damage. A new spot will be wet but your ceiling or drywall will still be durable, while an old spot will be mushy and spongy since your material would have taken in a good amount of water.
  • Look for Rings: Outlining rings around your water damage spot shows age. Think about it like a tree- the more rings, the older the water damage is. Color variations of the blemish is also helpful since it shows that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, so on and so forth. If it's a new spot caused by water, the area will be a single mark with no rings.
  • Examine the Materials: Get to know the material in your house, since water can become trapped by thick paint and tiles. And if spots created by water show up through these, this indicates the accumulation of moisture has remained for awhile.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria, or mold, is present, the damage generated by water has been present for nearly two to three days.
  • Deterioration: Your material won't deteriorate by the first instance of damage produced by water. So if there has been rot, this indicates your material has been vulnerable to constant flooding or standing water.

Water Damage Repair Technicians - Get in Touch with Paul Davis Today

The intensity of the damage generated by water doesn't matter, Paul Davis is here to assist. Our team of professional water damage repair contractors can resolve the issue and have your residence in a good state. Fix the problem now before it gets even worse and contact us at +1-403-696-8886 for a local franchise near you.