Determining the Age of Water Damage - Water Damage Restoration

When you have backed-up bathtubs, toilets or sinks that flood, you know that you're in need of water damage restoration. Still, your property can suffer from water damage in ways that aren't as distinct. Since 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 a troublesome situation because this isn't in view- you won't know until you there's water damage, and then it's hard to diagnose how long the problem has persisted.

For these spaces that can't be seen, it's challenging to establish how old or new the water damage is. After all, you could have a leaky pipe that was slightly dripping for awhile but because it's not in plain sight, you don't have a timeline. There's no sure way to check the precise time of the problem, but there are some ways to estimate the age of the water damage.

Determine the Age of the Damage Produced by Water

You can find out an estimated time frame of the damage produced from water by following these steps:

  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any strong weather you had in your location such as a downpour. Water spots and damages can take awhile to emerge if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older home, the spots caused by water damage may have been there for some time. So it's important to keep a record of the spots you see while determining whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any strong weather you had in your location such as a downpour. Water spots and damages can take awhile to emerge if it's a slight leak. Older properties may already have some water spots and damages that were sustained previously. So it's important to keep a record of the spots you see while determining whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: You can feel the spot- this will disclose a lot about the age of the water damage. A new spot will feel wet but your drywall or ceiling will still feel the same, while an old spot will be spongy and soft because your material would have taken in a fair amount of moisture.
  • Look for Rings: Having rings around the damaged spot caused by water presents its age. Remember it like a tree- the more rings, the longer the water damage has been present. Different shadings of the stain is useful because it shows that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, etc. If it's a new spot caused by water, the area will be a single stain with zero rings.
  • Examine the Materials: Materials such as thick paint and tiles can actually trap water, so if you have a spot caused by water leaking through one of these, this can indicate there's been a buildup of water for a period of time. Being aware of the materials can help you focus on your water damage issues more efficiently.
  • Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria, or mold, is present, your water damage has lingered for nearly two to three days.
  • Deterioration: Your material won't rot from the first instance of damage caused by water. And if there has been rot, this indicates your material has been susceptible to constant standing water or flooding.

Reach out to Paul - Your Expert Water Damage Restoration Specialists

The degree of your water damage doesn't matter, Paul Davis is here to help. Our team of expert water damage restoration technicians can resolve the problem and have your property in a great state. Fix the problem now before it gets in a worse condition and contact us at +1-403-696-8886 to find a local franchise in your location.