Water Spots - How New Are They? - Learn by Taking These Steps

One of the more persistent problems a property can sustain is water damage. As water damage restoration experts, Paul Davis understands the issues that water damage produces, especially when it isn't in sight. Your home has pipes running throughout it, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can begin to wear out your ceiling or walls. One of the more frustrating situations to this is verifying whether or not the damage caused by water is old or new.

Yet, when you detect water spots on your ceiling or damage to your walls, these are clues indicating a leaky pipe or condensation generating the problem. Since the area is hidden, though, it's difficult to figure out how long the issue has lasted. Even though there isn't a way to know precisely how long your water damage problem has lingered, there are some ways to diagnose whether the water damage is old or new.

Determine How Old the Damage Caused by Water is with These Steps

Listed below are some tips you can take in order to figure out the age of your water damage:

• History of the House: If your property has any spots caused from water damage, it's critical to take note of them when determining whether your water damage is old or new. In addition, you'll want to be observant of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like a rain storm. Know your property, because smaller leaks can take months to appear, and if you understand what's new and what's old, you'll be able to diagnose your issue quicker.
• Touch the Spot: Go ahead and feel the spot, because this will tell you a lot about the age of the damage generated by water. A newer spot will be wet but your drywall or ceiling will still be strong, while an older spot will be mushy and squishy since your material would have absorbed a fair amount of water.
• Look for Rings: If you see a darker spot with zero rings around it, this indicates that the damage generated by water is new. Older damage generated by water will have rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings shows the age. Different shades and colors of rings tell you that the area has been soaked, dried, soaked, dried, etc.
• Examine the Materials: It's critical to know about the materials that comprise your walls or ceilings, because things such as thick paint or tiles can trap the water. If 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: When bacteria has had time to colonize, this means the damage generated by water has been there for about two to three days.
• Decay: Your material doesn't typically decay from the first occurrence of damage created by water. And when there has been deterioration, this means your material has been exposed to consistent standing water or flooding.

Water Damage Repair Technicians - Get in Touch with Paul

For all your water damage restoration needs, get in touch with Paul Davis. When there's a leak that you can't detect, it's crucial to contact an expert. Paul Davis' expert team has the industry knowledge and response time you need to get your property back in order. To find a local franchise in your location, give us a call at (800) 661-5975 and we'll get an expert to come help you out.