Water Damage - How Old is it? - Learn by Following These Steps

A common problem that a lot of properties confront is some form of damage caused by water. As water damage repair experts, Paul Davis recognize the issues that water damage produces, especially when it can't be seen. Your residence has pipes running throughout it, including the inside of your walls and ceilings. If these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can slowly deteriorate your walls and ceilings. One of the more hard situations to this is verifying whether or not the damage caused by water is old or new.

But, when you catch water spots on your ceiling or damage to your walls, these are the sure signs of a leaky pipe or condensation causing a problem. Since the space is concealed, though, it's hard to ascertain how long the issue has lasted. Even though there isn't a way to figure out exactly how long your water damage problem has lingered, there are some ways to diagnose whether the water damage is old or new.

Discover the Age of the Damage Caused by Water

By taking the steps listed below, you can discover how new or old your water damage:

• History of the House: Keep track of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences like a heavy rain storm. Damages and spots caused by water can take awhile to come up if the leak is small. If you live in an older house, the spots generated by water damage might have been there for awhile. So it's critical to take note of the spots you see while figuring out whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
• History of the House: An old residence might already have some previous damage produced from water, so it's critical to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage changes over a period of time. Keeping track of the weather is a good idea too, because if you have a small leak, it can take some time for a water spot to appear. Taking note of your water damages can save you lots of time when figuring out whether the damage generated from water is old or new.
• Touch the Spot: If the water spot is aged, it will be squishy and mushy because during the time of the leaking water, your ceiling or drywall has absorbed a good amount of water. You'll feel moisture with a newer spot but the surface won't be soft to the touch.
• Look for Rings: Outlining rings around your water damage spot indicates its age. Remember it as if it was a tree- the more rings, the older the water damage is. Color variations of the stain is also helpful because it shows that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, so on and so forth. If it's a brand new water spot, the area will be a single blemish with zero rings.
• Examine the Materials: Materials like thick paint and tiles can trap water, so when you have a water spot leaking through one of these, this can indicate there's been a buildup of water for a period of time. Knowing the materials around your property can help you focus on your water damage problems more efficiently.
• Mold Inspection: Bacteria growth typically means your water damage has lingered for approximately two to three days.
• Decomposition: If your materials decompose from water damage, this is usually the consequence of regular flooding or standing water. Decay usually doesn't occur from the first situation of leakage.

Remove Damage Generated by Water & Call Paul

For all your water damage repair emergencies, get in touch with Paul Davis. If there's a leak that you can't detect, it's essential to get in touch with a professional. 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 area, give us a call at (416)626-7371 and we'll get a professional to come help you out.