Water Damage - How Old is it? - Learn by Taking These Steps
Repairs for water damage is a typical issue for any house, and every now and then the issue is discernible and other times it's concealed. Things such as overflowing toilets, sinks and bathtubs are common issues connected to water damage and you know there is an issue when this happens. However, plumbing lines run all over your house, and this involves places you can't see such as between the floors and inside the walls. Unfortunately a pipe leaking in an unseen area can happen. It's an irritating problem because you can't see the leak and you won't notice it until the water damage appears.
Yet, when you catch damage to your walls or water spots on your ceiling, these are flags indicating a leaky pipe or condensation generating the issue. Since the space is concealed, though, it's difficult to determine how long the issue has been at hand. While there isn't a way to know precisely how long your water damage issue has persisted, there are some ways to diagnose whether the water damage is new or old.
A Guide On Water Damage - Evaluate its Age
Listed below are a few steps you can take to check the time frame of your water damage:
- History of the House: An old house could already have some previous water damage, so it's essential to keep a record of what's there and to note if the damage changes overtime. Keeping track of the weather is a good idea as well, since, if you have a a slow dripping pipe, it can take awhile for a spot to surface. Taking note of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when finding 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 strong weather you had in your location such as heavy rain. Damages and spots derived from water can take awhile to pop up if the leak is modest. If you reside in an older home, the spots generated by water damage could have been there for awhile. So it's fundamental to keep a record of the spots you observe while indicating whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
- Touch the Spot: You'll can figure out whether the damage generated by water is old or new just by touching it. An old spot will be mushy since the material has absorbed a lot of moisture. A new spot will be wet, but the material will feel solid.
- Look for Rings: Outlining rings around your water damage spot indicates age. Think about it as if it was a tree- the more rings it has, the older the water damage is. Color variations of the spot is also helpful because it reveals that the area leaks, dries, gets saturated, dries, etc. If it's a brand new water spot, the area will be a single blemish with zero rings around it.
- Examine the Materials: It's important to know about the materials that make up your walls or ceilings, because things such as thick paint or tiles can trap the water. If this is the circumstance, even a water spot that's small can indicate the accumulation of water has been remaining for a while.
- Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria, or mold, is there, the damage generated by water has been there for nearly two to three days.
- Decomposition: Your material doesn't usually decompose by the first situation of water damage. So if there has been rot, this means your material has been susceptible to constant flooding or standing water.
Remove Damage Produced from Water & Call Paul
The degree of the damage generated by water doesn't matter, Paul Davis is here to help out. Our team of expert water damage restoration contractors can fix the issue and have your house back in good condition. Remedy the issue now before it gets worse and contact us at (450)698-3700 to find a local franchise near you.