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

A common complication that a lot of properties run into is some form of water damage. As water damage repair professionals, Paul Davis understands the problems that water damage leads to, especially when it isn’t in sight. Your residence has pipes everywhere, this includes the inside of your walls and ceilings. When these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can begin to corrode your walls and ceilings. One of the more difficult aspects to this is detecting whether the water damage is new or old.

But, when you detect water spots on your ceiling or damage to your walls, these are the sure signs of a leaky pipe or condensation generating the issue. Because the space is unseen, though, it’s tough to determine how long the problem has lasted. Although there isn’t a way to know exactly how long your water damage issue has lingered, there are some ways to diagnose whether the water damage is new or old.

Tips On Damage Caused by Water – Learn about its Time Frame

Listed below are step-by-steps you can follow in order to figure out the time frame of your 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 months to emerge if it’s a slight leak. Older properties may have some water spots and damages that were sustained previously. So it’s fundamental to take note of the spots you perceive while determining whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: An older residence may already have some previous damage produced from water, so it’s effective 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 as well, because if you have a modest leak, it can take some time for a water spot to appear. Keeping track of your water damages can save you lots of time when finding out whether the damage produced from water is new or old.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is old, it will be soft and mushy since during the time of the water leak, your drywall or ceiling has absorbed a good amount of water. You’ll feel moisture with a new spot but the surface won’t be soft like an older spot.
  • Look for Rings: Having rings around the damaged spot generated by water reveals its age. Consider it like a tree- the more rings it has, the older the water damage is. Discoloration of the stain is also helpful since it indicates that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, etcetera. If it’s a new spot created by water, the area will be a single mark with no rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: Get to know the material around your property, since water and moisture can become trapped by thick paint and tiles. So if spots generated by water show up through these types of materials, this means the buildup of water has remained for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria is there, the damage produced by water has lingered for nearly two to three days.
  • Rot: Decomposed material means that the damage produced by water is either a repeat offender or that it’s serious because there’s standing water. A first case of water damage typically doesn’t cause deterioration.

Water Damage Repair Contractors – Call Paul Today

When you’re having water damage issues, look no further than Paul Davis. It’s important to remedy any dripping pipes on your property prior to the damage becoming more serious. Our water damage repair professionals can find dripping pipes and repair your property back to normal conditions no matter how big or small the job is. Reach out to Paul now at (517) 465-3096 and franchise near you will be there to assist you.