Expert Water Damage Repair Advice - How Old Are Your Water Spots?

A typical issue that a lot of properties run into is some form of damage caused by water. As water damage repair professionals, Paul Davis is aware of the problems that water damage generates, especially when it can't be seen. Your home has plumbing everywhere, this includes the inside of your walls and ceilings. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can gradually corrode your ceiling or walls. One of the more difficult parts to this is finding out whether the damage caused by water is new or old.

For these spaces that can't be seen, it's difficult to check how old or new the water damage is. Though, you could have a pipe that's been slightly leaking for awhile but because it's not in plain sight, you don't have a timeline. There's no way to indicate exactly how long the problem has persisted, but there are approaches to estimate the age of the water damage.

Find Out the Time Frame of the Damage Caused by Water

Below are some tips you can take in order to check the age of your water damage:

  • History of the House: An older home may already have some previous water damage, so it's important to keep a record of what's there and to note if the damage changes over a period of time. Keeping track of the weather is a great idea too, because if you have a a slow leak, it can take months for a spot to surface. Keeping track of your water spots and damages can save you lots of time when finding out whether the damage generated from water is new or old.
  • History of the House: An older home may already have some previous water damage, so it's important to keep a record of what's there and to note if the damage changes over a period of time. Keeping track of the weather is a great idea too, because if you have a a slow leak, it can take months for a spot to surface. Keeping track of your water spots and damages can save you lots of time when finding out whether the damage generated from water is new or old.
  • Touch the Spot: You'll be able to indicate whether the damage generated by water is new or old just by touching it. An old spot will be soft because the material has taken in a good amount of moisture. A new spot will be wet, however, the material will feel solid.
  • Look for Rings: When you see just a dark spot with zero rings around it, this indicates that the water damage is new. Old water damage will have rings around it, and like trees, the more rings indicates the age. Discolored rings exhibits that the area has been saturated, dried, saturated, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: It's critical to be cognizant of the materials that comprise your walls or ceilings, because things such as tiles or thick paint can actually trap the water. When this is the circumstance, even a small water spot can indicate the accumulation of water has been remaining for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: Bacteria growth typically implies that the damage generated by water has lingered for about two to three days.
  • Decay: Rotting material indicates that the damage generated by water is either a repeat offender or that it's serious because there's standing water. A first instance of water damage usually won't cause decomposition.

Water Damage Repair Specialists - Call Paul Davis

No matter the extent of the damage generated by water, Paul Davis is here to assist. Our team of professional water damage repair technicians can resolve the issue and have your house back in great condition. Fix the issue now before it gets even worse and contact us at (905)270-3399 for a local franchise near you.