How to Determine if Your Water Damage is Old or New

One of the more persistent problems a house can go through is water damage. As water damage repair professionals, Paul Davis recognize the issues that water damage generates, especially when it can’t be seen. Your property has plumbing running throughout it, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. If these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can begin to deteriorate your ceiling or walls. One of the more hard aspects to this is finding out whether the damage caused by water is old or new.

Yet, when you catch damage to your walls or water spots on your ceiling, these are clues indicating a leaky pipe or condensation causing a issue. Since the area is unseen, though, it’s challenging to determine how long the problem has lasted. Even though there isn’t a way to find out exactly how long your water damage issue has persisted, there are some ways to indicate whether the water damage is old or new.

Figure Out the Lifetime of Your Water Damage

By practicing the tips listed below, you’ll be able to indicate the age of your water damage:

  • History of the House: If your residence has any water spots, it’s fundamental to keep track of them when determining whether damage provoked from water is old or new. Additionally, you’ll want to be cognizant of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as a downpour. Know your house, because pipes with a slow drip can take months to appear, and if you understand what’s old and what’s new, you’ll be able to diagnose your problem faster.
  • History of the House: If your residence has any water spots, it’s fundamental to keep track of them when determining whether damage provoked from water is old or new. Additionally, you’ll want to be cognizant of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as a downpour. Know your house, because pipes with a slow drip can take months to appear, and if you understand what’s old and what’s new, you’ll be able to diagnose your problem faster.
  • Touch the Spot: You’ll can establish whether the damage caused by water is old or new just by touching it. An older spot will be squishy because the material has absorbed a lot of moisture. A newer 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 damage caused by water is. Color variations of the spot is useful because it reveals that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, etcetera. If it’s a new spot caused by water, the area will be a single stain with zero rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: Materials such as tiles and thick paint can actually trap water and moisture, so if you have a spot produced by water seeping through one of these, this can indicate there’s been a buildup of water for a period of time. Being aware of the materials around your home can help you focus on your water damage issues more efficiently.
  • Mold Inspection: If bacteria has had time to settle in, this implies the damage caused by water has lingered for about two to three days.
  • Rot: If your materials rot from damage generated by water, this is usually the result of regular flooding or standing water. Deterioration usually doesn’t happen from the first situation of a leak.

Get Help from an Experienced Water Damage Repair Specialist

The amount of the damage caused by water doesn’t matter, Paul Davis is here to help. Our team of skillful water damage repair technicians can fix the problem and have your residence in a good state. Remedy the issue today before it gets even worse and contact us at (251) 948-2291 to find a local franchise near you.