Professional Water Damage Restoration Tips – How New is Your Water Damage?

One of the more persistent complications a home can sustain is water damage. As water damage restoration experts, Paul Davis is aware of the problems that water damage causes, especially when it isn’t in sight. Your house has pipes everywhere, including the inside of your walls and ceilings. When these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can slowly corrode your ceiling or walls. One of the more difficult parts to this is detecting whether or not the water damage is new or old.

Since the pipes aren’t visible, you can get an approximation of how long you’ve had water complications by evaluating the water damage itself. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find out a precise timeline, but we have some guidance on how to examine the damage so you can come up with an approximate time on how long you’ve had water in the area.

Figure Out the Time Frame of Your Water Damage

The following tips can help you judge whether your water damage is new or old:

  • History of the House: An older home might already have some previous water damage, so it’s important to keep track of what’s there and to note if the damage alters overtime. Keeping track of the weather is a great idea as well, because if you have a modest leak, it can take months for a spot to surface. Taking note of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when diagnosing whether the damage generated from water is new or old.
  • History of the House: If your house has any water spots, it’s essential to take note of them when figuring out whether damage provoked from water is new or old. In addition, you’ll want to be observant of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as heavy rain. Know your home, since smaller leaks can take months to surface, and if you know what’s new and what’s old, you’ll be able to pinpoint your issue quicker.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is aged, it will be squishy and mushy since during the period of the leaking water, your ceiling or drywall has absorbed a good amount of water. You’ll feel wetness with a new spot but it won’t be soft to the touch.
  • Look for Rings: If you see one dark spot with no rings around it, this indicates that the water damage is new. Old water damage usually has rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings shows the age. Different shades and colors of rings reveals that the area has been saturated, dried, saturated, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: Materials like tiles and thick paint can trap water, so if you have a water spot seeping through one of these, this can indicate there’s been a buildup of water for awhile. Being aware of the materials can help you focus on your water damage issues more effectively.
  • Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria is there, your water damage has lingered for nearly two to three days.
  • Rot: Deteriorated material means that your water damage is either occurring on a regular basis or that it’s extensive because there’s standing water. A first instance of water damage typically won’t cause decay.

Call Paul – Your Experienced Water Damage Restoration Specialists

When you’re having complications with damages that are created by water, Paul Davis’ professional team is here to assist you. It’s fundamental to take care of any dripping pipes on your property before the damage becomes extensive. Our water damage restoration professionals can locate a leak and repair your home back to normal conditions no matter how big or small the job is. Contact Paul now at (301) 948-8008 and franchise near you will be there to assist you.