Expert Water Damage Repair Help

A common complication that a lot of houses confront is some form of water damage. As water damage repair experts, Paul Davis recognize the issues that water damage generates, especially when it isn’t in sight. Your property has plumbing running throughout it, including the inside of your ceilings and walls. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can slowly erode your ceiling or walls. One of the more hard situations to this is finding out whether the water damage is old or new.

You can discover how old or new your water issues are by evaluating the water damage itself since the pipes are hidden. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find out an exact timeline, but we have some tips on how to analyze the damage so you can come up with an estimated time on how long you’ve had water in the area.

Learn How Old the Damage Caused by Water is with This Guidance

Listed below are step-by-steps you can take in order to figure out the age of your water damage:

  • History of the House: When your house has any water spots, it’s critical to keep a record of them when finding out whether your water damage is old or new. In addition, you’ll want to be aware of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as a rain storm. Know your house, since pipes with a slow drip can take awhile to appear, and if you know what’s old and what’s new, you’ll be able to pinpoint your issue quicker.
  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences like a heavy rain storm. Water spots and damages can take awhile to present themselves if the leak is modest. If you reside in an older home, the water damage spots might have been there for awhile. So it’s critical to keep a record of the spots you notice while indicating whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: Go on and touch the spot- this will disclose a lot about the age of the water damage. A newer spot will be wet but your ceiling or drywall will still be durable, while an older spot will be soft and squishy because your material would have taken in a fair amount of moisture.
  • Look for Rings: Having rings around the damaged spot produced by water reveals age. Consider it as if it was a tree- the more rings, the older the water damage is. Different shadings of the blemish is also helpful since it reveals that the area gets soaked, dries, leaks, dries, etc. If it’s a new water spot, the area will be a single mark with no rings.
  • Examine the Materials: It’s essential to know about the materials that comprise your walls or ceilings, since things like thick paint or tiles can actually trap the water. When this is the situation, even a water spot that’s small can indicate the buildup of water has been lingering for a while.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria is present, the damage produced by water has been there for approximately two to three days.
  • Rot: Rotting material indicates 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.

Get Help from a Professional Water Damage Restoration Contractor

For any water damage repair emergencies, reach out to Paul Davis. When there’s a pipe dripping that you can’t find, it’s important to contact a professional. The expert team at Paul Davis has the experience and response time you need to get your house back in order. To find a local franchise in your location, get in touch with us at (301) 948-8008 and we’ll get an expert to come help you.