Water Spots – How Old Are They? – Find Out by Taking These Steps

When you have clogged bathtubs, toilets or sinks that overflow, you know that water damage repairs will be needed. Unfortunately, your house can suffer from water damage in ways that aren’t as obvious. Since you have plumbing running throughout your residence, you can have a leaky pipe or a buildup of condensation between your walls or ceilings. It’s an alarming circumstance because this isn’t visible- you won’t know until you there’s water damage, and then it’s hard to define how long the problem has lingered.

However, when you detect damage to your walls or water spots on your ceiling, these are flags indicating a leaky pipe or condensation generating the problem. Since the space is concealed, though, it’s challenging to determine how long the issue has lasted. Even though there isn’t a way to figure out exactly how long your water damage problem has lingered, there are some ways to indicate whether the water damage is old or new.

A Step-by-Step On Damage Induced by Water – Evaluate its Time Frame

The following step-by-step process can help you gain insight in finding out whether your water damage is old or new:

  • 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 heavy rain storm. Water spots can take some time to appear if it’s a slight leak. An older house might have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it’s essential to keep track of the spots you notice while determining whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: If your residence has any spots from water damage, it’s essential to keep track of them when figuring out whether your water damage is old or new. In addition, you’ll want to be conscious of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as heavy rain. Know your home, because pipes with a slow drip can take some time to surface, and if you know what’s new and what’s old, you’ll be able to diagnose your issue faster.
  • Touch the Spot: You’ll be able to indicate whether your water damage is new or old just by touching it. An older spot will be squishy because the material has taken in a good amount of moisture. A newer spot will be wet, however, the material will have a solid feel to it.
  • Look for Rings: If you see one darker spot with no rings around it, this indicates that the damage generated by water is new. Older damage generated by water will have rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings indicates the age. Different colored and shades of rings exhibits that the spot has been soaked, dried, soaked, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: It’s critical to be aware of the materials that make up your ceiling or walls, because things such as tiles or thick paint can actually trap moisture. If this is the situation, even a water spot that’s small can indicate the buildup of water has been around for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria is present, your water damage has lingered for approximately two to three days.
  • Deterioration: Your material doesn’t typically decompose by the first instance of water damage. So if there has been deterioration, this means your material has been vulnerable to repeated standing water or flooding.

Water Damage Restoration Technicians – Call Paul Davis

For any water damage repair emergencies, contact Paul Davis. If there’s a pipe dripping that you can’t identify, it’s important to contact an expert. Paul Davis’ skillful team has the experience and response time required to maintain your residence. For a local franchise in your location, call us at (410) 730-7260 and we’ll get a professional for your assistance.