Water Damage – How New is it? – Discover by Following These Tips

One of the more common problems a property can go through is water damage. As water damage restoration professionals, Paul Davis understands the complications that water damage causes, especially when it can’t be seen. Your home has pipes 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 situations to this is verifying whether or not the water damage is new or old.

For these spaces that can’t be seen, it’s complicated to figure out how old the water damage is. Though, you could have a leaky pipe that was slightly dripping for awhile but because it’s been concealed, you don’t know how long. There’s no sure way to determine the precise time of the problem, but there are approaches to approximate the age of the water damage.

Find Out How Old or New the Damage Produced by Water is with This Guidance

Listed below are some tips you can take to check the age of your water damage:

  • History of the House: An older property may already have some previous water damage, so it’s essential to keep track of what’s there and to note if the damage alters overtime. Keeping track of the weather is a good idea as well, because if you have a a slow dripping pipe, it can take months for a spot to surface. Keeping track of your water spots and damages can save you a lot of hassle when figuring out whether the damage produced from water is new or old.
  • History of the House: When your home has any spots from water damage, it’s fundamental to keep track of them when figuring out whether damage caused from water is new or old. Also, you’ll want to be apprehensive of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like a downpour. Know your property, because smaller leaks can take some time to surface, and if you know what’s old and what’s new, you’ll be able to diagnose your issue quicker.
  • Touch the Spot: You can feel the spot- this can inform you a lot about the age of the water damage. A newer spot will be wet but your drywall or ceiling will still be durable, while an older spot will be mushy and spongy because your material would have absorbed a good amount of moisture.
  • Look for Rings: Outlining rings around the damaged spot produced by water shows age. Consider it like a tree- the more rings it has, the older the water damage is. Color variations of the blemish is useful because it reveals that the area gets soaked, dries, gets saturated, dries, etcetera. If it’s a new spot damaged by water, the area will be a single blemish with no rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: Materials like 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 mean there’s been a buildup of water for awhile. Being aware of the materials can help you focus on your water damage issues more efficiently.
  • Mold Inspection: Bacteria, or mold, development normally indicates that the damage produced by water has been there for about two to three days.
  • Deterioration: Your material won’t deteriorate by the first instance of water damage. So if there has been decomposition, this indicates your material has been susceptible to persistent standing water or flooding.

Water Damage Restoration Specialists – Contact Paul Davis

For any water damage restoration needs, call Paul Davis. When there’s a pipe dripping that you can’t detect, it’s essential to reach out to a professional. Paul Davis’ expert team has the industry knowledge and response time you need to get your home back in order. For a local franchise near your area, give us a call at (410) 730-7260 and we’ll get an expert to come help you.