Water Damage - How New is it? - Discover by Taking These Steps

A typical issue that a lot of homes run into is some form of damage caused by water. As water damage repair professionals, Paul Davis is aware of the problems that water damage produces, especially when it isn't in sight. Your house has pipes everywhere, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. If these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can slowly corrode your ceiling or walls. One of the more frustrating aspects to this is detecting whether the damage caused by water is old or new.

You can check how old or new your water problems are by analyzing the water damage itself since the pipes aren't in sight. Unfortunately, it's hard to figure out an exact timeline, but we have some guidance on how to evaluate the damage so you can come up with an approximate time on how long you've had water in the damaged space.

Discover How Old or New the Damage Generated by Water is with These Steps

By taking the step-by-step process listed below, you'll be able to indicate the age of your water damage:

  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences such as a heavy rain storm. Water spots can take awhile to appear if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older home, the spots generated by water damage might have been there for some time. So it's critical to take note of the spots you see while determining whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences such as a heavy rain storm. Water spots can take awhile to appear if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older home, the spots generated by water damage might have been there for some time. So it's critical to take note of the spots you see while determining whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: When the water spot is old, it will be spongy and soft since during the period of the leaking water, your drywall or ceiling has absorbed a good amount of water. You'll feel wetness with a newer spot but it won't be soft like an older spot.
  • Look for Rings: Having rings around the damaged spot generated by water indicates its age. Consider it like a tree- the more rings, the longer the water damage has been present. Discoloration of the stain is useful since it reveals that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, so on and so forth. If it's a new spot produced by water, the area will be a single stain with zero rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: It's essential to be cognizant of the materials that make up your ceiling or walls, since things such as thick paint or tiles can trap moisture. When this is the case, even a water spot that's small can mean the accumulation of water has been lingering for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria is there, your water damage has lingered for about two to three days.
  • Decay: Your material won't decay from the first situation of damage caused by water. So when there has been decay, this means your material has been vulnerable to consistent flooding or standing water.

Dispose of Damage Generated from Water & Call Paul Davis

If you're having water damage complications, Paul Davis is here to assist you. It's critical to take care of any leaks in your house before the damage becomes extensive. Our water damage repair professionals can detect dripping pipes and repair your home back to normal conditions no matter how big or small the job is. Reach out to Paul today at (905)796-6100 and franchise near you is there to assist you.