How to Indicate the Age of a Water Spot - Water Damage Restoration

A natural issue that a lot of houses face is some form of water damage. As water damage restoration professionals, Paul Davis recognize the issues that water damage generates, especially when it isn't in sight. Your house has plumbing running throughout it, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. If these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can gradually corrode your ceiling or walls. One of the more frustrating parts to this is detecting whether the water damage is new or old.

Because the pipes are hidden, you can get an approximation of how long you've had water problems by analyzing the water damage itself. Unfortunately, it's difficult to figure out an exact timeline, but we have some advice on how to evaluate the damage so you can come up with an estimated time on how long you've had water in the damaged space.

Discover the Age of Your Water Damage

You can obtain an approximate time frame of the damage generated from water by taking these steps:

• History of the House: An older property may already have some previous damage caused from water, so it's critical to keep a record of what's there and to note if the damage alters over a period of time. Tracking the weather is a good idea as well, since, if you have a small leak, it can take awhile for a water spot to appear. Taking note of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when finding out whether your water damage is new or old.
• History of the House: If your house has any spots caused from water damage, it's important to keep a record of them when determining whether your water damage is new or old. Furthermore, you'll want to be conscious of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like a rain storm. Know your property, 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.
• Touch the Spot: You'll can determine whether the damage generated by water is old or new just by touching it. An old spot will be soft because the material has taken in a good amount of water. A new spot will be moist, however, the material will still have a solid feel to it.
• Look for Rings: You know how rings on a tree presents how old a tree is? The same idea can be used for spots created by water. An old water spot will have rings around it. They will also be discolored since the area gets soaked then dries and gets soaked again then dries again, etcetera. A new spot will be dark with no rings around it.
• Examine the Materials: Materials such as thick paint and tiles can trap water, so when you have a spot produced by water leaking through one of these, this can mean there's been a buildup of water for awhile. Knowing the materials around your home can help you focus on your water damage problems more efficiently.
• Mold Inspection: Bacteria growth usually indicates the damage generated by water has been present for nearly two to three days.
• Deterioration: Your material won't decay from the first case of water damage. And when there has been deterioration, this means your material has been vulnerable to consistent flooding or standing water.

Dispose of Damage Caused by Water & Call Paul Davis

If you're having water damage problems, Paul Davis is here to help out. It's vital to fix any dripping pipes on your property prior to the damage becoming more extensive. Our water damage restoration experts can find dripping pipes and repair your property back to normal no matter how big or small the job is. Get in touch with us today at (519)352-7700 and a local franchise is there to help out.