Approaches to Determine if Water Damage is New or Old

One of the more typical issues a home can go through is water damage. As water damage restoration experts, Paul Davis is aware of the issues that water damage produces, especially when it isn’t in sight. Your home has pipes everywhere, this includes the inside of your ceilings and walls. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can begin to deteriorate your walls and ceilings. One of the more difficult situations to this is detecting whether or not the water damage is new or old.

Yet, when you catch water spots on your ceiling or damage to your walls, these are the sure signs of a leaky pipe or condensation causing a issue. Since the area is hidden, though, it’s difficult to verify how long the problem has lasted. Although there isn’t a way to know exactly how long your water damage issue has lingered, there are some ways to indicate whether the water damage is new or old.

Find Out the Time Frame of the Damage Produced by Water

You can learn whether the damage caused by water is new or old by following these steps:

  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences like a heavy rain storm. Water spots can take some time to materialize if the leak is small. An older home might have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it’s essential to take note of the spots you perceive while determining whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: An older house might already have some previous water damage, so it’s fundamental to keep track of what’s there and to note if the damage changes over a period of time. Tracking the weather is a great idea too, because if you have a small leak, it can take awhile for a spot to surface. Taking note of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when diagnosing whether your water damage is new or old.
  • Touch the Spot: You’ll be able to determine whether the damage caused by water is new or old just by touching it. An older spot will be spongy since the material has taken in a lot of moisture. A newer spot will be moist, however, the material will still have a solid feel to it.
  • Look for Rings: Outlining rings around the damaged spot produced by water reveals its age. Consider it as if it was a tree- the more rings it has, the longer the water damage has been lingering. Color variations of the spot is useful since it shows that the area gets soaked, dries, leaks, dries, so on and so forth. If it’s a new spot produced by water, the area will be a single blemish with no rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: Materials like tiles and thick paint can trap water, so if you have a water spot leaking through one of these, this can indicate there’s been a buildup of water for awhile. Being aware of the materials can help you focus on your water damage issues more effectively.
  • Mold Inspection: Bacteria, or mold, development typically implies that the damage caused by water has been there for about two to three days.
  • Decomposition: Decaying material indicates that the damage caused by water is either occurring consistently or that it’s extensive because there’s standing water. A first instance of water damage usually doesn’t cause decomposition.

Reach out to Paul – Your Experienced Water Damage Restoration Contractors

No matter the intensity of the damage caused by water, Paul Davis is here to help out. Our team of expert water damage repair contractors can resolve the problem and have your home in a great state. Remedy the issue now before it gets in a worse condition and get in touch with us at (206) 364-3000 to find a local franchise in your area.