Determining the Age of Water Damage - Water Damage Repair

A typical complication that a lot of properties face is some form of water damage. As water damage repair experts, Paul Davis is aware of the problems that water damage causes, especially when it can't be seen. Your property has pipes everywhere, including the inside of your ceilings and walls. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can gradually deteriorate your ceiling or walls. One of the more difficult parts to this is verifying whether or not the water damage is new or old.

It's hard to check how old the water damage is for these spaces that aren't visible. Though, you could have a leaky pipe that was slightly dripping for a period of time but because it's not in plain sight, you don't know how long. There's no sure way to check exactly how long the problem has persisted, but there are approaches to approximate the age of the water damage.

Find Out How Old the Damage Produced by Water is with These Steps

By practicing the tips listed below, you can determine the age of your water damage:

• History of the House: Keep a record of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences such as a heavy rain storm. Water spots can take awhile to pop up if it's a slight leak. Older properties could already have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's essential to keep a record of the spots you see while finding out whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
• History of the House: An old property could 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 changes overtime. Tracking the weather is a good idea as well, because if you have a a slow dripping pipe, it can take awhile for a spot to appear. Keeping track of your water damages can save you a lot of hassle when determining whether the damage caused from water is new or old.
• Touch the Spot: If the water spot is aged, it will be spongy and soft because during the period of the water leak, your ceiling or drywall 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: You know how rings on a tree show how old a tree is? The same method can be used for spots created by water. An older water spot will have rings around it. They can also be shaded differently because the area gets wet then dries and gets wet again then dries again, etcetera. A newer spot will be darker with zero rings around it.
• Examine the Materials: Learn about the material around your house, because water and moisture can become trapped by tiles and thick paint. And if spots produced by water show up through these, this indicates the accumulation of moisture has remained for a period of time.
• Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria is present, your water damage has lingered for about two to three days.
• Deterioration: If your materials decompose from water damage, this is usually the consequence of repeat flooding or standing water. Decay usually doesn't happen from the first situation of a leak.

Get Rid of Water Damage & Call Paul Davis

For any water damage repair needs, call Paul Davis. When there's a leak that you can't find, it's important to call an expert. Paul Davis' professional team has the experience and response time required to get your property back in order. To find a local franchise near your location, give us a call at 1-855-427-3133 and we'll get an expert to come help you.