Figuring Out the Age of Water Damage - Water Damage Repair

One of the more persistent complications a property can sustain is water damage. As water damage repair professionals, Paul Davis knows the problems that water damage generates, especially when it can't be seen. Your home has pipes running throughout it, including the inside of your walls and ceilings. If these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can begin to deteriorate your ceiling or walls. One of the more hard aspects to this is finding out whether the water damage is new or old.

It's complicated to verify how old or new the water damage is for these spaces that can't be seen. After all, you could have a leaky pipe that was slightly dripping for awhile but because it's been hidden, you don't have a timeline. There's no way to determine the precise time of the problem, but there are some ways to approximate the age of the water damage.

Tips On Damage Caused by Water - Establish its Age

You can find out whether the damage generated by water is old or new by following this step-by-step process:

• History of the House: When your property has any water spots, it's important to take note of them when finding out whether your water damage is new or old. Furthermore, you'll want to be observant of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as a downpour. Know your property, because smaller leaks can take awhile to appear, and if you understand what's old and what's new, you'll be able to pinpoint your issue faster.
• History of the House: When your property has any water spots, it's important to take note of them when finding out whether your water damage is new or old. Furthermore, you'll want to be observant of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as a downpour. Know your property, because smaller leaks can take awhile to appear, and if you understand what's old and what's new, you'll be able to pinpoint your issue faster.
• Touch the Spot: When the water spot is aged, it will be squishy and mushy because during the time of the leaking water, your drywall or ceiling has absorbed a good amount of water. A newer spot will feel wet but it won't be soft to the touch.
• Look for Rings: When you see a dark spot with zero rings around it, this shows that the damage generated by water is new. Old damage generated by water will have rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings indicates the age. Different colored and shades of rings exhibits that the area has been drenched, dried, drenched, dried, etc.
• Examine the Materials: Learn about the material in your property, because water and moisture can become trapped by tiles and thick paint. So if water spots show up through these types of materials, this means the buildup of moisture has remained for awhile.
• Mold Inspection: If you see that bacteria, or mold, is present, the damage generated by water has been there for about two to three days.
• Decomposition: Deteriorated material indicates that the damage generated by water is either occurring consistently or that it's serious because there's standing water. A first case of damage generated by water usually won't lead to rot.

Get Help from an Experienced Water Damage Repair Specialist

For all your water damage repair needs, get in touch with Paul Davis. If there's a pipe dripping that you can't identify, it's crucial to call an expert. The expert team at Paul Davis has the know-how and response time required to get your property back in order. For a local franchise near your area, give us a call at (418)653-6666 and we'll get a professional for your assistance.