The Age of Water Spots – Help from Water Damage Restoration Experts

A common complication that a lot of houses run into is some form of water damage. As water damage restoration experts, Paul Davis knows the issues that water damage produces, 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 begin to corrode your walls and ceilings. One of the more difficult parts to this is detecting whether the water damage is new or old.

It’s challenging to figure out how old the the damage caused by water is for these spaces that aren’t visible. After all, you could have a pipe that’s been slightly leaking for a period of time but because it’s not in plain sight, you don’t know how long. There’s no way to indicate exactly how long the problem has persisted, but there are methods to estimate the age of the water damage.

Tips On Damage Induced by Water – Determine its Age

Listed below are some tips you can take to figure out the time frame of your water damage:

  • History of the House: When your property has any water spots, it’s critical to keep track of them when determining whether your water damage is new or old. Additionally, you’ll want to be conscious of any storms that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as a downpour. Know your house, since pipes with a slow drip can take a while to surface, and if you know what’s new and what’s old, you’ll be able to pinpoint your issue quicker.
  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any strong weather you had in your location such as a downpour. Damages and spots derived from water can take a while to occur if the leak is modest. If you reside in an older home, the water damage spots may have been there for some time. So it’s critical to keep track of the spots you perceive while determining whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: When the water spot is old, it will be squishy and mushy since during the time of the leaking water, your ceiling or drywall has taken in a good amount of water. A newer spot will feel wet but the area won’t be soft to the touch.
  • Look for Rings: Remember how tree rings reveal the age of the tree? The same method can be used for water spots. An old water spot will have rings around it. They can 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 zero rings around it.
  • Examine the Materials: Materials such as thick paint and tiles can trap water, so if you have a water spot leaking through one of these, this can mean there’s been water lingering for a period of time. Knowing the materials can help you address your water damage problems more efficiently.
  • Mold Inspection: If bacteria has had time to inhabit the area, this indicates the damage caused by water has been present for approximately two to three days.
  • Deterioration: Your material won’t rot from the first situation of damage created by water. So if there has been deterioration, this indicates your material has been exposed to persistent flooding or standing water.

Water Damage Repair Technicians – Call Paul Davis

If you’re having problems with damages that are created by water, look to Paul Davis. It’s critical to fix any dripping pipes on your property before the damage becomes extensive. Our water damage restoration experts can detect dripping pipes and restore your house back to normal conditions no matter how big or small the job is. Contact us today at 989-894-4450 and a local franchise will be there to assist you.