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

When you have clogged sinks, bathtubs or toilets that flood, it’s obvious that water damage restorations will be required. Nonetheless, your house can experience water damage in ways that aren’t as evident. Since you have plumbing running throughout your house, you can have a pipe leaking or an accumulation of condensation between your ceilings and walls. It’s a troublesome incident since this isn’t visible- you won’t know until you there’s water damage, and then it’s hard to pinpoint how long the issue has persisted.

You can discover how old or new your water problems are by examining the water damage itself since the pipes are concealed. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find out an exact timeline, but we have some guidance on how to evaluate the damage so you can come up with an approximate time on how long you’ve had water in the damaged space.

Find Out the Age of Your Water Damage

By taking the steps listed below, you can find out the age of the damage produced by water:

  • History of the House: An older house may already have some previous water damage, so it’s critical to keep track of what’s there and to note if the damage alters overtime. Tracking the weather is a good idea as well, because if you have a a slow leak, it can take a while for a spot to surface. Taking note of your water damages can save you lots of time when pinpointing whether the damage caused from water is old or new.
  • History of the House: When your house has any water spots, it’s fundamental to take note of them when figuring out whether your water damage is old or new. Additionally, you’ll want to be cognizant of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as heavy rain. Know your house, because pipes with a slow drip can take some time to surface, and if you know what’s new and what’s old, you’ll be able to identify your problem quicker.
  • Touch the Spot: Go ahead and feel the spot, because this will inform you a lot about the age of the water damage. A new spot will feel wet but your drywall or ceiling will still feel the same, while an old spot will be spongy and soft since your material would have taken in a fair amount of moisture.
  • Look for Rings: Remember how tree rings show the age of the tree? The same method can be used for water spots. An old water spot will have rings around it. They will also be discolored because the spot gets saturated then dries and gets saturated again then dries again, etcetera. A new spot will be dark with no rings circling it.
  • Examine the Materials: It’s fundamental to know about the materials that comprise your ceiling or walls, because things like tiles or thick paint can trap the water. When this is the situation, even a small water spot can indicate the accumulation of water has been lingering for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria is there, the damage caused by water has lingered for nearly two to three days.
  • Decomposition: Deteriorated material indicates that the damage caused by water is either occurring on a regular basis or that it’s serious because there’s standing water. A first case of water damage typically doesn’t cause decay.

Eradicate Damage Produced by Water & Call Paul Davis

No matter the intensity of the damage caused by water, Paul Davis is here to assist. Our team of experienced water damage restoration contractors can resolve the problem and have your house back in good condition. Fix the issue now before it gets even worse and get in touch with us at 989-894-4450 for a local franchise near you.