Ways to Indicate if Your Water Damage is Old or New

A typical problem that a lot of residences run into is some form of damage caused by water. As water damage repair experts, Paul Davis understands the issues that water damage leads to, especially when it can’t be seen. Your home has plumbing running throughout it, including the inside of your walls and ceilings. If these pipes leak or have condensation on them, they can gradually deteriorate your ceiling or walls. One of the more hard situations to this is checking whether or not the damage caused by water is new or old.

Nevertheless, when you notice damage to your walls or water spots on your ceiling, these are clues indicating a leaky pipe or condensation causing a problem. Because the space is concealed, though, it’s challenging to ascertain how long the problem has been at hand. While there isn’t an approach to know precisely how long your water damage problem has lingered, there are some ways to diagnose whether the water damage is new or old.

Figure Out How Old the Damage Produced by Water is with This Guidance

You can obtain an approximate time frame of the damage produced from water by taking these steps:

  • History of the House: When your residence has any spots from water damage, it’s fundamental to keep track of them when figuring out whether your water damage is new or old. Additionally, you’ll want to be conscious of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface such as heavy rain. Know your property, since pipes with a slow drip can take awhile to surface, and if you know what’s old and what’s new, you’ll be able to diagnose your problem quicker.
  • History of the House: Keep track of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences like a heavy rain storm. Damages and spots derived from water can take awhile to surface if it’s a slight leak. If you occupy an older house, the water damage spots might have been there for some time. So it’s fundamental to keep track of the spots you perceive while finding out whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: Go ahead and feel the spot, because this can disclose a lot about the age of the water damage. A newer spot will be wet but your ceiling or drywall will still be durable, while an older spot will be soft and squishy because your material would have absorbed a good amount of water.
  • Look for Rings: You know how rings on a tree show how old a tree is? The same method can be used towards spots created by water. An older water spot will have rings around it. They can also be discolored since the spot gets wet then dries and gets wet again then dries again, etc. A newer spot will be darker with zero rings circling it.
  • Examine the Materials: It’s crucial to know about the materials that make up your ceiling or walls, since things like thick paint or tiles can actually trap moisture. When this is the case, even a small water spot can indicate the accumulation of water has been around for a while.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria, or mold, is present, your water damage has lingered for approximately two to three days.
  • Rot: Your material won’t rot by the first case of damage generated by water. So if there has been decomposition, this means your material has been susceptible to constant flooding or standing water.

Water Damage Restoration Contractors – Get in Touch with Paul Davis

If you’re having complications with damages that are caused by water, Paul Davis is here to assist you. It’s essential to take care of any leaks in your residence before the damage becomes extensive. Our water damage repair experts can detect dripping pipes and repair your property back to normal no matter the size of the job. Reach out to Paul now at (505) 471-1357 and near your location is there to assist you.