Water Spots - How Old Are They? - Discover by Following These Steps

One of the more persistent issues a house can go through is water damage. As water damage restoration professionals, Paul Davis knows the problems that water damage produces, especially when it isn't in sight. Your residence has pipes running throughout it, including the inside of your walls and ceilings. If these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can gradually deteriorate your ceiling or walls. One of the more difficult situations 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. Though, 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 sure way to indicate exactly how long the problem has persisted, but there are methods to estimate the age of the water damage.

Determine How Old the Damage Generated by Water is with These Steps

You can gain some insight on whether the damage generated by water is old or new by using these tips:

  • History of the House: An old home could already have some previous damage provoked from water, so it's essential to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage changes overtime. Keeping track of the weather is a great idea too, since, if you have a modest leak, it can take awhile for a water spot to surface. Keeping track of your water damages can save you lots of time when pinpointing whether your water damage is new or old.
  • History of the House: Keep track of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any strong weather you had in your area like a heavy rain storm. Damages and spots derived from water can take some time to pop up if it's a slight leak. Older properties could already have some water spots and damages that were sustained previously. So it's critical to keep track of the spots you notice while figuring out whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: You can feel the spot- this can reveal a lot about the age of the water damage. A newer spot will feel wet but your ceiling or drywall will still feel the same, while an older spot will be soft and squishy since your material would have absorbed a fair amount of water.
  • Look for Rings: If you see a darker spot with no rings around it, this indicates that the water damage is new. Older water damage usually has rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings shows the age. Discolored rings reveals that the area has been saturated, dried, saturated, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: Learn about the material around your house, because water and moisture can become trapped by tiles and thick paint. So if water spots show up through these types of materials, this indicates the buildup of water has remained for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria, or mold, is present, the damage generated by water has been present for about two to three days.
  • Decomposition: Your material doesn't usually decompose by the first case of water damage. So if there has been rot, this indicates your material has been susceptible to constant flooding or standing water.

Water Damage Repair Technicians - Call Paul Today

If you're having issues with damages that are generated by water, Paul Davis' professional team is here to assist you. It's essential to fix any leaks in your house before the damage becomes serious. Our water damage restoration professionals can detect dripping pipes and repair your house back to normal no matter how big or small the job is. Get in touch with us today at (519)336-2000 and a local franchise will be there to assist you.