Expert Water Damage Restoration Guide

When you have clogged bathtubs, toilets or sinks that flood, it's obvious that water damage restorations will be required. Nonetheless, your property can come under water damage in ways that aren't as distinct. Because you have plumbing running throughout your property, you can have a pipe leaking or an accumulation of condensation between your walls or ceilings. It's a difficult problem because this isn't visible- you won't know until you there's water damage, and then it's hard to identify how long the problem has persisted.

Since the pipes aren't visible, you can get an approximation of how long you've had water complications by examining the water damage itself. Unfortunately, it's hard to figure out an exact timeline, but we have some tips on how to evaluate the damage so you can come up with an approximate time on how long you've had water in the area.

Figure Out the Lifetime of Your Water Damage

By practicing the tips listed below, you'll be able to indicate the age of the damage induced by water:

  • History of the House: Take note of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences such as heavy rain. Damages and spots caused by water can take months to occur if the leak is modest. Older properties may already have some water spots that were sustained previously. So it's critical to take note of the spots you perceive while figuring out whether this is old water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: Keep track of any spots on your ceiling or walls and take into account any outside influences such as heavy rain. Damages and spots caused by water can take months to occur if the leak is modest. If your residence is an older home, the water damage spots may have been there for some time. So it's critical to take note of the spots you perceive while figuring out whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is aged, it will be spongy and squishy because during the period of the water leak, your ceiling or drywall has absorbed a good amount of water. You'll feel wetness with a new spot but the area won't be soft like an older spot.
  • Look for Rings: Having rings around your water damage spot presents age. Remember it as if it was a tree- the more rings, the older the damage generated by water is. Different shadings of the spot is useful because it indicates that the area leaks, dries, gets saturated, dries, etcetera. If it's a brand new spot produced by water, the area will be a single mark 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 indicate there's been a buildup of water for awhile. Knowing the materials can help you focus on your water damage problems more effectively.
  • Mold Inspection: If bacteria has had time to inhabit the space, this means your water damage has been present for about two to three days.
  • Rot: Your material won't decompose by the first situation of damage produced by water. So if there has been decomposition, this means your material has been susceptible to constant flooding or standing water.

Reach out to Paul - Your Expert Water Damage Restoration Contractors

For all your water damage restoration emergencies, get in touch with Paul Davis. If there's a leak that you can't find, it's vital to reach out to a professional. Paul Davis' professional team has the know-how and response time you need to maintain your property. To find a local franchise near your area, contact us at (705)645-5745 and we'll get a professional to come help you out.