Follow These Steps to Find Out the Age of Water Spots

A common issue that a lot of residences face is some form of water damage. As water damage restoration professionals, Paul Davis is aware of the issues that water damage generates, especially when it isn't in sight. Your house has pipes running throughout it, including the inside of your walls and ceilings. When these pipes have condensation on them or a leak, they can gradually erode your walls and ceilings. One of the more frustrating aspects to this is determining whether the water damage is new or old.

Because the pipes are hidden, you can get an approximation of how long you've had water problems by evaluating the water damage itself. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find out an exact timeline, but we have some advice on how to examine the damage so you can come up with an estimated time on how long you've had water in the damaged space.

Find Out the Time Frame of Your Water Damage

The following step-by-step process can help you gain insight in finding out whether your water damage is new or old:

• History of the House: An old home could already have some previous damage produced from water, so it's fundamental to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage changes overtime. Tracking the weather is a great idea as well, since, if you have a small leak, it can take awhile for a water spot to appear. Taking note of your water spots and damages can save you a lot of hassle when finding out whether the damage produced from water is new or old.
• History of the House: An old home could already have some previous damage produced from water, so it's fundamental to keep track of what's there and to note if the damage changes overtime. Tracking the weather is a great idea as well, since, if you have a small leak, it can take awhile for a water spot to appear. Taking note of your water spots and damages can save you a lot of hassle when finding out whether the damage produced from water is new or old.
• Touch the Spot: When the water spot is old, it will be spongy and squishy because during the period of the water leak, your ceiling or drywall has taken in a good amount of water. You'll feel wetness with a new spot but it won't be soft to the touch.
• Look for Rings: When you see one dark spot with no rings around it, this shows that the water damage is new. Old water damage usually has rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings determines the age. Different shades and colors of rings exhibits that the area has been saturated, dried, saturated, dried, etc.
• Examine the Materials: It's crucial to be cognizant of the materials that make up your ceiling or walls, because things such as tiles or thick paint can trap the water. When this is the circumstance, even a water spot that's small can mean the buildup of water has been remaining for a period of time.
• Mold Inspection: Bacteria, or mold, development normally indicates that your water damage has lingered for about two to three days.
• Decomposition: When your materials decay from water damage, this is usually the consequence of repeat flooding or standing water. Decay usually doesn't occur from the first situation of leakage.

Reach out to Paul - Your Experienced Water Damage Restoration Contractors

When you're having problems with damages that are generated by water, Paul Davis is here to help out. It's fundamental to fix any dripping pipes in your home prior to the damage becoming more extensive. Our water damage restoration experts can detect a leak and fix your house back to normal no matter the size of the job. Get in touch with us now at (705)360-1124 and franchise near your area will be there to help out.