Pro Water Damage Restoration Tips
When you have clogged sinks, bathtubs or toilets that flood, you know that you're in need of water damage restoration. Unfortunately, your property can sustain water damage in ways that aren't as straightforward. Since you have pipes running all over your home, you can have a pipe leaking or a buildup of condensation between your ceilings and walls. It's an alarming problem because this isn't visible- you won't know until you have water damage, and then it's hard to diagnose how long the issue has persisted.
It's difficult to check how old the the damage generated by water is for these spaces that can't be seen. Nevertheless, you could have a pipe that's been slightly leaking for awhile but because it's been hidden, you don't have a timeline. There's no way to indicate exactly how long the problem has persisted, but there are some ways to estimate the age of the water damage.
Discover the Time Frame of the Damage Produced by Water
You can figure out whether your water damage is new or old by following these steps:
- History of the House: If your home has any spots caused from water damage, it's fundamental to take note of them when figuring out whether your water damage is new or old. Also, you'll want to be observant of any weather that could bring hidden water damage to the surface like a rain storm. Know your property, since modest leaks can take awhile to surface, and if you know what's new and what's old, you'll be able to diagnose your problem faster.
- History of the House: Keep a record of any spots on your walls or ceilings and take into account any outside influences like a heavy rain storm. Water spots and damages can take awhile to occur if it's a slight leak. If your residence is an older house, the water damage spots might have been there for awhile. So it's fundamental to take note of the spots you see while indicating whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
- Touch the Spot: You'll be able to determine whether your water damage is new or old just by touching it. An old spot will be spongy because the material has absorbed a lot of moisture. A new spot will be wet, however, the material will still have a solid feel to it.
- Look for Rings: Having rings around the damaged spot generated by water reveals age. Think about it as if it was a tree- the more rings it has, the longer the water damage has been around. Color variations of the blemish is also helpful since it indicates that the area leaks, dries, leaks, dries, so on and so forth. If it's a brand new water spot, the area will be a single stain with no rings around it.
- Examine the Materials: Get to know the material in your property, since water can become trapped by thick paint and tiles. And if spots generated by water show up through these types of materials, this means the buildup of moisture has been lingering for a period of time.
- Mold Inspection: If you find that bacteria, or mold, is there, your water damage has lingered for nearly two to three days.
- Decay: If your materials rot from damage produced by water, this is usually the issue of consistent flooding or standing water. Rot usually doesn't happen from the first situation of a leak.
Get a Professional Water Damage Restoration Contractor
For all your water damage restoration emergencies, get in touch with Paul Davis. If there's a pipe dripping that you can't identify, it's fundamental to contact a professional. Paul Davis' professional team has the know-how and response time you need to get your home back in order. For a local franchise in your area, reach out to us at (905)856-5737 and we'll get an expert for your assistance.