How to Figure Out the Age of a Water Spot – Water Damage Repair

When you have clogged bathtubs, toilets or sinks that overflow, it’s obvious that you’re in need of water damage repair. Nonetheless, your home can come under water damage in ways that aren’t as clear. Because you have plumbing running all over your property, you can have a pipe leaking or an accumulation of condensation between your ceilings and walls. It’s a difficult situation because this isn’t in sight- you won’t recognize it until you there’s water damage, and then it’s difficult to identify how long the problem has lingered.

It’s hard to check how old or new the the damage produced by water is for these areas that aren’t visible. Nevertheless, you could have a leaky pipe that was slightly dripping for awhile but because it’s not in plain sight, you don’t have a timeline. There’s no way to determine the precise time of the problem, but there are some ways to approximate the age of the water damage.

Determine the Age of Your Water Damage

By practicing the tips listed below, you’ll be able to indicate how new or old your water damage:

  • 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. Water spots and damages can take awhile to occur if it’s a slight leak. If you live in an older house, the spots produced by water damage could have been there for awhile. So it’s essential to keep a record of the spots you observe while indicating whether this is new water damage or old water damage.
  • History of the House: An older home could already have some previous water damage, so it’s important to keep a record of what’s there and to note if the damage changes over a period of time. Keeping track of the weather is a good idea too, since, if you have a small leak, it can take months for a water spot to appear. Keeping track of your water spots and damages can save you a lot of hassle when determining whether your water damage is old or new.
  • Touch the Spot: If the water spot is old, it will be spongy and soft because during the period of the leaking water, your ceiling or drywall has taken in a good amount of water. You’ll feel moisture with a newer spot but it won’t be soft to the touch.
  • Look for Rings: If you see one darker spot with zero rings around it, this demonstrates that the water damage is new. Older water damage will have rings around it, and like trees, the more rings determines the age. Discolored rings shows you that the spot has been soaked, dried, soaked, dried, etc.
  • Examine the Materials: Learn about the material around your home, because water can become trapped by thick paint and tiles. And if spots created by water show up through these types of materials, this indicates the accumulation of water has been lingering for a period of time.
  • Mold Inspection: Bacteria growth typically implies the damage produced by water has been there for approximately two to three days.
  • Rot: If your materials decompose from damage created by water, this is usually the issue of consistent flooding or standing water. Decay usually won’t happen from the first case of a leak.

Eliminate Damage Produced from Water & Call Paul Davis

For any water damage repair needs, call Paul Davis. When there’s a pipe dripping that you can’t detect, it’s vital to contact an expert. Paul Davis’ skillful team has the experience and response time required to get your property back in order. For a local franchise near your location, give us a call at (586) 792-6933 and we’ll get an expert to come help you.