Is Your Water Damage New or Old?

How Long has that water stain been there? Is it new? It is prudent to work out whether water damage is old or new, so you are aware of how extensive the damage could possibly be, and what exactly you have to do in order to stop the water intrusion. Check out these tips to better prepare yourself.

#1| What is the Main Material?

Water impacts different substances in various ways. If brick, tile, or a different difficult material was influenced by water damage, odds are the harm is old. It requires time to put on these substances and make leaks. On the flip side, if the damage is in drywall, hardwood floors, or carpeting, it might be old or new water damage. Even a little bit of water may impact these materials straight away.

#2| Are There Rings?

Drywall, hardwood floors, along with other porous materials can develop “rings” if they’ve suffered water damage during a lengthy time period. If it occurs a couple of times, the result is similar to a number of rings of water damage, some big and some small. In other words, the water damage is older. In addition, this routine of water damage ensures the water damage is more irregular. It occurs often, however, there are dry spells in which the substance can dry out. The origin of water might be a pipe that just runs occasionally, such as the supply pipe into the shower. Or, it might be the end result of a roof leak, which merely causes water damage if it rains.

#3| How Does the Water Damage Feel?

Regions that have fresh water damage are most likely to be moist but not weak. Should you feel the damage and the drywall is tender, the water has had time to soak in and destroy the integrity of this material. In other words, the water damage is very likely to be old. Although, it is important to be aware that tough materials such as vinyl might never soften in any way.

#4| Evaluate Mold Type

Broader mold growth can signify that the water damage is much over. Although, not having mold does not necessarily indicate the damage is fresh. There might be additional environmental variables that describe the deficiency of mold development. Perhaps it’s too cold or hot for mold to grow. Or, maybe the surplus moisture dries too fast. In case you’ve got a HEPA filter operating it may be eliminating mold spores, restricting their expansion to the water-damaged region.

#5| Ask the Experts

If you are thinking about how to tell whether water damage is old or new, it is probably because you are unsure of the origin, or in the event that you’re able to blame the previous owner of your house for the problem. Consulting with recovery experts can help. They can evaluate the age and seriousness of the harm.

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