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How To Determine If Your Home's Water Damage Is Recent Or From The Past
There’s nothing more upsetting than discovering water damage in your home. Water damage can destroy your possessions, attract mildew, mold, and pests, and cause structural damage to your home. Regularly monitoring your home for water damage is a great way to protect yourself. However, if you live in one a beautiful older home it can be difficult to tell if the water damage is recent or if it’s from the past. Here are our tips to tell if the water damage in your home is new or old.
Three Steps To Determine If A Water Spot Is Old Or New
If you’ve found evidence of water damage in your older home, here are some steps you can take to identify if the spot is older or newer:
1. Touch The Spot
If there is an area that you believe may have some water damage feel around it. If the area feels moist you may have water damage. If the surface feels “mushy” or softer it could also be a result of the water damage. In both of these cases, the water damage is new. If the surface is dry and solid to the touch, the water damage is older. Make sure to wash your hand immediately after because water damage often brings microbes and mold spores.
2. Look For Rings
If you find a spot that looks like water damage, examine it for rings. If there are rings it means that the water damage is older because it has dried and shrunk, leaving behind rings. Just like with a tree, the more rings there are the older the water damage. These rings can be many colors depending on the source of the water ranging from white to orange to black. On the other hand, if the spot is still solid and dark, the water damage is older.
3. Inspect For Decay
Any kind of decay including corrosion, rotten wood, and thinning materials is usually a sign of water damage. The more significant the decay, the longer the water damage. So if the area where you suspect water damage has any examples of decay, it’s likely to be older. If there are not yet signs of decay, it’s likely newer water damage.
These three steps will help you determine the age of your water damage. However, no matter how old the damage is, it’s important to work with a professional water damage restoration company. If the water damage is older, the impact of the damage was not properly remediated. Meaning there could still be risks in your home. If the damage is newer, it may still be ongoing. In either case, a professional water damage restoration company can help ensure your home is safe.