Signs to Help Detect If Your Home Needs Water Damage Restoration
When it comes to water infiltrating your home, minor problems can quickly turn into a detrimental issue. Leaving water sitting for too long without rectifying the issue will result in having to outsource a water damage restoration team in the hopes of restoring your home to its pre-damaged condition.
If you can identify the water damage quickly after it’s occurred, you may still have to contact a water damage restoration company but there will be a much higher chance that your home will be fine with minimal damage. It’s also beneficial to know what to look out for in the case of water damage so that you can complete a brief inspection prior to moving into a new property. That’s why today we are sharing the signs to look out for so you can easily detect water damage within your home.
General Ways of Spotting Water Damage in a Home
Water Stains
Different coloured marks that appear on the floor, walls, or ceiling for no apparent reason are most likely what we call water stains. They can appear as slight discolouration’s or as a white/rust colour, depending on the extent of the damage. Although these water stains are easy to spot, they can appear in more inconspicuous locations in your home such as the crevices between walls.
Generally, these marks are caused by an undetected leak in the plumbing which could be a telling sign that your home may need some water damage restoration. Finding leaks can be difficult, which is why you should call our professional water damage restoration team. They’ll be able to identify if the water is from a current or previous issue and get underway on solving where it is coming from.
Mould
Although mould is a common occurrence in damp rooms of your home such as the bathroom when it’s found anywhere outside this space it’s a telling sign that there’s moisture where there shouldn’t be. To thrive in your home mould only needs two things and that’s moisture and oxygen. Once it begins growing in your home it spreads like wildfire, so it’s best to put a stop to it by finding the water source as soon as you notice mould spots.
Mould is an extremely dangerous fungus that can have detrimental impacts on your health and home. Normal, small amounts of mould that can generally be found in bathrooms are fine to take care of yourself but as soon as it’s found anywhere outside the usual small spots in your bathroom, needs to be handled by water damage restoration experts.
Humidity and Dampness
There’s one thing the inside of your home should never be: damp. Finding damp areas of floors, ceilings or walls is another sign that you have a leak, and it needs to be found quickly to prevent any further damage. Having damp spots in your home can also cause it to feel humid, so if you notice increased humidity within your home have a feel around to see if you can notice any damp areas that could be the cause.
Soft Timber or Damage to Paint
Timber and paint are often the first materials that begin to show signs of water damage. Water can cause hardwood flooring to start looking warped or have air pockets begin to lift the boards. Peeling paint is another simple sign to look out for, like flooring the paint may even have water underneath the service forming small bubbles on walls or ceilings. These are important things to look out for as they’re easy to spot signs that your home may need water damage restoration.
Detecting Water Damage in Walls
Identifying water damage within walls is a difficult task as there are usually no obvious signs. In some cases, what appears to be just a dirty mark on your wall can be caused by a much more serious issue. Although it may be difficult there are a few things you can do to help identify water damage behind walls.
- Check Around Your Home for Musty Odours
A musty odour within your home generally isn’t too hard to find and will only stick around the areas that are causing it. It’s important to not let the smell linger because these kinds of odours can be due to large amounts of water being absorbed into the drywall, which shouldn’t be a normal occurrence in your home!
- Mould Growth
Mould growth on random walls within your home is not normal. Signs of mould around areas that there is known plumbing fixes shouldn’t cause concern because there’s supposed to be dampness around the area. However, finding mould on walls where there are no known plumbing fixes is a red flag and should be investigated immediately by water damage restoration professionals.
- Visible Indicators
If water damage is excessive, you may start noticing visible indicators. Some of these visible indicators were listed above and include:
- Water stains (marks that are causing discoloration on your walls or floors)
- Peeling paint or wallpaper
- Walls looking warped
- Cracking
- Water pooling at the base of the wall
What To Do If You Detect Water Damage
Water damage is a serious issue that needs to be handled by a professional water damage restoration team as soon as you find it. Our team of water damage restoration experts at South QLD Restoration are only one call away 24 hours a day. We will be able to complete a full inspection of your home to detect where the water is coming from and the type of water it is so we can put a stop to the issue and begin the water damage restoration process in no time.
Don’t let water within your home linger, reach out to our team of specialists today.
