What is Water damage?
Water damage is basically the loss of water because of water intruding where it will induce the attack of a material or a system with the help of destructive processes like growth, steel rusting, wood rotting, delamination of plywood etc. It has the ability to create mold, if not treated soon. The damage may be impossibly slow and minor like water spots which could destroy a surface, or it may be sudden and disastrous like a burst pipe or even flooding. Regardless of its speed, water damage is a major contributing factor to loss of property. It’s best suggested to repair water damage by professionals; the second one sees indications of it.
Early signs of Water Damage.
Time is extremely important while checking for and repairing water damage. Even though you can repair water damage by professionals, keeping an eye out for the earliest indicators helps nip the problem in the bud. The most obvious and early signs of water damage are visible on the surfaces of the house i.e. the floor, ceilings and walls. This may show itself as dark or wet spots and changes to the drywall and wearing off of the paint.
Alterations caused by water damage include cracking and flaking drywall or paint bubbling from the water. You may view large pools of water or even something as small as a moist carpet. A little moisture anywhere can indicate a disastrous situation over time. Amongst the most common water damage indications is hearing rushing water or a dripping sound. If you notice some moldy or musty smell, there’s a higher probability of water damage in your house. Most importantly, if you notice a spike in your water bill or other utility bills, check for water damage quickly and get repaired by a professional without wasting a second.
Indications of Water Damage
This part of the article discusses each indication of water damage in more detail; the more aware and knowledgeable you are about an issue like water damage, the quicker you can gain the resources to fix it.
1. Sounds of Dripping water: This is one of the earliest signs of water and also the only one which is heard before it is seen. If you hear things like dripping water, faucets which are leaking, creaky floorboards or the faint sound of rushing water, you may have water damage issues. These sounds may have been heard before, too, but if they start occurring more frequently or if you start hearing new sounds of water leaking from other places, you should be quick to act on it.
2. Pools and Puddles: Pools of water get accumulated at places where water has been dripping for a while. Of course, you can clean up the puddle and let it go for the first time, but if this problem persists and you find yourself cleaning many more puddles, it’s best to check for water damage.
3. Mold Formation: Mold is a type of airborne fungus. It is found in places with excess dampness and consistent moisture. Any surface like a wall or a ceiling which remains damp for a long time could develop mold. Mold usually appears blue, green or black. It appears fuzzy and may also grow out of sight, like under the carpets, behind bathroom tiles, basements – basically anywhere with excess moisture.
4. Damp, musty or Mouldy smell: The smell of dampness and mold is not something you can miss easily. If you persistently smell something like old cardboards or wet newspaper, you probably have mold which is an indicator of water damage.
5. Damaged Exterior Walls: Walk around the exterior of our house and check the roof for damages; it could be cracked, missing shingles or sound creaky. If you notice stagnant water anywhere outside your house, it could be a sign of water damage. This could be because of a poor drainage system in your yard, damaged gutters or gutter sprouts. If you suspect water damage, walk around the exterior of the house. It’s best to live in a house which is situated at the highest point of a property with the grounds sloping away from the house.
6. Damaged Flooring: Flooring starts showing signs of water damage in corners or rooms that are not used much. If water is seeping into the flooring, it may be because of a saturated foundation or leaky pipelines. This may also cause tiles to loosen and you may notice wood and linoleum getting warped and bucking carpets feeling wet and soggy.
7. Noisy Water Inlets: If there is a noise of water running even after you’ve turned the taps off, there is a chance of water leakage. The water hammer is a very frequently seen noisy pipe issue. It occurs when because the water is turned off, the high pressure in the pipes causes the water to search for a place to escape which makes it bang against the pipe’s walls.
8. Sudden rise in utility and water bill: This is an indication which is often ignored since rise in bills could be because of multiple other reasons, but actually, if your water bill has a sudden increase, there’s a very high possibility that there’s water leaking in your house which you aren’t even using.
Conclusion
Checking and fixing water damage requires special equipment which you may not be able to acquire at short notice, but you can easily check for smells and other visible signs yourself every few months. Mold is very risky for your health and ignoring signs of water damage can lead to a lot of risk to life and property. Therefore, it is best to repair the water damage by a professional without wasting time, because even though the early indications of water damage may seem harmless, they do contribute to harm which may not even be visible to the naked eye.
