Signs of Water Damage

6/21/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage can come from many different sources, including hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, local flooding, burst pipes, and leaking appliances. It also has many different signs. It can appear quickly or slowly and make its way into your ceilings, floors, and walls, all of which have slightly different signs of damage. If a water leak is left unattended or not noticed immediately, water damage can occur. Wet rot can cause wood damage, structural issues, pose mold and other health effects, and become a financial headache down the road. Look for these water damage signs when trying to detect water damage in your ceiling:? 

• ?Peeling, bubbling, or flaking paint 
• Small hairline cracks or a larger, spiderwebbed pattern of cracks 
• Water rings, usually a light brown color 
• ?Mold growth, especially in corners where walls and ceilings meet, and often in humid rooms or locations such as basements 
• Sagging, bowed ceilings 
• Water stains, often a dark, yellow color, or similar in appearance to rust 
• Musty smells 

When it comes to water damage on your walls, look for the following signs: 

• Softened drywall. If safe to do so, press on the areas where you suspect there’s water damage. If the wall sinks inward or becomes depressed in some way, you likely have water damage on the inside, even if the exterior appears normal. 
• Discoloration, often appearing in the form of streaks that can be short or quite long, running down the wall in affected areas 
• Water rings, usually a light brown color 
• Cracked, bubbling, or flaking paint. When water damage occurs inside a wall, it can often stretch the paint on the outside, leading to bubbles of varying sizes that can pop and cause even more damage. 
• Musty smells 

Water damage almost never gets better if left unattended, watch for these signs and protect your home by calling SERVPRO of Salem/Plaistow at 603.893.9700.