How to Identify Water Damage In Your Home

When we spend hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home, most of us want it to look great. This involves getting the right furniture, painting it the right colors, decorating it tastefully and injecting your own personality into it.

However, in addition to finding great furniture and decorations, part of keeping a home looking great is watching out for (and fixing) potential damage. While most issues such as scuffs, dents or holes can be easily found and fixed, that isn’t always the case. For example, water damage can be tough to find and can also cost thousands of dollars to rectify.

If you identify serious water damage it is a good idea to call a trusted restoration company (such as Metrowide Restoration) and get some assistance. However, perhaps the most difficult part about water damage is actually knowing if you have it. With that in mind, this article is going to take a look at a few tips for how to identify water damage in your home.

Check the Pipes

Water gets throughout your home through a series of pipes that run through the walls, ceilings, and floors. As a result, if you are curious if you have water damage or have noticed potential warning signs, one of the first places you should look at are the pipes. You should go into places like your kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom to check the pipes for leaks, corrosion or water stains. Also, be sure to look for things like missing grout, mold or a lack of caulking. Now, just because the pipes look okay doesn’t mean that your home has no water damage. You won’t be able to check all of the pipes running throughout your home.

Use Your Sense of Smell

Our sense of smell is among the strongest senses we have. You should use this sense to try and sniff out water damage in your home. When water sits in the ceiling, floor or walls, it can eventually lead to mold or mildew. These have distinct smells and can be a good sign that water damage is present. While you might not be able to see the damage, your sense of smell doesn’t lie and will tell you if something is wrong. There is also a good sign that a smell might begin to develop without any visual clues, so listen to your nose!

Look for Texture Changes

While discoloration is a common sign of water damage, so are unexpected texture changes throughout your home. The texture on floors, ceilings and walls can change as a result of water seeping through and pooling. Changes in texture that can occur include warping, expansion and sagging. If you notice any of these occurring in your home, it is a good idea to call some professionals. The last thing you want to do is let that sit, as it could eventually lead to more damage.

Check Outside As Well

While you might think to only look inside for signs of water damage, this would be a mistake. You should check the roof and walls, while also ensuring there is proper drainage in your yard. If you see water pooling or sitting anywhere up against the house, this could be troublesome. Your house should be on the highest point of land on your lot and the ground should slope away, to allow gutters, rain and other sources of water to flow away. Water damage here could even damage the structure of your home, which is something everyone will want to avoid.

Hopefully, this article has been able to help you learn how to quickly and effectively identify water damage within your home.