3 Ways To Spot Water Damage In Your Home

1. 3 Ways To Spot Water Damage In Your Home The phrase “water damage” is typically accompanied by a mental image of water rushing into your basement, furniture floating, and ancient family heirlooms destroyed. While this does happen, and is terribly devastating when it occurs, there are actually many more subtle ways water can creep into your home and wreak havoc upon your household and personal belongings. Structural damage, poorly maintained appliances, leaky roofs, and more can all lead to small, silent instigations of water damage that can snowball into very serious and very hazardous situations. Oftentimes, these less explosive types of water damage go unnoticed and unchecked for a long time. Usually, it isn’t until the water damage is a major issue that it is addressed. It is important to be able to recognize the signs of water damage so that you can catch it immediately and call a professional water damage restoration service to handle it before it gets out of hand. Below, we have compiled a list of three easy ways to spot water damage in your home, including mold and odors, discoloration and structural decay, and recent events. MOLD AND ODORS Have you ever left a loaf of bread on the counter for too long, and that fuzzy blue or white stuff begins to grow on it? That is mold. Our natural instinct is to throw out the old bread or whatever food is affected by the mold, because not only is it gross, but it can pose serious health threats. Mold caused by water damage should be treated with the same hand of urgency. Points of water damage are the prime breeding ground for mold spores, and if left unattended, can grow into a serious issue that can harm all those in your household. You can spot mold as green, blue, white, or black in color, but oftentimes it is airborne or invisible to the naked eye. How do you detect invisible mold? One answer: smell. If you notice a strong, musty odor anywhere in your home, you probably have mold growth and should call a professional to inspect it immediately. And, odds are, where there is mold growth, there are other damages caused by water. DISCOLORATION & STRUCTURAL DECAY It is common for old houses to have apparent “water rings” in many places, including the ceiling, walls, floors, and even furniture. Paint can be yellowing or browning, or even turning black, and can chip, peel, bubble, or crack. These are subtle signs of water damage, and while they may simply seem cosmetic, the damage beneath the surface is enough to call for a restoration service directly upon taking notice. This is because water damage can cause serious structural decay. Floors can warp or swell, roofs can sag, and, the most alarming of them all, is that windows, doorframes, and the very foundation of your home can actually be made uneven or crack. This puts the structural integrity of your home at high risk of destruction and should be addressed immediately. Do not let what may seem to be simple water rings go unchecked.

2. RECENT EVENTS Did your child or grandchild accidentally let the water run for too long recently? Did a hose get left on close to your house and flood the inside? Did you have a clogged toilet or drain? Has a recent storm or natural disaster taken place near you? If so, it is more than likely that your home has been subject to some degree of water damage, and should be professionally taken care of before it becomes a greater problem. Even if you haven’t detected any visible signs yet, professional restoration services are fully equipped to conduct an in-depth analysis of your home and will ensure that anything you might not have noticed is addressed. Contact Mammoth Restoration & Cleaning for water damage restoration in Columbus! Our water damage restoration experts know how to mitigate the problem and prevent further damage.