Whether or not you’re dutifully attending open homes on the lookout for your subsequent house, or have lived in the identical one for many years, you must at all times be looking out for water harm. That’s as a result of it’s greater than an eyesore: Water harm is an indication of a bigger drawback.
And in case you come throughout water harm whereas purchasing for a brand new house—or spot an space affected by it that you simply had by no means observed earlier than in your longtime house—you’ll wish to work out whether or not it occurred just lately, or is a remnant of a previous drawback. Right here’s easy methods to inform whether or not water harm is new or previous.
Learn how to inform whether or not water harm is new or previous
Figuring out whether or not water harm is latest or has been there for some time isn’t as a simple as you may assume (until you’re an expert), however these methods will help:
Contact it
Placed on a pair of gloves, protecting eyewear, and a face masks (there could also be mould current) and gently press on an area with water damage. If it feels moist, however the drywall or ceiling behind it’s nonetheless agency, the harm might be new. But when the wall or ceiling is damp and squishy or spongy, the water has had an opportunity to soak in, and it’s possible older harm.
Search for rings
Like a tree, the more rings an space with water harm has round it, the older it’s. Additionally take note of the colour of the rings: If there are a number of colours, it’s an indication that through the years, there have been a number of incidents that precipitated water harm in the identical place. Single darkish spots with out rings are sometimes new.
Verify for mould and decay
Mildew sometimes begins to develop on an space with water harm inside 48 hours, usually showing as small gray or black specs on partitions, flooring, or ceilings. If the mould has had an opportunity to unfold past the realm instantly affected by water harm, it’s in all probability not new.
Equally, in case you discover that components of your property with water harm have began to decay or deteriorate, it’s an indication that at the very least a few of it’s previous, and that the realm has possible flooded, or been the positioning of standing water a number of instances up to now.
Learn how to restore you house after water harm
Relying on what you discover out concerning the water harm in your house (or potential house), you could have to do some restore work—or rent somebody to do it for you.
This can be a subject Lifehacker has coated from just a few completely different angles, together with posts on everything you need to do if your property has water harm, how to repair water damage in your home (and when to panic about it), and, as soon as the basis trigger is taken care of, how to get rid of water stains on your ceiling.