Water damage is one of those things that you never want to deal with as a homeowner. It is no secret that water can cause significant property damage and it can be costly to reverse. When it does occur, the signs of water damage often show up along your walls and ceilings as well as your flooring. Other signs can indicate damage caused by water as well. As a property owner, you need to be able to answer the following question.
What does water damage look like? The signs of water damage include peeling, flaking, and bubbling paint as well as hairline and spiderweb cracks. Water rings that are brown in color are a common water damage indicator. Another sign of damage is the growth of mold. It often appears in corners where ceilings and walls meet. Humid rooms and basements are also areas that can be susceptible to the growth of mold and water damage in general.
With these points made, we will now take a more detailed look at the various signs of water damage and the locations around the home where they typically appear. Whenever water damage does strike your Lexington, Kentucky area property, our team at ServiceMaster Fire & Water Damage Restoration is here to help. We use our knowledge and experience along with the latest remediation, repair, and restoration methods to help you get your home back to normal after it sustains water damage.
What Does Water Damage Look Like on Walls?
There are several key signs that indicate water damage on your home’s walls. They include:
- Drywall That Has Softened – If you can safely do so, pushing on an area of drywall you think might be water-damaged will help you confirm your concerns. If the wall sinks inward or it depresses, it is likely that you are dealing with water damage on the inside.
- The Presence of Discoloration – If you notice discoloration, often taking the form of streaks both short and long, that run down your walls after contact with water, it is a common sign of damage.
- Water Rings – These usually take on a light, brownish color.
- Paint That Bubbles, Cracks, or Flakes – Water damage on walls often shows up in the form of bubbling, cracking, or flaking paint. This is because water from inside a wall can end up stretching paint on its outside. This stretched paint can then pop and cause additional damage.
- Musty Smells – The presence of foul, musty smells is another tell-tale sign of water damage on walls.
What Does Water Damage Look Like on Flooring?
Your home’s floors are another common area where signs of water damage can be seen. What does water damage look like? The signs of water damage on floors include:
- Buckling – Buckling is when flooring materials separate from the seams and start to peel upward. This commonly happens after the flooring area has been subjected to flooding.
- Warping – Warping, cracking, and bubbling are also tell-tale signs of flooring that has sustained water damage.
- Cupping – Cupping is when flooring plank edges curl upward. This leaves the middle with a slight depression.
- Discoloration – Flooring discoloration can indicate the presence of mold and mildew.
- Crowning – Moisture loss within flooring can leave the middle part raised up with the edges lowered. It often causes the planks to become rounded as well.
- The Presence of Musty, Unpleasant Odors – The presence of musty, unpleasant odors coming from your home’s flooring is another sign that water damage has occurred.
Other Common Water Damage Signs
There are some other signs of water damage that you need to be aware of when inspecting your property. These additional signs include:
- Peeling wallpaper
- Sudden water bill increases
- Musty odors in your home
- The growth of mold which generally starts in th seams of your flooring and your ceilings
- Warping, buckling of surfaces
What Does Water Damage Look Like on Ceilings?
It is important to remember that your home’s ceiling is also an area that is particularly susceptible to water damage. You need to be able to recognize the signs of damage there as well. The good news is the fact that water damage on the ceiling is pretty easy to identify. If water is currently leaking from your ceiling, then it is quite straightforward to diagnose water damage but it can also show up in several other ways.
What does water damage look like? The signs of water damage on your home’s ceiling can include:
- Discolored spots – often yellow, copper, or brown in color
- Discolored growths on the ceiling
- Odors coming from the ceiling that indicate the growth of mold and mildew
- Stains on the ceiling
- A sagging ceiling
- Bulging patches of drywall
- Surfaces that peel, crack, or bubble
These problems indicate the presence of a moisture issue in your ceiling materials. If you identify any of these issues on your ceiling, it is likely that you could be dealing with a water damage issue that should be addressed as quickly as possible.
What Should You Do If You Identify Water Damage in Your Home?
If you identify a water damage issue in your home, acting quickly is important. You want to make sure that you cut off the source of the water that is causing the damage whenever possible. If water is leaking from appliances, you should stop using them until the issue can be addressed. Water should be cut off to any leaking pipe until it is repaired. You also want to remove any water-damaged items from the area as quickly as possible to prevent the damage from getting worse.
Perhaps the most important step you can take if you notice water damage in your home is to contact our remediation, repair, and restoration professionals here at ServiceMaster Fire & Water Damage Restoration. You can count on a quick response from our dedicated team of water damage contractors. Our goal is to help you get your home back to the way that it was before water damage occurred!
