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The problem with water damage is that it is often difficult to spot in its early stages. Unless you can actually see it, water damage can take a very long time to detect. In that time, water can do a whole lot of damage to various parts of your house and increase the cost of repair and remediation immensely.
So, is there a way to detect water damage before it becomes obvious? We asked water damage experts from The Cleanup Guys to share some of their trade secrets.
Strange, Musty Odors
Do you know that old, musty smell that your basement probably has? Or that you strongly associate with basements? Most people describe it as the smell of wet newspaper or soaked cardboard.
Well, that smell is actually mold. Mold typically loves dark, and more importantly, damp places. That’s why basements are ideal for mold growth, they are poorly lit and tend to retain moisture, especially if there are water pipes in there.
However, if you start smelling the same thing outside your basement, like in your living room, or any other part of your house, it may very well be the case that you are having some water damage problems.
Depending on your timing, the damage may be fairly minuscule and require very little from you, or you may be just in time to prevent a veritable catastrophe from severely damaging your house.
If these smells occur or intensify after strong rainfall, you may be having a leaky roof or foundation, depending on where the smell occurs. Neither of these issues should be ignored and the sooner you start resolving them, the better.
Increase in the Water Bill
For the most part, you should know how much money you are spending on bills each month.
The exact figure can vary slightly, depending on the specifics of the month, but generally, your spending should be consistent.
That means that, if there is a deviation in your bills, there must be a reason. If your electricity bill is much higher than usual, chances are that one or more of your appliances is not functioning properly and spending more electricity to perform the same functions as before (furnaces and air conditioning units are very common examples of this).
On the other hand, if your water bill is higher, and you haven’t been doing anything out of the ordinary (like filling up your pool, or watering your entire lawn every week), it may be a sign that there is a leak somewhere and that you are not only paying more for water, but also experiencing a plumbing issue.
Visible Changes
Finally, there are the hard-to-miss visible changes to your home which are a clear indication that there’s something wrong.
If you start seeing discoloration or other types of stains on your walls, floors, or ceilings, more likely than not, it is a sign that there is a slow and persistent water leak problem.
On the other hand, if you notice mold growing anywhere in your house, you can be certain that those places are constantly damp for a long period of time. Whether it is due to a leaky pipe or an external source is less relevant than actually doing something about it.
A more glaring and alarming type of change is swelling of the walls, ceilings or floors. Most of our homes are made of wood, a material which can absorb a certain amount of water. However, the side effect of it can be the swelling of the material.
If you spot problems such as these, even without seeing any water in your home, you can be all but certain that you have water damage and that you will need to invest in water damage restoration in order to get your house back in top form.
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