How To Find Water Damage is a guide, to help you find damages caused by water in your home. While much of the damages will show up immediately, and are obvious. Other damages will take longer to show any signs. The reason for this, wood when wet will swell, then as the wood begins to dry out it may split or crack. You may also see water stains at this time. Patience, how to find water damages, requires waiting for some items to dry, before you can check for the real damages.

How To Find Water Damage

How to find water damage, gives you knowledge to know what kind of damage to look for. It also explains how to check for water damage, pictures included. Water in your home can be devastating, without experience or knowledge you could be missing many of the damages. These missed damages will cost you money and headaches down the road.

How To Find Water Damage

Drying Time

How to find all your water damage, can not be rushed. Do Not hastily try to settle with the Insurance Company, just to get paid or close the claim. Because drying time, depends on how much water you had in your home. Basically, it comes down to the more water in the home, the longer the time required to dry out. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to know the full extent of all your damages.

How To Find Water Damage

Water Damages Check When Dry

• Wet furniture legs may discolor as they dry.

• Paint may peel off wet walls or water stains may start to appear. Doors may start to stick as door frames continue to swell.

• Mold and mildew may start to form. This is just a few of the problems that may show up as things begin to dry.

How To Find Water

Further down the post you will find more tips on how to find water damage.

However; if you are experiencing water damage now.

Click this link a flood now. Once the water is removed, and it is starting to dry. Certainly return and continue reading as the best is yet to come. Because that’s where you will find the information you need to find the damages.on this page to help find the damages.

Filing an Insurance claim?

Take pictures and document everything,

Take pictures and document everything, before you start the clean up. Its’ also very important you put the time and date on them. Also re-take pictures again when things are dry because your damages may change, If there are any dispute over your damages later on, this is your proof. It’s the best thing you can do to protect yourself. Most insurance companies, will honor your claims, that your policy covers. However; there are other Insurance companies that will do their best to deny or limit your claim. Don’t trust anyone, read my articles to gain knowledge about your claim.  Use the information to guide you in your decisions. Failure to do what is necessary in water damage can be a very costly mistake.

Water Removed, what next?

Removal of padding and its replacement is necessary.  Do not install padding on a wet floor it will cause mildew and odors.

Check for yourself, that the padding has been removed and replaced. It must be done to avoid unnecessary problems like mold, mildew, and odors.

Beware

Once removal of the water from the carpet is complete, the top of the carpet will dry fairly fast. This will give the false impression that the carpet will be dry soon and be fine. But that is far from the facts. As the backing of the carpet, will be wet for days. The carpet backing needs to have fans moving air underneath the carpet, and dehumidifiers to pull the water out. Any wet padding that is left, will end up with mold, mildew, and odors on damp days. Because it has taken to long to dry.

• Next you need to check the carpeting for stains from furniture legs or items with flat bottoms.

• Also check for stains under any books, newspapers, or other items left on wet carpeting.

•  Most importantly, check the carpet backing around the edges where wet, for any separation. When there is any separation, especially a couple of feet or more. It is a sign the backing was weakened by the water damage. Certainly this raises the possibility that after vacuuming and steam cleaning eventually the pile may pull away from the backing.

Check connecting rooms

Most importantly, you must also check on the opposite side of any wall that has wet carpeting against it. Because water will travel through the walls, and into the adjoining room. Raise the carpet in the adjoining room near the wet wall, and see if the padding is wet.

If in the event the pad is wet, then it also must be removed and replaced.

Also check both the walls and baseboards for water stains.

If your drywall is really wet check out my video it can be very helpful to you.

Look at baseboard, if it is pulling away from the wall? The wood is swelling from water.

Check all doors for sticking in areas that has been wet. Because the door frame may have swollen.

Run you hand down the sides of any kitchen or bathroom cabinets, if they had water in the room. If they are damaged you can feel the swelling.

Also look for swelling of the kickplate at the bottom of cabinets.

Check Floor Covering Next To Cabinets

Another place to check, floor coverings next to swollen cabinets, Because flooring may be raising up around the edges from the force of the wood swelling. Ceramic tile in most cases, is ok.

Next, check all wood furniture legs for splitting or discoloration. Check when wood is dry.

Due to pressed wood furniture having a common problem of swelling when wet. Therefore it is important to check carefully for any swelling or splitting.

Because wet pressed wood holds water which can lead to mold and mildew. Let them dry completely before looking for damage.

Take a look for water stains on any curtains, drapes, and sheers, especially at the bottom.

If any of your electronic equipment has been wet, don’t turn them on. Have a professional service them or have them replaced.

Check boxes that are on wet carpet, for water marks, if wet check contents.

Water from Roof Leak

• You will need an inspection of the roof to find the cause of the leak.
• Check ceilings for water stains or sagging, caution, sagging ceilings can collapse.  
• Roof leaks, water can run down inside the wall.
• You will need to look at top and bottom of the walls for stains, swelling, softness, mold/ mildew.
• If there was a lot of water you will need to follow check list above for water damage inspection.

What Water Damages are there,

However; this will depend on what type of water damage you experienced. Many of the following water damages claims, will result in different damages.

• Pipe leak, with clean water

• Lot or a little water?

• Major flood from a river over flowing it’s banks?

• Pool with chlorine overflow into the house?

• Water from a backup like septic or sewer water?

• Storm Tidal surge from the ocean, which is salt water.

• Water traveling over mud, rust, sand, chemicals, different materials, soils, items that transfer color etc.

• Water from a roof leak can bring in discolorations from roof shingles, tar paper, nails etc.

• More importantly, how long did the water stay in your home?

• An example would be a Pool with chlorine water, over flowing into the home could leave bleach stains on the carpet.

• There are so many things that can happen with water damage.

• Each home has different contents, and many will have different building materials.

It’s not possible to know everything in your home. However, I have tried to cover many of the common damages.

If this post how to find water damage was helpful to you, please let me know.

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Larry