Noticed some weird smells in your property? Certain parts of your walls cracked? Your paint is deteriorating? Wondering if these are the signs of water damage?
If you’ve answered YES to some or all of these questions, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, you’ll learn common red flags to look out for if you’re suspecting that your property has water damage.
In a Hurry? Here Are Quick Signs to Take and Inspect For:
- Mold
- Musty odors
- Peeling or bubbling paint
- Wall stains and cracks
- Uneven/warping floors
- Water sounds
- Increased water bills
Need further insight? Wonder what to do next? Great, keep on reading!
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Water Damage Signs to Look Out For
Let’s cover each of the bulleted signs above step-by-step.
Mold
Mold is the primary sign of water damage. Its presence in a property can put the health of all family members at risk, including pets. One of the most dangerous mold species, black mold (officially known as Stachybotrys chartarum), can go as far as to cause respiratory problems.
The tricky thing is that mold itself can sometimes be difficult to spot. Mold grows in dark and damp areas, often lurking in the shadows. However, if you have a lot of it, it can be pretty hard to miss unless you don’t check the room very often (like, for example, the basement). In addition to this, mold is often accompanied by a very unpleasant, musty smell.
If you’ve noticed that but you can’t see mold, perhaps you should do a little more digging or even hire a professional mold removal specialist who also does mold inspection to help you. But there’s a catch…
Musty Odors
Presence of musty and damp odor doesn’t ALWAYS have to be a sign of mold, only water damage. We don’t need to describe how dampness smells – stale and pungent, exceptionally uncomfortable. Sniff around if you’ve noticed such a smell and try to find a leak. Be careful though, inhaling too much of this smell can potentially cause you to feel dizzy and nauseous. Use your own judgment to tell if you can access the potentially hazardous area on your own.
Peeling or bubbling paint
Peeling paint can be caused by multiple things, but one of the most common perpetrators is water damage. To simplify, paint doesn’t get along with moisture and dampness, and it starts flaking off due to the paint’s adhesion being weakened.
If you’ve properly painted your walls and they were clean prior, there’s a good chance that your paint is peeling because of water damage.
Same goes for bubbling, although this can also be caused by heat.
A good tip for you to use if you’re unsure is to look for all or multiple signs from this list, not just one. You may be unsure if the bubbles were caused by water or heat, but when combined with presence of mold and bad smells you do get a very clear answer in most cases.
Wall stains and cracks
Similar point. Wall cracks can be caused simply because of the house “settling” and they pose a tiny annoyance inexpensive to fix. However, wall cracks AND stains/discoloration can indicate a leak.
Uneven/warping floors
In this case, depending on the situation, you may WANT the cause to be water damage instead of something else. That “something else” can happen to be foundation damage which at times can be extensive and very expensive to fix.
In a nightmare scenario, water damage occurred in your basement and has damaged the home’s foundation, potentially to the point of it being irreparable.
Please note that this does not AT ALL have to be the case. Most of the time, your hardwood floors simply warped due to a leak. However, to be sure, you still want to further investigate if your floors are uneven.
Water sounds
Weird dripping sounds that keep your children awake at night? No, it’s not ghosts but there’s still a reason for concern. If these sounds are persistent, please inspect for a leak, especially if some of the previously mentioned signs are present too.
Increased water bills
After everything else, if your wallet is suffering due to increased water bills, yet everything seems fine on the surface, still stay on high alert. Your wallet could take a much harder hit down the line if the leak keeps going at it for months (or years).
Inspect for a leak if you have a suspicious water bill lately.
Best Water Damage Restoration Service
If you’ve found a leak and need help with repairing water damage, call us. Unfortunately, your water damage situation may not get insurance coverage if you’ve not properly maintained the property. However, we’ll do our best to help. Give us a call and receive competent assistance with your case.
Learn more:
- Water Damage Restoration Costs
- What Happens if Water Damage is Left Untreated
- Should You Replace Drywall If It Gets Wet