10 Signs Of Home Water Damage

Water damage can wreak havoc on your home or office, and it is not always as obvious as your ceiling dripping. Water damage can appear on your walls and ceilings as a dark, wet spot and look like flaky or cracking drywall. 

You may also notice wet spots or puddles of water near your sinks, toilets, or pipes. Water damage can also show up as a musty, moldy smell, or worse, a sewage smell. 

Additionally, look for a sudden bill increase as this might be a sign there is a leak or a constantly running source of water in your home or office. 

Home water damage almost always means mold and mildew are growing, and this could lead to bad health effects for anyone who spends time in your home or office. Water damage can eat away at drywall and flooring and the longer it goes unchecked, the cost to repair and replace will increase. 

If you’re in Colorado, and not a plumber and a mold remediation specialist, we recommend calling HRS Restoration Services. We’re a full-service disaster restoration company with trained and certified employees to handle any disaster life or nature throws at you. 

HRS Restoration Services has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been a trusted resource for homeowners and employers in any location within Colorado. 

Our customers rave about our high level of customer service and attention to detail when working with our water damage home repair teams. 

 

What Is Water Damage?

Home water damage happens whenever water is introduced where it shouldn’t have been in the first place. Water needs to be able to drain, so any time that is not possible, it is likely that water damage will occur. If the water cannot properly drain, it will very quickly seep into carpet and flooring. 

If the water damage begins within walls or from the roof, signs of water damage appear as dark circular stains that are wet to the touch. This is when water damage home repair becomes important to homeowners like you.

 

What Causes Water Damage? 

When a leak or water incident happens, you may wonder how to check for water damage. Water damage is caused when there is an unexpected leak or weather event that leads to an excess of water anywhere it shouldn’t be. Water damage can result from a pipe break, a roof in need of repairs, a rainstorm, or a flooded basement. 

If the water cannot properly drain, it will very quickly seep into carpet and flooring. If the water damage begins within walls or from the roof, water damage can look like dark circular stains that are wet to the touch. 

 

Is Water Damage Dangerous? 

Water damage can be dangerous because it can lead to walls and flooring caving in, making your property uninhabitable and dangerous to inhabitants or customers. 

Water damage also means mold growths, hold and many people are especially susceptible to ill health effects. Symptoms of mold exposure may be a tip-off of water damage. 

Exposure to mold is even more dangerous for those with underlying respiratory problems. 

 

What Does Water Damage Look Like? 

Make sure you know how to check for water damage. Signs of water damage can be dark, round, wet spots on your ceilings and walls. A telltale sign of water damage behind walls and on the roof is peeling flaky paint. 

If you have a flood, you may see mold spores near where the flooring meets the wall. Wherever there is a point of entry in your home, you may notice water pooling or a damp, moldy smell and the feeling of dampness throughout.  

 

10 Signs You Have Water Damage In Your House 

Signs of water damage in the house can start out small and then quickly snowball. If you have a keen sense of smell, you may know right away that there’s been a water event. Let’s go over some of the telltale signs of water damage: 

 

1. Musty Odors Throughout House

The most likely source of a musty odor is mold. Water damage always leads to mold, so if you detect a musty odor in your home, 99.9% of the time it means you have water damage. 

 

2. Mold On The Walls, Baseboards & Caulk

Mold quickly grows on porous surfaces like wood and drywall. If you notice mold in these areas, it is more than likely that a water event caused it. 

 

3. Staining On The Ceiling

There is no logical reason that your light-colored ceilings should ever show brown stains unless there has been a leak from a storm, or a burst pipe, or a leaking appliance like a toilet. 

 

4. Peeling Paint & Wallpaper

The most common cause of peeling paint and wallpaper is moisture from a water event in your home. It is not an issue with the paint you chose. Peeling paint and wallpaper happens when water mixes with paint or when water seeps through wallpaper 

 

5. High Water Bill

Your water bill will likely be higher in the summer months due to more frequent lawn watering, but if your bill amount suddenly skyrockets without any noticeable or seasonal cause, you may have a water leak in your home. 

 

6. Warped Drywall

Unless you or the installer improperly installed drywall, the only other reason for it to warp is water damage. The culprit is usually a pipe break or a leaky roof. 

 

7. Soft Or Sagging Spots On The Floor

Excess water can eat away at flooring and cause it to soften and sag. The more water, the less structurally strong your flooring is. Floors are designed to last so if your floor is sagging, it is most likely because of excess moisture from a water event. 

 

8. Sound Of Water Running Or Dripping

Our morning and afternoon routines are chaotic and may mask the sound of water running. However, during quieter times of the day, either when your business is closed, or it’s nearing bedtime in your home, you may hear the sound of water rushing outside of your normal appliance use. 

 

9. Check For Rust On Hot Water Heater

Rust is a sign of corrosion and corrosion means that the hot water heater is breaking down and will begin to leak if it is not repaired or replaced. 

 

10. Standing Water, Puddles, Etc. 

Sometimes water damage is obvious in the form of puddled or pooled water. Water should always drain so a pool of water means that there’s a leak in your pipes or appliances or another entry point where there shouldn’t be. 

 

Why Choose HRS Restoration Services? 

Water damage can happen in a flash (maybe even a flash flood) so you need to act fast! Our water damage restoration team and construction crew can rid your home of excess water, fix the source of water damage, and repair and replace pipes and structures like drywall and flooring. 

Really, one call does it all when you call HRS. We’re trusted by Colorado homeowners and employers to provide a high level of customer service when water damage occurs.

 

Contact HRS Restoration Services Today! 

Call HRS Restoration Services at the first sign of water damage. Remember, water damage also means mold, and you can count on us to take care of any kind of mold growth that occurs in the wake of a flood, burst pipe, or any other kind of water event.