Signs of Water Damage in Your Walls

Signs of Water Damage in Your Walls

Water damage in your walls is a common problem for many homeowners and there are many potential causes of water damage that you want to watch out for in your home. Sewage backups, flooding, and burst pipes are a few of the most obvious and common water damage causes in a home. Typically homeowners notice these right away while other issues are a little less obvious for homeowners to take note of. Some sources of water damage are hard to detect in a home, especially those such as water leaks behind walls. Since these water leaks are hidden, homeowners usually don’t identify them until they’ve already caused considerable damage to the home.

When drywall absorbs water it can cause mold to form and ultimately cause an even bigger issue to your home and walls. The worst part about drywall water damage is that it’s often too late by the time that you notice it’s happened and it’s already destroyed your walls and sometimes there will even be mold. If you’re a homeowner and are worried about water damage in your walls and how to identify them and fix them before they get worse, this article is for you.

What Is Water Damage?

Water damage usually comes from causes that you’re already familiar with such as extreme weather elements or burst pipes. These are common issues that are usually pretty easy to identify, but there are also other causes of water damage that are hidden. You might not think so, but even small drops of water leaking over time can cause some serious damage to your home and have lasting effects on your walls. If you’re not consistent with identifying and assessing signs of water damage in your home it can harm the structure of your home and lead to mold growth if not dealt with soon enough.

Hidden water leaks are the most dangerous in your home because they’re typically left undiscovered until considerable damage has already been done. When moisture and excess water get absorbed into the walls then it can not only damage your walls and cause warping, deterioration, and bubbling but it can also cause some serious health issues for your family if you aren’t careful. When left unattended, hidden water leaks can cause mold to grow and spread behind walls and ceilings where it’s hard to find. If you aren’t careful with taking care of the water leaks immediately your family’s health can be in serious jeopardy before you even notice the leaks are there.

How To Address Water Leaks

Regardless of where it’s coming from, you must address water damage immediately and solve the problem before it gets worse. The damage that’s caused by the water leaks will continue to spread and the situation will just get worse until it’s resolved. With water damage, it’s important that you fully resolve the issue, or else you could just make it worse and the issue will arise again. When you find a hidden water leak, make sure to stay calm and to fully evaluate the situation before you take any action.

Once you’ve evaluated the situation, find the source of the water and repair it. Depending on how bad the situation is you may need to replace the affected material but most times you’ll just be able to dry and restore it. The important thing to remember is that you want to catch water leaks early since even the smallest leaks, if left unattended, can make the situation worse and the repair process longer than necessary.

Signs Of Water Damage In Your Home

To make sure that lasting damage isn’t done to your home and that you’re taking the right precautions, you need to be sure that you’re constantly searching for any signs of water damage in your home. You want to do routine checks and make sure that you’re always aware of your walls and the condition that they’re in. You also want to be sure that you know what you’re looking for so that you can identify it early on and catch it before it becomes a bigger issue.

If you notice any of the following signs of water damage in your home make sure that take action immediately to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Stains

If you notice paint discoloration or stains appear on your walls or ceilings it’s an obvious sign of water damage and one that you want to take care of right away. It’s typical for people to assume that this is a stain they can paint over and it’ll take care of it, but this is the opposite of what you want to do. Often this will only be a temporary solution and the issue will resurface through the new paint and you’ll be right back where you started. If you see any stains on your ceilings or floors you want to take action whether it’s calling a water damage cleanup specialist or tackling the project yourself.

Deteriorating Walls

Sheetrock behind your walls is usually very absorbent and it will lead to deteriorating walls. The more water that it absorbs the worse the structural damage to your home will be and the more the wall itself will start to fall apart. When this happens it can be difficult and expensive to fix, which is why you want to make sure that you take action if you notice any of these issues at all. This isn’t something that you want to delay since the longer you put it off the worse the situation will get.

Strange Smells

Sometimes water damage isn’t as easy to spot and this is where you want to make sure that you’re using all your senses to identify when there might be an issue. When water starts to absorb into your walls, especially any water that absorbs into the wood, it’s going to have a specific scent. Typically it’ll be musty and strange smelling so you’ll notice that something is off pretty quickly. If the water leak is pretty severe and already progressed then it may already be molding and you’ll be able to smell the presence of mold in your home pretty quickly. If you start to smell anything out of the ordinary in your home do your best to find the exact location and see if there’s a leak.

Peeling Paint

If you’re noticing that the paint on your walls and ceilings is peeling or flaking it’s usually a sign of water damage in your home. When extra moisture is collecting in your drywall, it’s going to try to escape through your walls and ceilings and this will ultimately cause the paint to lift off the surface. The water damage can spread easily and you’d be surprised at how fast the situation can escalate if you aren’t careful to deal with it immediately.

Look For Mold

This one may seem obvious, but you want to make sure that you’re always looking out for mold. Remember that mold grows and does best in damp locations and the darker spots of your home. This means that mold may be hiding in the spots that you don’t even check such as the dark crevices behind your furniture or in hidden spaces. But mold can cause huge health issues and it’s often a strong indication of water damage which is why you want to take it seriously. If you see any mold at all in your home instantly call a mold specialist to take care of the issue.

In cases of water damage, immediate action is crucial. Once you've stopped the source by calling a plumber or addressing the issue directly, your next call should be to a public adjuster, even before filing your insurance claim. Our experts ensure you capture all relevant damages and navigate the complexities of insurance claims to secure the full compensation you deserve.

UCS offers free consultations to review your insurance policy and guide you through the claims process effectively. Let us help you manage your claim and maximize your settlement.