If you spot swelling in your walls, it could be a sign of a serious problem. Swelling or buckling of your walls means that the wood or dry-wall has absorbed quite a lot of water, especially if you can visibly see the effect.
Within the first 24 hours of a leak or flood, mold development, damage to floors, walls, and electrics, and even structural issues can occur. This is why it's always best to quickly hire a water cleanup pro near you for a consultation and repair.
First 6-8 Hours
Then it starts to affect porous materials, furniture, or structural elements. If you have standing water somewhere for more than a couple of hours, the water damage will begin. The first 6-8 hours is when the damage is minimal or very much contained.
A small leak could lead to mold which can cause an array of other problems like allergies, chronic migraines, and respiratory issues. Not only is it a health risk, but water damage causes damage to your home or business, leaving you spending more money and jeopardizing the health and safety of others.
Water damage can spread the longer it sits unattended. Even an initially small bit of damage can grow worse and larger, becoming much more severe.
Additionally, if left untreated, water damage on walls can cause the surface to crack, peel or buckle. This can create both cosmetic and structural issues. Water damage can also give host to mold and mildew. That's why repairing water-damaged drywall in a timely manner is best.
A leaky refrigerator or invasive rainwater can seep and settle into the subfloor and cause rot in just a couple of days. While damage begins quickly, it often takes months or even years to uncover the destruction.
Discoloration: One of the most obvious signs of water damage in walls is discoloration. If you notice any yellow, brown, or dark stains on your walls or ceiling, it could be a sign of water damage. Peeling or bubbling paint or wallpaper: Water damage can cause paint or wallpaper to bubble, peel, or become discolored.
It takes about 72 hours for any affected areas to completely dry-up; this only applies to a room to room basis. Larger areas affected by water damage need longer drying times. Regardless of how large an area was affected, you need to follow specific protocols to restore your home's interior quality completely.
Water will permanently damage most porous materials by shrinking or warping them, and mildew will damage them even further. And if you have a beloved piece of furniture you want to save, you could try isolating and drying it out, but the damage may already be done, especially if you see drywall water damage.
The most obvious sign of water damage in the wall is discoloration or stains on your walls or ceilings. These stains can start small and grow if the leak isn't discovered and addressed quickly. If your walls or ceilings are white, you may notice a beige or brown spot, which is a clear indicator of water damage.
Homes exposed to water for weeks, such as an unnoticed broken pipe behind a wall, will have more widespread mold issues. The property may need to be evacuated due to health risks, and people with allergies or respiratory problems may have difficulty breathing.
Early warning signs of water damage are peeling or bubbling paint or wallpaper. Over time, they will become bloated or warp. In severe cases, walls and ceilings may feel spongy to the touch. Wet flooring can go unnoticed too, especially if it's only wet in the corners or in rooms that are used infrequently.
Hard water stains appear as chalky white residue that results from buildup of excess minerals present in hard water. You might have noticed these unsightly hard water stains building up on your shower doors, faucets, showerheads, and other places where water is used throughout your home.
If the sub-floor has rotted or spongy in any way, it will need to be removed. However, if the sub-flooring appears strong and solid but simply wet, ventilate the area and allow time for the sub-floor to dry. It all depends on the amount of time the water was left to saturate the sub-flooring.
Does a wet subfloor need to be replaced? No. If you can begin the drying process immediately after the initial water damage, you may be able to avoid subfloor replacement. It's best to let restoration professionals address the existing damage.
The most obvious is a spongy feel or “give” to the affected area. Other signs of water damage include warping in the floorboards of your hardwood floors, loose sections in your tile floor, bubbling or peeling in linoleum, lifting in your laminate flooring, or a musty smell that could indicate mold growth.
Any water leak carries the risk of mold growth, but that doesn't necessarily mean that mold growth is certain. The chance of mold depends on many factors, such as the severity of water damage, how quickly it was cleaned up and dried, and the extent of surfaces affected.
Water Damage
A big question homeowners often ask is “does wet drywall always need to be replaced?” and the answer is almost always yes. Water stains, discoloration, bubbling, peeling paint,. and softened areas are all signs of water damage and are not nice to look at.
3 feet+ of water
More than three feet of flooding can cause severe damage to a home's infrastructure, including its foundation and framework. This level of flooding can cause damage too severe to repair. Outside, water can cause lasting damage to water wells as well as sewage and plumbing systems.
Mold can grow on wood, drywall, carpet and furniture if they remain wet for more than 24 hours. Breathing in mold can make you sick. Flood water can also contain bacteria, chemicals or other hazards which may affect your health.
While you can fix minor problems on your own, water damage often goes deeper than the surface. Attempting to fix the problem on your own can lead to worse problems down the road. This is not the time to DIY – it is worth calling in a professional to ensure that the job is done right.