How do I know if I have water damage?
Water damage from a leaking roof isn’t always as obvious as a spreading stain on the ceiling or dripping water puddling onto the floor. Ready 2 Roof has special tools that detect the presence of moisture from hidden leaks. If you suspect you have a leaking roof but aren’t sure, here are the more subtle signs of water damage:
- Spots, stains, and discolorations – Brownish and dark stains on your ceiling are pretty clear indicators of a leak, but discoloration of floors and walls may be hidden by carpeting or furniture. Be sure to look at the ceiling inside closets, too.
- Smelly rooms and cabinets – Water that pools and areas that stay wet from an undetected leak will soon give themselves away with a musty, earthy smell. If concealed inside a wall, closet or cabinet, you are more likely to smell the dank, rotten odor of water damage before you see it.
- Fuzzy stains and discolored growths – It only takes 36 to 72 hours for mold spores to become entrenched in a wet, spongy wall. And since mold and fungus-like moist, dark conditions, odds are you will not immediately see the damage caused by a roof leak that trickles into a cabinet, closet or other enclosed space.
- Peeling wall coverings or blistering paint – Soaked Sheetrock can make paint bubble, plaster crumble and wallpaper loosen from the wall. These indicators can also be caused by other factors. If you see any of these signs and suspect a leak, touch the surface of the affected wall. It may be damp to the touch due to an undetected plumbing or roof leak.
- Sheathing walls – Unrepaired water damage is more than unsightly and smelly. It can cause your home to become structurally unsafe. Walls may start sheathing, which means the building materials–not just the paint or wall covering–begins to slough off. The wall may become spongy and lose its structural integrity, causing the ceiling to buckle. By the time this occurs, your stealthy leak has gone from a minor repair-patch-and-repaint job to major reconstruction.
- Warped floors – Wavy, warped, cupping floor materials are often a sign of water damage caused by insufficient drainage under the house or perhaps a plumbing leak. But leaks from the roof can result in the same kind of damage.
If you see any of these signs, contact Ready 2 Roof for a free inspection and no-obligation estimate. Our manufacturer-certified professionals are also fully licensed general contractors and can repair your leaky roof and resulting interior damage. Let us help make your home safe and whole again. Call us today at 601-401-6628.