Where Might Water Damage Be Hiding?
After heavy rainfall or a plumbing leak, you should always look your home over for signs of water damage. If you do find water damage or suspect that it might be present, then you should call a water damage restoration company to come to remove and replace the damaged materials. However, in your efforts to detect water damage, it is very important that you are thorough. Don't just look at the obvious places like your floors and lower walls. Also, check these less-obvious spots where water damage likes to hide.
Large Appliances
Large appliances like refrigerators and ovens may keep working after a flooding event, provided their electrical components were not damaged. However, these appliances can sometimes begin rusting and corroding as a result of prolonged water exposure. This won't cause them to fail immediately, but it will eventually cause them to fail. As such, you should really check your appliances over carefully. If they are at all damp, or if you see any signs of rust, then water damage has likely occurred.
Between the Walls
Your walls themselves may feel dry to the touch, but sometimes, the space between the walls may be wet. You can generally tell if there is water between your walls by smelling the area. Do you notice any musty, moldy scents? This could indicate the presence of water between the walls. Also, consider prying out some of the baseboards so you can look behind it. Sometimes, the area behind the baseboard will be wet, but the water will not have penetrated the baseboard.
Bubbling Paint
A lot of the paint used these days is moisture resistant. This can help keep your walls from getting moist and moldy if the front surface is exposed to moisture. But it can actually hide water damage if the water seeps in from the backside of the walls. In other words, if water penetrates the wall from the backside, it may get trapped when it reaches the paint, so your wall won't feel wet. However, the paint will sometimes bubble up, forming blisters or bubbles. If this is happening on your walls, then you almost certainly have water damage.
When it comes to water damage, you are always better off safe than sorry. If you notice any of the signs above or have another reason to believe there might be hidden water damage in your home, then contact a water remediation team ASAP.
To learn more, contact a company like All Things Restored LLC.