Did you know that your home might have water damage even if you can’t see excess water anywhere?
Here are the nine signs to watch out for:
Sign #1: Increased Humidity
It’s normal for the humidity level in your home to change depending on the circumstances. It can be affected by factors such as weather, cooking, or drying clothes on a rack.
However, if you can feel that humidity has increased but there doesn’t seem to be a clear reason for it, it might be due to hidden water damage.
Note that if you have a pre-existing respiratory condition such as asthma, increased humidity can make your symptoms worse. It might make sense to get a humidity meter so that you could keep an eye on it.
Sign #2: Musty Smell
Another tell-tale sign of hidden water damage is an unexplained musty smell. This should be especially suspicious in new houses and apartment buildings but it can be a cause for concern in older properties as well.
Sign #3: Cracks In The Foundation
Examine the foundation of your house. Are there any horizontal cracks?
These cracks might mean that excess water is putting pressure on the foundation and causing structural damage to the building, especially if you can see water tracks and stains as well.
Sign #4: Water Stains And Peeling Wallpaper
Water stains on the floor, walls, and ceiling are obvious signs of water damage. Peeling wallpaper can also be indicative of it, although that can be caused by the regular indoor humidity as well.
Sign #5: Nail Pops
There’s this phenomenon where nails start coming out of the walls and need to be hammered in again.
In addition to being annoying and potentially dangerous, these nail pops might point to hidden water damage: if there’s a leak somewhere and the drywall is absorbing it, it may eventually get so saturated with water that the nails get pushed out.
Sign #6: Wobbly Toilet
Check if you can move your toilet. Is it a little bit wobbly?
If it is, that suggests that it has not been secured properly and it’s likely that the wax ring seal around the drainage pipe is broken.
Examine the area around the toilet for loose tiles, mold, and water. If you spot these issues, there’s definitely some water damage.
Sign #7: Sink Cabinet Rot
If you have wooden sink cabinets in your kitchen and your bathroom, you might want to regularly examine them for rot.
Sometimes, minor sink leaks go unnoticed because there’s no visible excess water, but the wooden cabinet rot is always a dead giveaway that something is wrong.
Sign #8: Mold Growth
The presence of mold often indicates hidden water damage because it needs humidity to grow.
In fact, this issue is so common that water restoration companies usually also offer mold remediation services as well.
It’s important to understand that black mold is not just an aesthetic concern, it’s a serious health hazard: prolonged exposure to it can lead to respiratory issues, allergy flare-ups, mental health problems, and more.
Little children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of mold.
If you have been struggling with mysterious health problems, especially if those issues seem to flare up when you’re at home, make sure to examine your living environment for mold.
Sign #9: Unusually High Water Bills
It’s normal for your water consumption to vary depending on the season, whether you have any house guests, how much laundry you are doing every week, and so on.
However, if you see regular variance from one month to another and then there’s a massive spike, the chances are that something is off, especially if that spike becomes the new baseline over the subsequent months.
In that situation, the most likely cause of a drastic increase in your water consumption is a leak somewhere on your property.
What Should You Do if You Notice Signs of Hidden Water Damage?
Okay, so let’s say that you examined your home and noticed one or more hidden water damage signs we just discussed. What should you do next?
First of all, understand that the longer you wait to address the situation, the more damage excess water is going to cause. And the worse the damage, the higher the restoration costs.
Secondly, consider that if there’s mold in your home and you don’t get rid of it immediately, it’s going to continue proliferating and potentially wreaking havoc on your and your family’s health. This is something that you need to take seriously, especially if someone in your household has a weakened immune system.
Finally, keep in mind that even clear water can be contaminated and expose you to waterborne pathogens and diseases. There’s a reason why water damage restoration experts wear protective gear and use specialized equipment when handling excess water.
With all that in mind, here’s what we recommend: call a local water restoration company the moment you notice signs of potential water damage in your home. You want experts to come and get the situation under control ASAP.
This will help you prevent further water damage, limit your family’s exposure to the health risks associated with it, and minimize the restoration costs!
Our Water Damage Restoration Experts Can Help You Restore Your Home!
We started out nearly 20 years ago as a regional disaster response unit.
Since then, Greenlight Restoration Solutions has grown into a full-service remodeling, remediation, and restoration company.
Water damage restoration is one of our areas of expertise. Whether you are dealing with a minor water event or a full-blown water emergency, we can help you get the situation under control and restore your home!
