How To Spot Water Damage at Home

Your home is a valuable possession you have and you want it to be the safest place for you and your family. However, water damage can happen without your knowledge and can generate ample losses. Water, if given a chance to intrude your home, will attack porous materials such as wood, upholstered furniture, and others and will then do its detrimental actions such as rotting of wood, mold growth, decaying of steel, de-laminating of materials such as plywood, and many others. Moreover, water can damage the whole structure of your home making it unsafe to habitat.

Water damage is the result of leaky dishwashers, clogged toilets, broken pipes, broken dishwasher hoses, overflowing washing machines, leaky roofs, plumbing leaks, foundation cracks and some severe natural disaster such as storm, hurricane, and flooding.

Act fast before anything worse happens. Give your home a thorough inspection frequently to avoid big losses and costly repairs. Below are some methods for examining water damage within your home.

Look for Stains

Water stains are the most distinct signs of water damage. At times, they are quite difficult to remove. Check stains on the walls, ceilings, around the windows, door frames, on the floor around the bathtub, toilet, and sink. Unusual stains could be a sign that there is a leaky pipe or drain inside the wall. Some indications of serious problems are cracks from the drywalls and swollen appearance that are soft to touch. Moreover, peeling paint and wallpaper are also signs of staining.

Check the Pipes

Your home is composed and surrounded with lots of pipes. They could last a lifetime but could also be broken due to daily wear and tear and with some water pressure. Most of them are hidden that is why they are taken for granted. Check the pipes in your kitchen sink, bathroom, basement, and electric appliances.

Check the Floors

Any type of flooring can be damaged by water and there are certain signs you have to look out. Cracks, bubbling and warped flooring are signs that your tile and wood flooring have water damage. Damp spots, soft areas and a general smell of dampness and mold are some signs that you have to be wary with your carpeted flooring.

Inspect the Exterior

Go around the outside part of your home. Check for the pool of water or a puddle anywhere outside your home. This could be a result of poor drainage in the yard, leaky rain gutters and the gutter spouts that are not functioning well and delivering water far enough from the house. Moreover, check some warning signs of water damage on the roof such as broken, missing or cracked shingles and broken flushing.

Lookout For Visible Mold

Mold is another indication of water damage. Though they usually appear in black color, mold can also be blue, green and grey. Mold becomes visible when areas are consistently damp and high level of moisture is present. They can grow in every part of your home, where you can’t easily see them. Remember that all types of mold can possess health risks and the odor can be unpleasant.


If you are experiencing water damage at home, better seek a professional to remediate the damage and avoid further losses.