How to Deal With Ceiling Water Damage
Water damage can quickly cause a number of problems for businesses and homes. What usually begins as a tiny problem with an easy solution soon translates into a huge problem with an expensive repair cost if ignored.
In this piece, we will discuss what you need to be vigilant about so that you can quickly detect water damage in your ceiling.
We will also highlight the appropriate steps that you need to take to tame any form of water damage that you may encounter in your ceiling.
How to detect water damage
Whenever your premises experience water damage, the ceiling is usually a good place to seek clues since it will show warning signs early on. Watch out for these indicators for early detection of water damage on your property-:
Watermarks
Brown or rusty-looking stains on your ceiling are one classic indication of water damage in progress. These marks usually indicate the presence of a leak coming from your ceiling. If the house has an attic, it is vital that you inspect it regularly for watermarks since the presence of such will be an indication of a leak in the roof.
Swollen ceiling
If you notice a swollen or bulging ceiling, then assume that water damage may already be in progress. Usually, a swollen or bulging ceiling occurs as a result of moisture collecting in the wood, forcing it to swell upwards.
The greater the swelling, the greater the damage. Therefore, if you notice a swell or a bulge on the ceiling, waste no time in calling water restoration experts to address the problem. The longer you wait, the more damage you will incur and the more expensive it will be to mitigate.
Presence of mold in the ceiling
You will mostly see mold in the corners of your ceiling. Their presence in such a place is a classic indication of water damage occurring. In case of a leak, mold may appear in less than 48 hours if the right condition of humidity is met.
The presence of mold may indicate more than just water damage in progress, however. It is also an inherent problem that requires immediate attention due to the potential health risks associated with it.
Sweating walls
When you see moisture condensing on the walls, and making the walls appear as if they are sweating, know that this is a classic indication of a leak somewhere.
With this sign, it will be just a matter of time before you see watermarks or even notice the presence of mold infestation.
The good news is that this is usually an early warning sign and if you move with speed, you can mitigate the issue before it turns into a big and expensive problem.
What to do when you see water dripping from your ceiling
The above signs are common indications of water damage in progress. However, there are instances when you may notice water suddenly dripping from your ceiling.
If this happens during the rainy season, then it could suggest damage to your roof, which is allowing water to penetrate the ceiling.
In such a case, you will need to contact a damage restoration company or a roofing expert to have the leak fixed.
However, if you notice water leaking from the roof, and it is not a rainy season, then you need to do the following in an attempt to remediate the problem-:
Locate the source of the leak
You should realize that the source of the leak will never be near where you notice the stain or the bulge. This is because the water will usually travel through obstructions and slowly makes its way to the ceiling where you will notice the leak.
But if the ceiling is backed up right into the attic, then you can visually inspect the area to see where the leak is coming from. If the leak is active at the time of inspection, then you can follow its trail and pinpoint the source of the actual water damage.
Stop the leak
The next step after locating the source of the leak is to stop the flow of water. For example, if the leak is being caused by a pipe carrying running water, then you need to switch off the source sending the water down the pipe and then have the pipe repaired for any damages.
If the source of the leak is coming from a crack within the roof, then all you have to do is get a roofing expert to repair the damaged part.
While you still figure out how to stop the leak, remember to remove all the valuables beneath and possibly place a bucket to trap the leaking water.
Dry everything
After you are done repairing the leak, the next step is to dry out everything that might have been affected by the leaking water.
This is very important since such wet conditions may render the environment right for the propagation of mold; and then, you will have another problem to deal with. Therefore, everything that might have been affected by the leaking water must be dried before it is placed back in position.
You may have to use fans to dry the rest of the rooms if the leak lasted a long time or formed a pool of water in the room.
Repair the damaged ceiling
Finally, you will have to repair the part of the ceiling that was damaged by the water leak. For this, you need to hire a professional damage restoration company to have the ceiling as well as any part of the roof that was damaged repaired.
They will ensure the structural integrity of the affected part and also ensure that the problem doesn’t recur in the future.
Need help with water damage restoration?
At KBS Maintenance, we specialize in offering restoration services, including water and fire damage restoration. Call us today if you need to fix your water-damaged ceiling.