Many homeowners often get confused between rising damp and  water damage. This is because some of the signs of water damage and rising damp are similar like mold growth and foul smell. However, misdiagnoses do no good. They only delay the process of restoration and result in big, costly damages.

Therefore, it is essential to act fast to avoid thousands of dollars in damage and home restoration. Read this post to navigate through the difference between the two conditions and how to identify them correctly before it is too late.

Rising Damp— What Is It and How to Spot It?

Usually, an unusual condition occurs when the ground’s moisture begins to travel up through the walls. Salty water gradually seeps through the walls and gets absorbed into porous building materials like bricks, stones, and mortar. Some of the sure-fire signs of rising damp are:

Tide Marks With Damp Stains on Walls

Tide marks occur due to salt migration and damp evaporation. You can spot these marks from the bottom of the wall up around 1 meter above the ground. Apart from tide marks, damp stains may also be visible on the walls.

Decaying of the Skirting Boards

Rising damp can rot timber that comes in contact with it. As a result, it is advisable to look out for decayed skirting boards around your home. If you can spot cracked or crumbled skirting, or localized fungus growing, you might have a rising damp problem.

Bubbling Plaster

Moisture due to rising damp can cause the plaster on the walls to weaken and deteriorate. The plaster may sometimes fall off the walls too, causing aesthetic damage and costly repairs in the long run if the problem is not identified and fixed promptly.

Black Mold

Although mold growth is also a sign of water damage, if you spot black mold on the ground floor and lower portion of the walls, this indicates that it is a condensation problem due to rising or penetrating damp issue. It needs accurate diagnosis and the appropriate remedial specification of work to resolve the problem.

Water Damage—Causes and How to Spot It

Other than floods, the main reason for water damage inside a home is because of leaking or broken water pipes.  A broken water pipe can result in slow leaks or sometimes even flood your home—dumping hundreds of liters in your home in a single day. Extensive water damage because of busted water pipes can destroy your belongings, furniture, and house.

Water pipes may burst or break due to numerous reasons such as:

• Extreme temperature—Water lines don’t just burst on cold winter days. They can also rupture in hot temperatures. It happens because the soil shifts unexpectedly and more in severe conditions, putting stress on in-ground pipes and causing them to rupture.
• Old Water Pipes—Like everything around our house, water pipes also have a lifespan. If pipes are not replaced promptly, they may get cracked and suffer from rust and corrosion, increasing the risk of leaks and a pipe burst.
• Human Error—Pipes also rupture due to human error. Underground pipes may get damaged by the use of heavy machinery during landscape modifications.

The sure-fire signs of water damage are:

Fluctuating Water Pressure

If you notice fluctuating water pressure, it’s not always the city’s fault. Sometimes, it can be because of a busted pipe somewhere inside the home. From a trickle of water in a fully functional sink to a sudden drop in water pressure in the taps around your home to no running water at all, these are all indicative of leaking pipes.

Discolored Water

Discolored or brownish water from the taps is another water pipe rupture warning sign that should not be ignored. An undiscovered ruptured water pipe will rust and corrode over time. Hence, when a water pipe bursts under the ground, contaminants, and soil can seep into the cracks reaching your water supply.

Unexplainable Rise in Your Water Bill

If you notice a sizable increase in your water bill from last year even though your water usage has been the same, a leaking and busted water line could be the reason.

Stains on the Wall

Wet stains on the ceiling or the walls are a red flag indicating ruptured water pipes anywhere in your home. Most water pipes are installed and run behind the walls. As a result, when they leak or burst, the pipes can leave marks on the walls.

Contact a Professional Home Restoration Company for Quick Diagnosis and Remedy

Knowing how to diagnose and manage busted water pipes or rising damp issue the right way can help you keep a bad situation from becoming worse. The best way to deal with this situation is to contact a trusted and reliable home restoration company like 911 Restoration of San Antonio.

Home restoration experts can provide you with professional and quality assistance round the clock. We will protect you, your home, family, and precious belongings from serious water damage or rising damp problem.

When you call 911 Restoration of San Antonio, you can be confident that the issue will be handled right away to your complete satisfaction. From diagnosing the issue to handling plumbing repairs, taking care of water damage cleanup and offering mold remediation services, we can assist you with them all.