Hidden Water Damage in Honolulu

4/1/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of East Honolulu is well versed in continuously occurring water damages. There are many reasons as to why a home has water damage, this manifests in varying ways. It may not be the most noticeable, and more often than not it creeps with age.  

We were called in once to inspect a home that had suspected water damage. Over the course of 10 years a hairline fissure in their copper piping caused odors and discoloration on their drywall. 

Undetected water damage is quite the headache for numerous reasons, here are some signs that you may have hidden water damage: 

• Peeling paint: paint can start to peel when there is an unsustainable amount of water within your drywalls. 
  • Drywall is like a sponge, when there is no dry surface for the paint to attach itself to then the paint starts to peel. This is a sign of major water damage, since the drywall needs to be very wet. 
• Warped flooring: Water will always be looking for the lowest point of Earth- partly due to gravity and its molecular properties. Water will flow and seep into the deepest parts of your home if left unchecked. If water reaches your sub-flooring it is time to call us at SERVPRO of East Honolulu. Warping and deforming floors are the best indicators that your sub-flooring has water damage.  
  • This sub-flooring is where mold can grow and multiply, thus it is integral to the safety of your property for there to not be standing water underneath. 
• Staining on walls or ceilings: These stains will be slightly discolored and range based on the type of water damage done. 
  • For instance, if there was rain and your ceiling leaks, the evidence of water damage would arise from corners of rooms, mostly the ceiling being discolored. It may also manifest as long lines of discoloration. Where pipes or streams have come across your walls and ceilings. 
• Mold growth: Occasionally there could be “fuzz” on your ceiling corners which originally look like webs or dust and may be mold. Mold accrues from the sitting water damage, mold spores are microscopic and most often airborne. 
  • If there are discolored patches of drywall within your home that may be a good indicator that water damage has occurred. 
• Malodorous smells: If you smell something earthy or a little “dank” that may also be a sign of water damage. Basements should not smell like mildew, and if they do it's a sign that there has been standing water recently. 
  • Any smell that seems spoiling, could be the water compromising clean building materials. And if not removed, these compromised materials can affect more housing goods. 

Keep your house safe by knowing the small- creeping- signs of water damage. And if anything arises, or you seem to find them in your home… SERVPRO of East Honolulu is there for any damages. Call us at (808) 395-9545 for any concerns about these kinds of water damages and its implications to your home. We are available 24/7. "Like it never even happened."