Water Damage Clean Up in Las Vegas

Water damage to a property can be a costly situation and one that needs to be dealt with immediately.  Once it has been determined that there is water damage, it is imperative that you contact a licensed water damage clean up team immediately.  There are several reasons why the water damage needs to be taken care of by professionals.  Water is a tricky substance and once there is a leak or even a flood it is sometimes overlooked where the water actually resides.

Areas that need to be inspected after a flood or even a small leak include the following:

• Walls
• Floors
• Pipes
• Basement
• Attic
• Exterior of Property

Checking for water damage in walls and ceilings is by far the easiest place to actually see past water damage.  Spotting any discolored walls is a sign that there might have been water damage in that specific area and should be further investigated for possible water damage.  Water damage on a wall or ceiling can also cause the drywall to swell or even soften to the touch.  Other signs of water damage on a wall can be cracks where the water has swollen and then dried showing that there was previous water damage clean up in that area.

Floors can be a bit tricky when trying to see if there has been water damage.  Water can actually seep down into the sub flooring where it may be difficult to see.  Most often when there is water damage to a floor, the floor will buckle or even warp.  You can look for discoloration and even water rings where the water may have stained the flooring.  On a carpet flooring area, you can even smell mold as the carpet holds odor much more than wood or tile flooring.  One trick that I discovered was to actually take off your shoes and socks and walk barefoot on the floor.  When you do that, you will be able to feel if there are uneven areas that actually go up and down.  This is a definite sign that there is water damage to a floor.

One of the more difficult items to check to determine if there is water damage clean up required is all the piping.  This is necessary under kitchen sinks, bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements.  One of the most common water damage area is under a kitchen sink.  It is often that a garbage disposal is in need of repair and not known that it is leaking a large amount of water.  Bathrooms that are not often used can be a huge cause of water damage and require specific water damage clean up.  Pipes under sinks and even small cracks in the reservoir of the toilet can lead to major water damage.  Pipe connections are important to inspect as you can see if there is any corrosion possibly caused by water leaking.  Missing grout or even mold spots will definitely indicate that there has been water damage to an area.  The water heater may have water spots on the floor around it or even rust on the tank if there has been an issue with that appliance.

Basements are not a common room here in most modern housing and especially not here in Las Vegas.  Older homes that have a basement are an important area to inspect for water damage.  The best way to check for damage in a basement is by the odor in the room.  If water is sitting for a longer period of time, it will seep into walls and baseboards and leave a definite mold type of smell.

When checking the attic, you need to pay close attention to where the roof meets the walls and where planes in the roof come together.  Any areas where the flashing meets the walls, around chimneys or vents can show water damage.  Look for discoloration or even buckles in the flashing where it was wet.  Some properties that are exposed to extreme winter weather elements can develop ice dams on their roof.  This can cause water to leak into the attic area once the ice starts to melt in warmer weather.

And finally, check the exterior of a home for signs of major water damage.  Puddles on patios and concrete that is discolored or even chipping are major signs of water damage.  Some properties have even had under ground pipes that have been leaking for long periods of time.  One of the ways to discover that is to look at an exterior brick wall or fence that has moisture on it.  Curled shingles or damaged flashing on the roof can be another sign of water damage.  Also, check to see that the property is positioned on the highest part of the land with all of the ground sloping away from it.  Any areas where the ground is sloping towards the property will cause water issues.

Water damage is a serious problem and only the professional water damage clean up crews should be called in this circumstance.