What does Water Damage Look Like?

Visible signs of moisture such as pooling underneath downspouts, standing water inside the gutters, and droplets of condensation on interior basement walls are common indications of excess moisture. However, water damage can reveal itself in a number of not-so-subtle ways. Today, we examine what water damage looks like in your house and on your home’s exterior.

Water Stains

Water stains are an obvious sign of moisture damage to your home. Stains on interior walls, ceilings, floors, and siding result from overflowing gutters, runoff from downspouts pooling next to the foundation, and leaking faucets (both indoor and outdoor).

Damp Patches

Damp patches can appear anywhere on your home’s exterior – on the roof, soffit and fascia, siding, and window/door trim. When they don’t dry up in 24 to 48 hours after a rainfall or a snowstorm, they can be a sign of travelling leaks – ones that have their source somewhere else and have settled where you see the damp area with your naked eye. These types of leaks are usually harder to track down, and then repair.

They also materialize on interior walls, ceilings, floors, and window trim. Left unattended, they make a house or home’s exterior susceptible to mould, wood rot, more leaks, and even structural issues.

Mould Growth

 Mould, a type of fungus that grows in damp, humid areas, can show up on interior and exterior walls, on a roof, and on siding. Discovering patches of mould inside or out can be an indication of medium to serious water damage over a substantial period of time. Mould develops in clumps; appear in black, green, or white spots; and can easily spread across large surface areas.

Sagging Gutters

If gutters start to sag or become warped, they generally are an indication of water damage to the fascia. Clogged gutters overflow, spilling over the top of the gutters (forward) or down between the fascia and the back of the gutter channel (backwards). Sagging gutters or missing gutter sections occur when nails and fasteners become loose, usually due to wood rot on the fascia or small soft spots, the early stages of wood rot.

Peeling or Bubbling

When sections of paint or finishes on gutters, downspouts, soffit, fascia, and siding start to peel or bubble, it is often a sign of water damage. Excess moisture weakens the surface of the paint or finish, exposing your home’s exterior to the elements.

Appearance of Rust

Because of the way they are manufactured, aluminum gutters technically don’t rust. However, they are susceptible to rusting when they are exposed to air and moisture under specific conditions, such as sea air (salt and moisture). As aluminum gutters age, rain that is more acidic than normal can be corrosive to a gutter system. The appearance of rust on a gutter section starts out as reddish-brown flakes, and as it advances, becomes pinholes, then larger holes, until the section needs repairing or replacing.