Do you suspect water damage to your ceiling but aren’t sure whether or not you need water restoration? You can often tell when there’s been water damage to a ceiling due to the dark coloration it causes and the musky smell it creates. A water damaged ceiling can lead to major structural issues; making your home or business a less inhabitable place for people to stay. Depending on the level of damage present, you should consider hiring a professional water damage restoration company for when your ceilings have received water damage.
What Causes Water Damage to Ceilings
Water damage to ceilings can come from a variety of sources including but not limited to:
- Damaged roof gutters: Whether it’s cracks or breaks in the gutter, or overflow, your roof gutters not being up to date can lead to water leaking into your ceiling.
- Leaky roof: This can result when there are weak spots in your roofing or if there are chips or breaks in your roof tiles as the result of bad weather conditions. The problem with this is that the water can come in slowly, meaning it may take a while for the damage to become noticeable. This can lead to a more difficult water restoration process.
- Burst pipes: If you have a second floor to your home and there’s a bathroom up there, a burst pipe can lead to water damage in your ceilings. In that case, you should call a full service restoration company to fix the pipe first and prevent further damage before performing water restoration.
Any of these situations can result in devastating water damage to your ceiling. A water damaged ceiling can be a big threat to the structure of your building, so quick action and moving towards water restoration should be your first priority. You should want to do everything you can to perform water extraction as soon as possible and begin to repair the damage.
What To Consider Before Starting Ceiling Water Restoration
- What are the signs of water damage?: You’re going to want to determine where exactly the water damage is located and what the cause is. If you see any bulging, discoloration, or leaking from your ceiling, it’s probably caused by water that needs to be extracted. You should also check your roofing and gutters for any damage; especially if you’ve recently experienced a bad storm. Another sign of water in your ceiling can be mold growth, which can lead to a musty odor and decrease the air quality in a room.
- What repairs should be done?: What kind of repairs are needed and the extent of the repair job will depend on how bad the water damage is. If the damage is only cosmetic you may be able to clean and dry the area yourself. But water damage can be potentially hazardous when left unchecked since it can weaken the overall structure of the ceiling and lead to potential mold growth in the future. You may need to replace the damaged section of the ceiling; a process that can be difficult due to the complication of the job and the need to match the new section to the rest of the ceiling. The difficulty of the repair can also depend on the type of water and the type of ceiling. Clean water coming from rain can be way less hazardous to handle. But the dirty water or sewage from a burst pipe can be potentially toxic to work with. A plaster ceiling can be easier to repair as a DIY project, but a drywall ceiling (with its layers of absorbent material) can be much more complicated and potentially risky with the possibility of the ceiling collapsing. Not to mention, you’ll have to take caution against the electrical wiring that can be found in ceilings.
Should you hire a water restoration company?
In order to ensure your safety and the safety of the people in your home or business, it’s usually a good idea to hire a professional water damage restoration company to help you if you’ve experienced water damage to your ceiling. At Excel Fire And Water Damage Restoration Services, we specialize in extracting water from damaged structures and repairing the damage. Our process takes the needs of each individual job in mind and we’ll work with your insurance so you can focus on getting your building back to the way it was. Water restoration can be an intimidating job, so that’s why Excel will be there for you every step of the way. You can learn more about our process and request a quote by contacting Excel Fire and Water Damage Restoration Services at (224) 212-1217.
