When something goes wrong causing a a high-pressure fresh water source to your toilet, or a leaky drainpipe underneath the kitchen sink, you usually know what to do. You start by cleaning it up, getting it dry, and calling a professional water damage restoration company to ensure all is fixed.

However, in some cases water damage isn’t very visible or in places you look at every day. It can be invasive and build up overtime. Take the steps necessary to determine the severity of your damage by taking the following steps:


Damp and wet areas affected by water intrusion demonstrate themselves after a day or two with a very easy to detect odor. It will just smell wet, musty, and unhealthy. If you detect anything like that, it’s time to do some serious investigating. You may not actually see the water intrusion, but no doubt it is probably there.

Surface damage

You can often see swelling materials, such as the particle board under a sink, providing evidence of water intrusion. When things buckle, even if you notice it after the surface has dried, there is potential of subsequent water damage, because if it leaked once… it will again!


You can usually see this in the ceilings and areas around water sources. Sometimes it is around windows. If you detect water marks (think of a carpet under a water fountain in a building) then you need to put your investigative hat on and figure out if it is a big deal or not — and most likely, it will be a big deal.

The evidence of water damage can be easy to see, and sometimes it hides and continues to affect surfaces and your health until it becomes a serious issue. If you have any water damage issues or questions give Advantage Restoration & Contracting a call today!

For more information, check out our blog post on 3 ways to avoid water damage