How Long Before Baseboard Gets Damaged From Water: 4 Signs

For those who want to know how long before baseboard gets damaged from water, you should check out this worthwhile read to guide you. Ensure that you stay in touch with this article since we will also mention some tips and tricks to avoid risking damage to your baseboard.

 

how long before baseboard gets damaged from water

Does Water Damage Happen Immediately?

 

Water damage within 1 to 24 hours

Within an hour up to twenty-four hours that your home’s exposed to water, it already began to cause water damage. This period can damage your baseboard or any of your furniture, causing bulges, swelling, cracks, and smearing of metal surfaces.

 

Water damage: 48 hours up through 7 days

The damage will be compound between 2 days and until the end of the first week of being exposed to water. The affected furniture by water will experience the spreading and growth of mildew or mold.

Then, warping and swelling may happen to your doors, baseboard, and windows. Metals will also begin to corrode and rust. Lastly, there’s a strong possibility of having biohazard contamination.

 

Water damage after more than a week

If this water damage stays for more than a week, growing molds and mildew, having structural damage and biohazard contaminants may lead to severe risks to any person. The delay in repairing your water damaged furniture may also increase the cost of restoring them.

Note: For this case, we highly recommend that you call for a professional to resolve your problem.

 

Red flags that your baseboard is water damaged

 

1. Visible mold and stains

Water leaks from the walls can be absorbed by drywall, which can cause stains. Once the stain gets bigger, it usually is an indication that there is a hidden plumbing leak.

Meanwhile, mold growth appears in areas with moisture coming from bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. If you see molds on your ceiling, baseboard, or areas near plumbing fixtures, the damage of moisture can be located behind walls.

 

2. Warping walls

The sheetrock located behind the wall absorbs too much water. It bends and curves to a point that may lead the wall to warp.

Too much warping can cause structural damage, which is expensive to repair. If there are signs of damages, this is an indication of water leaks from your wall.

 

3. Paint or wallpaper peeling

Too much moisture behind your wall can cause the paint and wallpaper to bubble or peel. It usually happens when the sheetrock behind your wall has already absorbed too much water. Check if there’s a separation in the wallpaper along the flaking or seams of paint to help you locate where the hidden water leak is.

 

4. Multi-density fiberboard instead of wood

A Multi-Density Fiberboard or MDF is made out of resin and sawdust to create into your baseboards, moldings, and panels. Also, if you’re planning to purchase this type of fiberboard, you should note that it is less expensive than natural wood and is uniform and smooth.

If you paint it, this can give you a consistent appearance. However, this material is porous and absorbs water from behind the wall or floor.

Note: If this sign is located, you need to replace the baseboards.

 

Tips And Tricks To Avoid Water Damage

 

Cleaning up

It is a must to clean up before you try to replace the baseboard damaged by water. This is essential since it is a safety procedure, and it will help you examine the damage caused by water.

At this point, it would be best to revisit the signs above. If you can identify the problem, you can plan to resolve it easily.

However, take note that before you proceed to repair your furniture, you should examine the water’s color.

  1. Standing water – If you see this kind of water, you will need to remove it using plastic tubs or buckets. You may also use a wet-dry vacuum after removing a bucket of bulk water.

Then, let the water damaged area dry thoroughly. You may use a dehumidifier to speed up the drying process. This type of water damage can still be resolved.

Note: The problem can be fixed in less than a month for about 72 hours for drying out and another 1 to 2 weeks.

  1. Black waterIf you see this kind of water, the furniture is severely damaged. It would be best to call for a professional since this is a complicated fix.

 

Preventing and reducing water damage

Once you stop the leak, you need to start the process of mitigating the water immediately. This process prevents or reduces the amount of water damage to avoid the same problem or additional damages.

 

Conclusion

We are glad that you have reached the end of this article on how long before baseboard gets damaged from water. Note the tips and tricks we offered here in this worthwhile read. You can resolve this problem alone, but if you think it is too much to handle, we advise that you contact a professional to avoid committing a grave mistake.

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