If you’ve been detecting a musty smell in certain areas of your home lately, yet see no outward signs of anything amiss, you may wonder if you actually have water damage going on behind the scenes. Water is a tricky thing. It’s fluid, it’s sneaky, it slips in places where you may never even notice. Then it sits there, waiting, growing mold, and giving off a musty scent that you may not be able to put your finger on.
If your home is situated in an area where you frequently get flood damage or water seepage after big storms, the presence of water and associated damage is quite high. But even if you don’t live in a flood zone, leaks could be happening under floors, behind walls and under slabs and you wouldn’t even know about them. Often, a musty odor is the first sign that something is amiss.
To prevent large-scale damage over time, you should check out these signs of water damage to ensure early detection and minimize the impact of excess water. The most common signs of water damage include:
- Areas of discoloration on ceilings or anywhere else inside your home
- Warped flooring
- Bubbling or peeling walls
- Standing water
While these signs can be fairly obvious to spot, one sign – a musty odor – is much harder to pin down. If you do smell a strange odor in a particular room or area of your house, it’s likely that uninvited moisture is lurking there.
Musty, Moldy Smells Signal Excess Moisture
Every home has its unique smells and odors, due to many factors involving the lifestyle of the people living within the dwelling. From smoking to perfumes to commonly-cooked foods, these smells are normal and are a reflection of all family members living together. But a musty smell is nothing to ignore or chalk up to lifestyle. It’s often a clear indication that moisture is accumulating in your home where it shouldn’t.
Why is this such a big deal when you can’t even see it? Well, moisture breeds bacteria and mold, and those elements will continue to grow, thrive, and multiply, causing adverse health effects along the way. But on top of the health effects (sneezing, coughing, wheezing, etc.) which are alarming in and of themselves, musty smells mean water damage is silently infiltration your walls, floors, and furnishings. That infiltration can result in rot, pest invasion and structural damage that can end up costing you thousands of dollars if neglected.
Sources of Water Damage
If doesn’t always take a storm to introduce large amounts of water into your home. Even if a storm hasn’t hit your area in a long time, other possible sources for water damage can include:
- Leaking pipes
- Leaking toilets
- Leaking water heater
- Sprinklers
- Clogged gutters
- Blocked drains
In short, a musty odor in the home is a sign that something’s wrong. Do your part to investigate any possible sources of water buildup and call a professional for mitigation.
Contact 1st Class Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Services
If you suspect that moldy smell in your home is a sign of water damage, or you’re not really sure, get in touch with our professionals skilled in water damage restoration in New Hudson MI or surrounding areas. Contact us at (248) 491-3088 for a consultation today.
