On September 20th, 2009 the Atlanta Metro area faced a major flood that lasted two entire days. The flood causes major damage to several homes and businesses, but most importantly it was also responsible for many fatalities. The homes that were not totally destroyed ended up having severe water damage and mold. The homeowners that were not heavily hit also faced a dilemma; How to know when water damage is severe enough to call a professional.

When it comes to water damage to a house or business it may not always be visible at first. There are some tell tale signs that homeowners can depend on to guide them to making the right decisions. Some of these signals include mold detection, strange odors, and water marks on the drywall.

Mold is a serious effect caused by water damage that definitely will requires calling a water damage specialist. The damage cause by molding can cause many adverse reactions. In addition to the obvious eye sore that mold presents, it can also be a major health hazard. The longer the presence of mold goes undetected or untreated the more health problems it can present, especially to younger children and senior citizens living in the home.

Many times the presence of water damage is unseen. In these situations there is often an unknown odor that no one in the family can pinpoint the origin. Most likely the odor may be derived from water damage inside of the drywall in the home. It is definitely possible to have deterioration in the foundation of your home that does not become evident through the drywall. If you sense a strong odor in your home that you can not locate, calling a water damage specialist may save you a ton of cash in structural damage in the long run.

Another hidden sign of water damage that is a little more noticeable is water marks on the drywall or ceiling. More often than not these marks are caused by roofing issues. The marks on the drywall may also reveal a more serious problem than you initially expected. Water tends to travel from the support beams in the roof throughout the house and can end up settling on the basement or a lower level in your home. What may originally may have seem like just a roofing problem, may now have become a major water damage issue.

Being able to assess damages cause by heavy rainfall in situations similar to the flood in Atlanta on September 20th, 2009 is not at all difficult. The problem occurs when one has to determine the appearance of minor damages that can cause major water damages in later times. The key lies in being safe as oppose to being sorry. Any signs such as mold, strange odors or water marks should be preceded by calling a water damage specialist.