What is considered minor water damage?
Water damage is minor when the water was clean, it stayed in one small area, it was found and dried quickly, and nothing it touched has gone soft, swollen or stained beyond the surface. A small spill wiped up off a tile floor is minor. A small stain on a ceiling can be minor or can be the only visible sign of a leak that has been running inside the wall.
What usually counts as minor
A clean water spill or a short leak from a supply line, caught within hours, on materials that do not soak it up. Tile, sealed concrete, sound plaster and solid wood dried promptly usually recover.
Nothing needs cutting out, nothing is swollen, there is no smell, and the moisture readings return to normal once it is dried.
When small is not minor
Water that came from a sewer line or a toilet backup is never minor, whatever the size. It is contaminated and needs different handling.
Water that got under flooring, into a wall cavity, or through a ceiling from the floor above is rarely minor even when the visible patch is small. It spreads where you cannot see it.
And a leak that has been going on slowly for a long time is not minor either. The damage built up out of sight.
How to check
Press the drywall near the wet area. Look for swelling at the edges of flooring, baseboards and cabinet bases. Smell for mustiness. Watch whether a stain grows over a day or two.
If anything is soft, swollen, spreading or smells, open it up and dry it. We meter the area so you know whether it is a wipe-up or a repair.
If you are not sure
A moisture meter reading answers it, and the sooner it is taken the better. It tells you whether the wall or floor is drying out on its own or still holding water behind a surface that looks fine.