Look for These 4 Signs in Your Bathroom to Discover Hidden Plumbing Leaks
Bathroom plumbing leaks can become very costly if left untreated. If the leak causes water damage to your flooring, your walls, or the paint it can become extremely expensive to repair. Some bathroom plumbing leaks are difficult to spot. The signs are not always obvious. The following four signs are sometimes very subtle and hard to find. Look closely at your bathroom to determine whether you need to hire a plumber to make repairs before your bathroom becomes a money pit.
1. Watch out for Mold and Mildew
Even though you keep your bathroom clean and spotless, you may still find traces of mildew or mold from a water leak that is hidden from your view. The pipes which are usually hidden under your flooring or in the walls provide the perfect spot for mildew and mold to get started if the pipe is leaking. These dark and moist areas are a location where mildew and mold can thrive.
The accumulation of a little mildew in the corner of your shower is normal. But if you are seeing mildew and mold on your bathroom walls or perhaps in the corners of your bathroom, this is a good indication that you have a water leak. You may not know where the leak is, but it is somewhere and you need to find it. When you have a pipe that continues to leak, you are providing the mildew and mold all the moisture it needs. The longer you wait to repair the leak, the longer and faster the mold will grow, causing even more damage to your home.
2. Damaged Paint or Wallpaper
Another sign of a water leak, is blistering paint or wallpaper pulling away from the wall. The steam from an occasional hot shower usually will not cause the loosing of wallpaper or blistering of paint. When you have a leak, the water and moisture begin to separate the wallpaper from the wall. The adhesive of the wallpaper becomes water logged and the bond is broken causing the separation from the wall. The water leak will also make your paint bubble and chip off the wall.
3. General Wall Damage
If you notice that your bathroom walls are unexplainably stained or warped, a water leak is most likely the culprit. Drywall, when exposed to moisture, will often become soft. When this occurs it is only a matter of time before it warps and begins to break into pieces. If the leak is left unchecked, it is possible for the damage to reach the ceiling. When this happens the ceiling may sag and even drip the excess water that has accumulated.
4. Damaged Flooring
The floor in your bathroom seldom suffers any water damage. Most people do not purposely let water stay on their bathroom floor. If you notice your bathroom floor is beginning to stain or is buckling with out any known reason, it is most likely being caused by a hidden water leak. Often this leak is from the pipes directly under your bathroom floor, however water likes to travel, and the leak may actually be coming from an entirely different area of your home.
Different types of flooring will show the effects of water leakage in different ways. The moisture may make your floor soft or perhaps spongy, you know, that soggy feeling. As tiles lose their adhesion they will become loose. When this occurs, it is possible to easily remove a tile. You may notice moisture underneath the tile, confirming that you have a leak. Sometime you will even find the subfloor is damp, again confirming a leak.
If you notice any of these signs it is a good idea to call your local plumber or complete our online request form.
Black Mountain Plumbing, Inc blackmountainplumbing.com
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