How to Detect Water Leaks Behind Walls

Even though your water usage has not changed, has your water bill been particularly high? Because the leak has been occurring inside your walls, you might be dealing with a water leak and haven’t realized it yet.

When you think there might be a leak inside your wall, it’s time to look into the cause and look for any possible red flags. Considering that water damage in walls typically shows only faint indicators, identifying the leak requires a comprehensive inspection.

Have your walls shown any signs of water leaking?

Start by looking for the most typical indications of water damage to walls. These are typically alterations to your home that you may perceive through touch, smell, or sight:

• Drywall that is stained or wet
• Your wall has peeling wallpaper or paint.
• a cracked or discolored wall
• A crack, bend, or water stain on your drywall ceiling or floor
• Drips from the roof or pools of water on the floor near the walls
• A musty odor

Some of the aforementioned indications may also indicate the presence of mold, particularly in locations where water does not frequently gather. This is because each of them indicates an excess of moisture, which might encourage the development of mold. You might also be prone to respiratory issues like chronic sneezing or a runny nose in this circumstance, in addition to moist regions with paint peeling away. Therefore, it is crucial to solve both the internal plumbing issues and the mold issue before they get worse.

How To Find Water Leaks in Walls

We’ve discussed the visible symptoms that water damage can produce, such paint that bubbles on walls. In any case, there are a few other maintenance inspections you may perform to verify the existence of a leak if you suspect water leaking inside your walls:

Use Your Water Meter

Checking your water meter twice is the quickest approach to find a hidden water leak. This gadget can be found outside or inside your house. Here’s how to check it when you’ve located it:

• The figure displayed on the water meter after reading it represents the amount of water in gallons utilized by your household.
• All faucets, showers, toilets, and water-using equipment such as dishwashers, sprinkler systems, and washing machines should be shut off.
• For at least three hours, refrain from using water in your home to guarantee the success and precision of your findings. Check to see if there are any water leaks coming from your toilets, faucets, etc.
• Reread the water meter after that. There is a water leak in your home if the figure has gone up.

Get a Moisture Meter

A moisture meter is one of the equipment that may be used to find water leaks inside the walls. This device is used to gauge a material’s moisture content. Less than one percent would be considered standard for drywall, concrete, and other masonry components.

You can pick between two types: the pin-type for scanning wider areas and the pinless ones for checking moisture levels in smaller, more precise regions. This item can be purchased at various prices at your local home improvement retailer.

Making this tool function, though, can also take some time and labor. The two types (pin-type and pinless) are frequently carried by professionals in order to quickly locate pockets of moisture in vast areas and determine the precise depth at which they occur.

Use an Infrared Camera

Water damage can be challenging to verify if you cannot see the more obvious indications, such paint bubbling on the wall. A water leak in your wall can be quickly and unobtrusively found with an infrared camera.

Technically, this technology is unable to reveal the precise contents of your wall. However, it is capable of detecting heat coming from your wall and using various colors to display the range of temperatures it detects. Since the camera displays blue or purple to identify the wettest or coldest spots, it is useful for detecting water leaks behind walls.

Cut Into Your Drywall

The choices presented thus far do not entail demolishing your wall. Cutting into your drywall involves a little more invasiveness and ought to only be attempted as a last option or if all other attempts have failed. You may verify for yourself what’s happening within your walls using this technique. A water stain on drywall may not, however, be located exactly where the leak originated. So before taking any harsh action, try to pinpoint the exact cause to prevent cutting into the wrong location.

Causes of Water Leak in Walls

You must first look for indications of water damage in the walls before determining the cause and locating the water leak source. To start, examine your home’s interior plumbing system as well as its outside caulking, flashing, sprinklers, and downspouts:

Interior Plumbing Issues

You may have damaged plumbing in your home if you see a tiny increase in your water meter reading. When joints between pipes weaken or when pipes become worn in some places, leaks occur. These need to be fixed right away, especially if you have a dangerous pipe that is leaking through the ceiling.

Exterior Material Failures

Go outside and look at your external materials if you can’t solve the issue’s fundamental cause inside your home. According to their distance from the ground, exterior materials can be categorized as above- or below-grade.

• Clogged gutters and downspouts, poor caulking, and deteriorated flashing are a few examples of exterior above-grade problems. Check for leaks in these places, and fix any problems right away.
• Damaged sprinkler lines, poor drainage from downspouts or french drains, or grading that slopes toward the home are just a few examples of exterior below-grade issues. These have an impact on basement walls, so be careful to frequently check them for problems.

Say Goodbye to Leaks

Wet damage is inevitable when you see several indicators of concealed leaks, such as a water stain on drywall and bubbling paint on walls. If a wall leak is ignored, it can ruin your house and result in significant water damage. Even while you can find the leak and its source on your own, hiring professionals will save you time, effort, and money on your water bill.

Belfast Restoration, the ideal water damage restoration firm thoroughly evaluates your issue and informs homeowners of the best course of action. This entails finding the leak inside your wall, figuring out where it came from, and fixing or replacing the damaged components in order to stop additional damage and quickly restore things to normal.