Water damage is a common problem in every household. Water damage might have a number of reasons that you know but sometimes it is difficult to find the actual cause of water damage. The most difficult task is to find out wall leakage.
The leaks that occur behind the walls are usually out of sight and even when you find out it is always possible that the damage has already been made. Wall leakage can cause severe structural damage if not treated on time. The major cause of wall leakage is mold.
Mold is a kind of fungus that usually grows inside a structure that has been exposed to water or moisture for a longer period of time. The common places for wall leakage are kitchen, bathroom, basement and laundry room. A hidden leakage can damage a big portion of your walls, flooring as well as expensive furniture present in your room.
Wall leakage is not brought to notice easily so you need to be extra cautious and look for the signs of water leakage. To get rid of mold you might require professional help from experts.
Signs of Wall Leakage
Here are some of the signs that can help you understand the presence of wall leakage:
- When there is excessive moisture behind a wall it can lead to the peeling off of the wallpaper or paint. Sometimes excessive water is absorbed by the sheetrock present behind the walls which might lead to wall leakage.
- You can find a pungent odour due to the growth of the molds. You can always check the portion of the wall which has a musty smell because the mold has likely grown there. The wood or the sheetrock present behind the walls absorb the water and give out such smell.
- Did you find any warping on your wall? If yes, then be assured that that wall leakage is right there. As the sheetrock absorbs excessive water it tends to curve and bend which leads to its warping.
- Have you noticed any stain on your wall which grows bigger with time? Then you immediately need to check the wall leakage at that particular portion of your house. The water absorbed by the sheetrock is the cause of the stain.
- The mold sometimes appears on the ceiling, walls as well as baseboards. You should understand that your rooms are also getting affected by molds and you need immediate help. You must also check your floors at certain time intervals for stains or even buckling to keep a track of water damage.
To keep your home safe from wall leakage or water damage you need to look for certain signs. Here are some guidelines to test leakage with the help of water meter.
- First of all, you need to put off the faucets present in the appliances that use water and al the faucets present in your house.
- Now you need to check out the water meter to record the water usage number.
- You should abstain from using water for at least 3 hours inside as well as outside the house.
- After this you need to check the water meter to record the usage number.
- Even after turning off the water faucets you find the water meter showing high usage then you must understand that there is some kind of water leak hidden in your home.
Once you find out the water leakage in your house you need to start working soon on finding the exact location of leakage. The wall leakage is because of mold growth which needs to be addressed with the help of professionals. The technicians will visit your place and track the hidden wall leakage and will offer necessary amendments.
