Best Way To Locate A Water Leak Behind Drywall

Do you have a water leakage that you think might be coming from behind your drywall? Read and learn more about tactics to locate the source in this brief guide, we’ll also give some tips to locate a water leak behind drywall.

Recognizing the Leak Area

Water leaks are severe. If they aren’t located and stopped right away they can damage both your home and your health due to the fact that wetness helps mold grow. This is why a water leak behind drywall is more serious. Unfortunately, you in some cases won’t know you have a water leakage till it has actually currently done countless dollars worth of damage. So, it’s wise to pay very close attention. Here’s how to find a water leakage inside a wall:

9 Signs Of A Water Leak Behind A Wall

1. Wet areas: Obviously, a damp wall might imply a dripping pipeline. However, remember that the leakage may not be directly behind the wet location. The water from dripping pipes can emerge and travel down the pipeline prior to it eventually coming into contact with your drywall.
2. Discolored locations: Leaking pipes inside walls can trigger spots of staining to appear.
3. Mold in areas where you didn’t expect to discover it:  Mold in moist locations like bathrooms isn’t that surprising. We’ve probably all seen it at some time in our lives. Black or brown mold elsewhere in your home could be the sign a dripping pipe.
4. Wallpaper & Paint Peeling: If you noticed any paint peeling or starting to bubble or if you notice your wallpaper beginning to peel off, it could be a sign of a water leak behind the drywall.
5. Large Increases in Your Water Bill: This won’t tell you where a leakage lies. However, it’s a strong indicator you most likely have one.
6. Deformed or discolored flooring or ceiling: Is your drywall, ceiling, or floor warped? Does your floor feel spongy when you stroll on it? These are indications of water leakage.
7. A Musty odor: Just because you do not see any water damage does not suggest it’s not there. Often simply the smell is enough to alert you.
8. Puddles of Water: Have you determined they aren’t originating from appliances? If so, you may have a leaky pipe.
9. Dripping noises: Do you hear the noise of leaking water when you switch off the faucet or shower? You may have a pipe that’s leaking water.

Take Action If You Suspect A Leak Behind Drywall

The first thing to do is learn if your plumbing is the problem (there are cases where it may not be)

Verifying With Your Water Meter:

1: Switch off all water-using gadgets in your house.
2: Record the number on your water meter.

Locating Your Water Meter

The most typical location for the water meter is in front of your home near the curb. However, if you reside in a colder environment it might be situated inside your home.

If your meter is outside it will normally remain in a concrete box with a cast iron lid that reads” WATER”. In Charlotte, many of the water boxes are resin (plastic). Utilize a screwdriver or similar tool to carefully eliminate the lid. As you do this look out for insects, reptiles, or rodents that might have settled inside.

Your water meters will either have an analog or a digital display. An analog water meter will have a sweep hand and the numbers plainly displayed. The water usage is measured either in gallons or cubic feet. A digital water meter requires light in order to work (shine a flashlight on it) and the screen changes backward and forward between the rate of flow (how many gallons per minute are streaming through the meter) and the meter read (how many gallons or cubic feet have actually been used). Ensure you write down the number of gallons used.

Next, wait a minimum of 3 hours. Do not utilize any water during this time. This is because a drip will use a very small amount of water, and if you don’t have an extended time frame to measure movement on the meter, you’ll risk not properly observing the water usage from the leak.

After 3 hours have passed, check the number on the water meter and compare it to the number you wrote down previously. If it has moved, you have a leak somewhere in your pipes. If it hasn’t, the water could be coming from a leak in your roofing system or walls.

If you didn’t notice movement on the meter then it’s best to then check your gutters and downspouts. Examine to make certain your seamless gutters and downspouts aren’t obstructed with leaves. If water gets in and can’t find a way out it will eventually begin permeating into your home.

If you still are not able to identify where the leak could be coming from, it may be best to call an expert.

Finding the Exact Location of a Water Leak Behind Drywall

Using a Moisture Meter: You can purchase or lease a wetness meter at a hardware store and utilize it to pinpoint the area of the leak. Point it at various locations of the wall until you discover the area that produces the greatest reading. That’s the one closest to the leak. If you call an expert to come out and look for leaks they will bring along one of these gadgets.

Using a Thermal Camera: You can likewise use an infrared cam to identify cold locations in a wall. The wettest areas of a wall will be the coldest and will appear as blue or purple on the cam. This is another gadget frequently utilized by our professionals to discover water leakages inside walls.

Cut into your drywall: Because this test requires patching when you’re done, it’s definitely the last resort choice. Basically, it involves cutting into your drywall in order to take a look around. When choosing where to cut bear in mind that the area of visible water damage might not be where the leak lies. Water can leak down the side of a pipe for some distance before it eventually starts entering contact with your drywall.

Prior to you take the drastic step of cutting into your drywall, we encourage you to get in touch with our plumbing specialists. A qualified and proficient specialist will just do this as a last hope.