How a Professional Plumber Detects & Repairs Water Damage

Professional plumbers are experts at finding leaks, and also experts at detecting the water damage that accompanies a leak because these two things go together. In today’s blog article, we want to talk about how plumbers detect water damage, and then how the repair proceeds from there. 

Water Leaks 

In order to find water damage, usually the plumber first looks to see if there is an ongoing leak. He or she would want to stop the leak first, if possible, before exploring for the damage. Obviously, an ongoing leak causes ongoing damage. 

That said, sometimes there may be evidence of water damage without evidence of an active water leak. Here, below, are some of the ways that plumber find evidence of leaks. 

Paint 

Do walls or ceiling have discoloured, cracking, or flaking paint? Is the painted surface wet to the touch? 

Flooring 

Is wood flooring stained or buckled? Is sheet flooring coming up off the floor? 

Smell 

Does a room smell damp or moldy? This is a first potential indication of water damage. Is there a smell of sewer gas? Sewage? 

Pooling Water 

Is there pooling water on the floor anywhere? If so, further exploration will show if water has migrated and damaged furniture, flooring, subflooring, furniture or cabinetry. 

Building Siding 

Does the outside of a building show stains and discolouration? This can be a painted surface like stucco or shingles or a solid surface like vinyl, stone, or brick. This kind of staining can indicate water coming inside from the outside. 

Moisture Tools 

Then there are tools that can indicate moisture behind walls, which may not be visible. This may or may not be exactly the plumber’s job, but someone else. 

Our company, 604 Fix Leak, works closely with our plumbers to detect water and then we also repair the damage. Different types of repairs are used depending on the type of damage.

604FixLeak offers leak detection, plumbing repairs and restoration services in the Greater Vancouver area. 

If you have any questions about this article or need some help with a leak in your home or office, call us today at (604) 349-5325.