When Your House Has A Leak

Hurd & Honey

Hurd & Honey

While it's a blessing to own a home, maintenance, especially when you're not terrifically handy, can be daunting. A leaky house is worrisome, and detecting a leak can be more challenging than it seems.

A damp patch on the ceiling or a dripping sound may not always lead to the source of the leak. 

Hurd & Honey

Hurd & Honey

Is it coming from the roof?

Roof leaks are generally the result of cracks in the roof or missing tiles, causing rain water to leak in. If you’re getting dripping sounds or water appearing after it’s rained, it’s likely you have a roof leak. A roofing repair company will be able to assess and seal the damages for you. Make sure that defrosting ice or snow isn’t to blame either.

Hurd & Honey

Hurd & Honey

Is it coming through the walls?

Cracks in your exterior walls can allow water to come through. The wall cavity could be preventing this water from entering your interior, but in the meantime it could be causing damage to the inside of your wall, soaking the insulation and dry wall. You should be able to visibly see cracks on the outside of your home – if not, an internal pipe in the walls could be the issue.

Hurd & Honey

Hurd & Honey

Is it coming up through the ground?

If the bottom of the walls in your home are damp or there is a presence of mold, it could be a sign that you have "rising damp". You can hire foundation repair contractors to help with this problem. This is not usually a job you can do yourself due to the complexity, and with the possible presence of mold, you'll want to be sure to have the proper protection.

Is it an internal leak?

If water is appearing when a faucet is in use, this is a good sign that there is a leak. Leaks may be the result of old pipes or broken seals that have deteriorated with age. Alternatively, if the pipe is underground, a tree root could have damaged the pipe.

If your home’s water pressure is too high, a pipe can burst; a water pressure reducing valve can fix this.

In many cases, you will likely need to hire a plumber. Certain leaks can be fixed easily, such as a leak under the sink. Leaky pipes that are in walls could require more careful repair (there could be wires, gas pipes, and insulation to contend with). 

*This is a collaborative post.

Hurd & Honey

Hurd & Honey