5 Signs Of A Hidden Water Leak In Your Home

A water leak inside the walls of your home can cause a lot of expensive damage. If left untreated, leaking water can ruin paint, drywall, and even leak into the foundation of your home and cause serious foundational issues. While water leaks aren't always obvious, luckily there are things you can look out for. Here are five signs of a hidden water leak in your home:

Peeling or Blistering Paint

As leaking water accumulates behind your walls, it will cause the paint to become damp and blister, crack, or peel. Leaking water also has this effect on wallpaper. If you ignore this sign, you may soon see the paint or wallpaper completely peel away from the wall in strips, as the dampness from the leak causes the adhesive in the paint or wallpaper to weaken.

Higher Than Usual Water Bills

If you're using around the same amount of water each month as usual, but your water bill has suddenly skyrocketed, this is a major sign that you probably have a water leak. You're being charged for the water you actually use, as well as the water leaking from a pipe somewhere.

Mildew or Mold

While there are other things that can cause mildew and mold (like showering in an unventilated bathroom), these things also tend to show up in response to a water leak. Mold and mildew thrive in damp conditions, so water leaking behind your walls and seeping through the drywall can definitely create the right kind of environment for them to appear.

Warped Flooring

If a pipe bursts under your floor, or leaking water travels there from another location in your home, it will eventually cause the floor to warp and buckle. Before you visually notice this floor warping, you may notice that your floors suddenly have a lot more give and feel less solid than they used to when you walk on them.

Stained Ceilings or Walls

Hidden water leaks can cause stains on your ceilings or walls. If you notice yellow or black areas or rings that weren't there before, or any new discoloration, this could be an indication of a leaking pipe.

If you notice any of these signs of a water leak, and especially a combination of them, it's time to call a plumber for an inspection. A good plumber will be able to find the source of your hidden leak and fix it before more damage occurs. For more information, visit websites like http://www.alliedme.com.