6 Ways to Find Hidden Water Damage in the Bathroom

Hidden bathroom water damage if left untreated can be very expensive.  This can be especially true if you have water damage to your walls or flooring.  In some cases, the indications of bathroom water damage are not totally noticeable. Look for the following rather subtle indicators to figure out if you should employ a mold and flood expert to correct the issue before it becomes even worse.

Hidden Bathroom Water Damage Warning Signs

Water Damages in Bathroom Walls

A wall that is warped or stained for no purpose is a clear indicator that you have a water leak in your bathroom. When the drywall is subjected to moisture, it becomes soft and begins to bubble, ultimately warping and breaking into smaller pieces. If the leak extends to the ceiling, it causes it to sag and perhaps leaks some of the water that has built up.

Hidden Water Damage in Flooring

Unless you purposely allow water to sit on it or never clean up escaped water after a shower,  a bathroom floor rarely suffers water damage unless there actually is a leak. If your bathroom floor is buckling, cracking, or starting to stain for no apparent reason, likelihoods are hidden bathroom water damage is the culprit. The water could be from a pipe directly underneath the floor, or even it could have traveled there from another location.

Depending upon the kind of flooring in your bathroom, moisture can cause it to feel mushy or soft. Tile may give up its adhesion and become loosened, enabling you to easily take out a piece and possibly notice water or moisture underneath it. You will likewise often find a damp subfloor.

Water Damages in Paint or Wallpaper

A wall with blistering paint or wallpaper is an additional indication of a water leak. In most cases, steam from the occasional hot shower probably shouldn’t cause paint or wallpaper to come loose. When water and dampness get the wall and coating, they eliminate the bond and start to divide both, causing the paint to rise from the wall and fall off in pieces. The same thing goes for wallpaper: The glue used to bond the paper to the wall ends up being much less sticky and the paper begins to come loose.

Ceiling Stains

In case you have a bathroom on the second floor, check the ceiling in the room directly underneath the bathroom for stains. Nevertheless, since water can travel a long distance, it’s possible to locate stains farther away.

Sometimes having a damp second-story bathroom floor will not cause enough seepage to harm anything underneath.  Any brown, copper, or dark stains on the ceiling signify a destructive water leak.  A drooping ceiling is an indication that water from a leak is reaching the area.

Musty Odor

Your nose can often find a water leak.  Existing, built-up water from a leaky pipe tends to smell. In the event that, after thoroughly cleaning your bathroom, you still discover a moldy or earthy smell, it’s very likely that you have concealed leaks. Because the water is hidden, it has never had an opportunity to dry.  Many times what you are actually smelling is mold which has already developed.  It is very important that you check with your water damage and mold remediation company.

Mold and Mildew

No matter how effectively and often you clean your bathroom, mold or mildew can spring up if you have a concealed water leak. Mold flourishes on moist, dark areas, and a pipe, that is usually covered in a wall or under flooring, provides the perfect starting point for mold or mildew if the pipe springs a leak.

While it’s typical for a little bit of mildew to happen wherever water collects, such as in the corner of a shower, mold or mildew on non-shower walls or in corners of the bathroom is a certain indication that water is leaking someplace and finding its way to those areas. A leaking pipe provides lots of moisture, so the more time it takes you to detect and repair the leak, the easier and quicker mold will grow.

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If you suspect hidden bathroom water damage in your home or business call Gold Coast Flood Restorations at:

619-449-9611