Fall is here, winter is coming, and soon the homes that you are looking to buy will be winterized. So how will you know if there is a water leak if there is no running water? Here are some signs of some potential prior or existing leaks, all of which you should be cautious of when choosing your investment.
1) Look around the fixture or wall surface for staining.
Most porous surfaces (i.e. drywall, wood, vinyl, porcelain, steel, Fiberglass, Corian®, etc.) will show some signs of staining when water has been continually in contact with the surface for a period of time (i.e. dripping, trickling, or even standing water).
Notice the picture to the left, there is a visible brown stain on the ceiling, this is left on drywall or painted surfaces after they have been exposed to water. The only thing left in this situation is to determine if the leak came from the roof or from overhead plumbing in the attic. This generally can be determined by entering the attic space.
In this picture, you can see that they replaced the sink cabinet base, usually a tell-tale sign that an attempt has been made to repair leak damage -- or in this case, to conceal. Notice the growth on the walls, after being sent to the lab, this was determined to be Stachybotrys Mold (Black Mold). The leak in this particular place had been repaired, but they failed to properly remediate the mold. In time, this mold will eat away at the wall until it is gone, and who knows how many spores will be released in the air to grow elsewhere during that time period.
Ignore, for a moment, the rust ring around the drain itself; that alone cannot determine a leak, as older tubs commonly have a rust ring around the drain. Instead, look just to the left of the drain in the picture. If you look closely, you will see a nice clean area with a fringe of brownish orange, this is staining from a constant drip. Even if the water is off, this staining will remain, and is often hard to remove with standard cleaning agents.
2) Look for corrosion on the pipes.
Whether it is a very slow leak, or a fast leak, copper pipes or galvanized, the result is always corrosion. Corrosion is the first sign of a water leak, followed by a burst or cracked pipe. Pictured below are the two common types of pipe, copper and galvanized, and what corrosion looks like on each.
This is where copper meets galvanized. In this picture, a copper flex pipe has been connected to a galvanized nipple. As you can see in the image, there is a considerable amount of powdered rust on the joint. This is due to a very slow leak, and unfortunately, with the galvanized pipe, is probably much worse that what we can see on the outside. Replace these fittings immediately.
This ice-maker supply line is a copper stub that has a tapping valve attached to it, they most likely forgot to install the rubber washer for the valve, causing this slow leak. Notice the light blue streak in the corrosion, this is a common sign of exposure to water and oxygen on copper. If you see this type of corrosion on your copper pipes, and it cannot be attributed to any outside elements, then you probably have a slow leak.
3.) Evidence of repair.
Not all repair jobs are created equal. Many are less than adequate and are an intent to cover-up, rather than a repair or restore. Be aware of texture and paint differences on walls. Many times this is indicative of a cover-up. Licensed professionals are capable of repairing or restoring a wall to near pristine condition, with the ability and skill to match texture and paint. Amateurs, on the other hand, do not have the skill required to match the texture, and often leave this evidence behind, even if they were able to find a paint match.
In this picture, notice the ripples underneath the water supply pipe. Also, the inadequate feathering of the texture to the right of that. A skilled and licensed professional would have had the ability to patch the area neatly and with little to no evidence of repair. This unskilled texturing job right around a water supply pipe is indicative of a potential prior leak, and should be investigated further.
Of course, if you're lucky, the alleged offender may leave the spray can of Kilz® Satinblocker right near the area in question, and remove all doubt!
There you have it, three common steps that can be taken to spot a potential leak. If you see any of these signs around your home, or the home that you are looking to buy, you just might want to call a licensed contractor to investigate the situation further. If there are any signs of possible mold growth, get the area examined by a mold professional immediately.
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