Diagnosing Leaks In Bathrooms: Part 1
Does one of your bathrooms have a mysterious leak? It may be difficult to figure out where the water is coming from at first. However, you need to find out as soon as possible if the leak is from a valve, drain or some other place. Otherwise, you may end up spending more money than necessary ripping stuff out and having it replaced.
Follow the water trail to its source
When you find water standing on the bathroom floor, your first though might be that it must be coming from a water pipe or drain. While this is possible, it is not always the case. If the toilet is nearby, it should be ruled out as the culprit. Also, make sure the pool of water on the floor was not simply splashed there by someone using the sink.
Check for moisture around the surrounding drywall. Nine times out of ten, water is coming from behind the wall. If the wall is wet all the way to the ceiling, water might be coming from a source outside of the bathroom. For example, a roof leak may simply end up near the tub.
Inspect the caulking, grout and seals around the bathtub. If they are deteriorated, water may be seeping through these areas and soaking the drywall when the tub or shower is in use. Allow the bathroom tub or shower to dry out for about 48 hours. If the drywall remains wet, you probably have a constant slow leak from a pipe.
If the area dries out, you know the leak is caused by bathroom use in some form or fashion. Sometimes people unknowingly splash water from the shower or the tub onto the adjacent floor. They simply do not notice until it becomes a large puddle. Adding small rubber dams around the corners of the tub and making sure the shower curtain liner stays inside the tub rim will limit this problem.
Related posts:
- Diagnosing Leaks In Bathrooms: Part 2
- Bathroom Remodeling – Is Carpet OK?
- Nonskid Flooring for Bathrooms
- Bathrooms & Hardwood Floors
- Moisture Resistant Wall Finishes for Bathrooms
Tags: Bathrooms
