Where indoor leaks usually start
Most water damage inside a home comes from the plumbing and appliances, not the weather. The usual sources are predictable:
- Frozen pipes in exterior walls, attics, garages and crawl spaces during a hard freeze
- Supply lines to toilets, sinks and refrigerators, especially plastic or kinked ones
- Washing machine hoses, which can burst under full water pressure
- Water heaters that rust through at the bottom of the tank
- Slab leaks in pipes running through or under a concrete foundation
- Corroded galvanized pipe and cracked cast-iron drains in older homes
Signs of a hidden leak
- A water bill that rises with no change in use
- The water meter moves when every fixture is off
- Warm spots on a slab floor, or the sound of running water when nothing is on
- Stains, bubbling paint or swollen baseboards
- A musty smell in one room or closet
- Cupping hardwood or lifting laminate
The first ten minutes after a burst pipe
- Shut off the main water valve. If you can't find it, the city meter box near the street usually has a shutoff.
- Open a faucet at the lowest point of the house to drain pressure from the lines.
- If water is near outlets or the panel, shut off power to that area if you can do it without standing in water.
- In a freeze, don't use an open flame to thaw pipes. A hair dryer or space heater kept away from water is safer.
- Photograph everything, then start moving belongings out of the wet area.
Repair the pipe, then dry the house
A plumber fixes the pipe; a restoration company dries the structure. They're usually different companies, and both matter. A repaired pipe inside a wet wall still leaves soaked insulation, drywall and framing behind, and that moisture won't leave on its own.
Slab leaks usually need leak detection equipment to find, and the repair may be a reroute through the walls or attic rather than breaking up the floor. Ask the plumber which approach they recommend and why.