Problems in the bathroom can really stink, especially when they catch you off guard. One minute you’re going about your business, and the next, you have a big mess on your hands.
We’re talking about water damage, of course. A persistent leak that goes unnoticed for some time can become a burst pipe, a flood, or health-threatening mold, costing you thousands of dollars and headaches in repairs.
Prevention, as always, is key. Here are some signs to watch for:
Watery Walls
You don’t want irregularity in the bathroom, especially when it comes to your walls. If you notice warping, stains, blistering paint, or peeling wallpaper, that’s a sign of a leak somewhere. While your shower walls are designed to withstand moisture, drywall is not. Got a bubbly or dripping ceiling? That means the leak has expanded even farther.
Suspicious Floors
A cracking, buckling, or stained floor in the bathroom should be enough to make your stomach turn. It means there’s water lurking. Whether there’s a leaky pipe directly beneath the floor or moisture has traveled from another area, when you see these problems, it’s time to act.
Have a stained or leaking ceiling in a room directly beneath the bathroom? That could also mean a leak––and one that has the potential to cause serious damage in more than one room.
Mold or Mildew
Small amounts of mildew in the shower from time to time is normal and fixable with regular cleaning. Mold or mildew in other parts of the bathroom, however, can point to a leak. Until you identify and eliminate the source of moisture, the mold will spread no matter how hard you try to clean it.
Icky Smells
Okay, so the bathroom is famous for many of them. But damp and musty odors are not typical and can signal a moisture problem and mold growing beneath the surface of your floors or walls. No amount of air freshener will eliminate those smells for good. You must identify and remedy the source.
Water damage in the bathroom can be sneaky, hiding behind your walls and underneath your floors where you can’t see them. These problems, however, are solvable and by following the right course of action, can be repaired and cleaned without resorting to living in a damp and moldy environment.
