Water always seems innocuous if not life-giving, but it’s actually a destructive force to building materials. It ranks as the third most common cause of house damage, behind just fire and storms.
Sometimes, water intrusion is subtle and imperceptible, coming into plain sight only after extensive damage has occurred. No, not the leaking faucets that you easily notice and replace, nor malfunctioning foundation sump pumps out in the open. Water intrusion from underground leaks or burst pipes inside walls can creep in over several days or weeks before showing up on the surface, at which point there’s probably extensive degradation.
You can avoid expensive repairs by developing a sharp eye for the earliest signs of secret water intrusion and taking action at the first sign of it. In this quick guide, we’ll examine what water intrusion is, the warning signs, and what to do about them.
What Are the Dangers of Water Intrusion?
Water is destructive to buildings and building construction materials. Buildings are purposefully designed to keep water away from them, from the foundation to the roofing, plumbing, drainage, and everything in-between. The longer the exposure to any kind of water leak, the more dangerous it is for significant damage to that part of the building.
Hidden water intrusion usually results from roof leaks, pipe breaks (especially during winter, when frozen water in the pipes expand and crack open), and poor grading. In a very short time, water damage can rot wood structures, leave hard stains on drywalls or foundation walls, and even worse, bring in uninvited guests like mold, mildew, and pests, raising the dangers from just structural damage to biological risks. Mold growth takes water damage to a whole new dimension in which mold compounds the damages, intoxicating your indoor air quality, and exposing the occupants to a range of short-term and long-term health issues, including allergies and possible mental health issues.
The list of problems grows longer as the water intrusion continues unabated. Before long, it leaves behind a huge trail of significant damage that could have been avoided only if the water intrusion had been spotted and eliminated on time.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Water Intrusion?
Simply put, water intrusion occurs when water turns up where it’s not supposed to be. It usually happens because a part of the building fails to control water properly. One of the most common causes is roof leaks, where a part of the roof has been compromised, allowing rain water to seep in.
During winter, pipe leaks are the most common causes of water intrusion due to frozen water bursting pipes. Pipe works are usually extensive and intricate, crisscrossed throughout the entire building. As such, burst pipes can go unnoticed in certain parts of the building for long periods until the damage is spread to other places.
Poor grading around the house can also leave water logs from drain lines that can seep into the house in the form of underground water and flooding. This also usually becomes noticeable only after major damage has occurred.
Another common cause of water intrusion is high humidity levels in the home due to extreme weather conditions. Excessive amounts of water vapor can be trapped inside the “building envelope,” gradually soaking up surfaces and creating a breeding ground for mold growth and other pests.
Where Are Common Sources of Water Intrusion?
Here’s a breakdown of the numerous sources of water intrusion. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good head start.
Roof or Ceiling Leaks
This is the most common cause of water leaks. It usually occurs around roof penetration points where structures protrude vertically through the roof, such as chimneys, exhaust fans, and vents.
Pipe Breaks or Sewage Backup
Pipe leaks around the kitchen sinks and bathroom sinks are very common too, but they’re usually easy to spot early on. Plumbing leaks underneath a surface are more subtle and more dangerous.
Behind Walls or Around Foundation Walls
Poor grading around the house usually leads to foundational water, and that usually goes unnoticed until it starts seeping through basement walls and floors, leaving cracks and other signs.
Behind Siding
Corners and joints where siding panels connect with other parts of the building oftentimes become an entry point for water intrusion due to improper installation, damage, or degradation.
Around Windows
Windows and doors are usually the first place you should check on during a rainstorm. They still remain one of the most common sources of water intrusion and mold growth, but at least they’re easier to keep for you to keep an eye out on.
Behind an Exterior Faucet
Exterior faucets are connected to pipes just underneath the siding, where it can be difficult to tighten the connection properly, making it a common entry point for water intrusion. Plus, exterior faucets are even more exposed to severe cold which can cause pipes to freeze.
Beneath or Behind Appliances
Dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, and other appliances that use water may fail to hold water properly, leaving behind wet materials, which can cause significant damage to floors and surfaces.
How Do You Detect Water Intrusion?
Early detection can help you gain a firm grip on water damage. Keep an eye out for the first obvious sign of small stains and discoloration on the walls. This usually happens way before the slow leak becomes physically visible on the surface. Don’t ignore the strong odor you can get from any part of your building – that’s probably a result of bacteria building up due to the presence of excessive moisture.
Here’s a comprehensive list of the most common early signs to look out for:
- Staining
- Peeling or cracking walls
- Bubbling paint
- Weeping basement walls
- Buckling floors
- Delamination of a finished floor
- Musty odors
Water intrusion experts use additional detection tools besides their senses to trace out water intrusion. These include infrared cameras, drones, and saturation and moisture meters.
How Can Water Intrusion be Prevented?
If you’ve noticed any of the above signs in any part of your building, you need a rapid response to prevent further damage. It’s not advisable to do it yourself unless you have had significant experience with water issues, or you could end up doing a poor job if the leakage persists and continues. It’s always best to let the pros handle it with their sophisticated tools and expertise.
Once you’ve treated it successfully, you can prevent water intrusion issues from reoccurring with a few effective preventive measures. The first is having a regular roofing system inspection, especially around roof penetration points to ensure that all of the sealing materials remain intact.
Waterproofing the basement floor and foundation walls is also another vital step you can take. This is usually combined with grading work to ensure that water doesn’t get into any part of your flooring let alone slip inside the floors and walls. Your foundation and brickwork might also need to be reinforced in the process. All of this helps to make your building structure more impervious to water intrusion.
When water gets into where it’s not supposed to be, it leaves a trail of damage on the building materials that probably could have been avoided. Spotting and preventing it on time can help you avoid a long list of problems that will become more expensive to repair over time.
At Moisture Masters LLC, we use state-of-the-art tools and techniques to help preserve your precious belongings from the damaging effects of moisture intrusion, mold, and to improve your overall indoor air quality. We’ll trace out every ounce of excess moisture around your building, plug the sources, and put solid measures in place to prevent water intrusion from reoccurring.
