Identifying water damage or its source can be difficult, especially in the bathroom where you have a complex plumbing system with multiple taps, sink, toilet, bathtub, etc. While a broken pipe is a clear sign of an issue, in most cases, it’s not that simple considering you’ll have to deal with many other factors, such as leaky seals, unstable caulking and grout, or a cracked shower tile. These damages could easily lead to thousands of dollars in bathroom repairs or restoration if you don’t proactively identify and take care of them.

In this post, we’ll share how to identify bathroom water damage so you can quickly call a home restoration service in Riverdale for inexpensive repairs.

7 Signs of Bathroom Water Damage to Keep an Eye Out For

1.    Musty/Damp Smell

The first thing that that should help you identify bathroom water damage is the smell. If you walk into your bathroom and experience an overwhelmingly persistent, musty smell even after you’ve cleaned, it’s a sign of moisture buildup below floors or the wall surface. This is usually due to a hidden leak or water accumulation in cracks following a storm. You need to find the source before it causes serious water damage quickly. Your best shot is to call a water damage repair service right away.

2.    Damaged Floors

Even though bathroom floors are designed to be covered in water, a slight crack is all it takes for a leak to develop. If you feel persistent moisture below the floors or feel like it has become softer or spongy, it’s time to set off the alarms and bring in a professional for repairs. If you have tiles instead of hardwood floors, look for movement or instability.

3.    Visible Mold

Mold doesn’t grow overnight; so, if you see it growing on the walls or ceiling, it means there has been water damage in your bathroom for a while now since it develops from the inside out. Mold damage doesn’t go away by cleaning. You’ll need to find the leakage source and fix it, and thus, eliminate the perfect environment you set for them.

4.    Toilet Leaks

The toilet is often the usual suspect behind leaks in the bathroom, especially from the waste pipe meaning every time the toilet is flushed, water will escape from it. Since people use the toilet more than showers or their sinks, the water damage can easily escalate to become a major plumbing repair job. If you take care of it proactively, you’ll only need to seal it with a little cement or tile paste. This will also secure the toilet in case it was moving when you sat on it.

5.    Tap and Sink Leaks

After the toilet, taps and sinks are the most commonly used water outlets in the bathroom. Therefore, you will inevitably have to deal with damaged seals or deteriorating silicone around the taps, sinks, and basins. Take a look around what’s going on underneath the sink to detect any leaks, especially at the pipe joints. If you fail to locate the leakage source in the pipes, check the sink drain for puddles or excess water at the bottom.

6.    Warped Walls

Warped walls are usually the sign of escalated water damage, especially in flooded areas around the country. When drywall absorbs water, it starts to swell, crack, and soften over time. If you allow it to escalate, it could lead to the walls crumbling and becoming uneven or crooked. Sure, you could grab a bucket of paint and simply opt for a cosmetic fix, but this short-term solution will only do more financial damage to your pocket. Instead, you should hire a water damage repair service for a long-term fix.

7.    Soft Floors

If you have wooden floors in your bathroom, then you’re more prone to water damage as over time, the floors become softer and unstable, especially around the toilet where you sit down. If left attended, you could be dealing with a collapsed floor in the future.

Expert Water Damage Repair Services – 911 Restoration of Riverdale

In many cases, water damage might not be visible yet, meaning it would already be too late before you get repairs done. However, if you notice any of the 7 signs of bathroom water damage mentioned above, especially a persistent damp smell, you should have your bathroom checked by a professional right away. By delaying the repairs, you’ll allow the damage to worsen, which in return, could lead to an unnecessary financial burden on your shoulders.

At 911 Restoration of Riverdale, our team of home restoration experts can assess the bathroom water damage and take all the necessary steps for repairs or damage control. We also have the latest tools and equipment to remodel your bathroom by replacing all the damaged materials. We don’t believe in hiding the problem with a cosmetic fix. Instead, we offer long-lasting solutions that help our customers save money on unnecessary future damage repairs.

Feel free to call us for more information regarding our water damage repair services.