Damp spots and musty smells traced to their source with meters and a thermal camera before the wall is closed.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Hidden water leak detection finds water that is leaking inside a wall, floor or ceiling without a visible drip. Technicians use moisture meters and a thermal camera to map where the water is, then open the smallest area needed to confirm the source. The leak is then passed to a plumber or other trade for repair.
Some water leaks announce themselves. Others sit inside a wall for months, soaking the framing and the drywall until a stain or a soft floor appears somewhere far from the source. A damp spot that does not dry after a flood, a musty smell with no visible wet area, or a floor that feels soft in one place may all be the first sign of a leak that is still running. Finding it before the wall is closed is the point of this service.
Detection is done with instruments before anything is opened. A moisture meter gives a reading at the surface and inside the material, and a thermal camera shows cooler areas where water is evaporating or where it has soaked into the building. The pattern of the readings points toward a source, and the crew opens the smallest area that will confirm it. A leak that is traced this way can be repaired and dried in a single pass rather than in repeated rounds.
Call (833) 490-5225 if a damp spot or smell is still there after drying, or if a wall or floor feels wet with no clear cause. The line is answered 24/7 and a crew is sent as soon as one is free. Do not cover a damp spot with paint, sealer or a rug while the cause is unknown, because that hides the evidence and can trap moisture inside the building.
Do not open a wall or ceiling if you do not know where the wiring and pipes run, and do not cut into a wall near an outlet or a switch. Do not run a line or a fixture while the leak is being traced. Wear a dust mask and eye protection when opening material, because the dust and mold inside a damp wall can irritate the lungs and eyes.
The technician asks when the damp was first noticed, whether it changes with use or weather, and whether any fixture or line runs through the area. Past floods, repairs and drainage work are noted, since they often explain the path.
Readings are taken at the surface and inside the material across the wall, floor or ceiling. The readings are logged on a plan of the space, so the wet area is shown by the numbers rather than by the stain.
A thermal camera shows cooler areas where water is evaporating or has soaked in. The image is a guide to where to take a reading or open a wall, and the meter confirms what the camera shows.
A small opening is made where the readings and the image point. The line, fitting or drain is checked for leaks, and the opening is recorded. The opening is kept as small as the confirmation allows.
The source is written down with photographs and the readings. The wet material is dried to readings, and the repair is passed to the trade that can fix the line, so the wall is not closed until that repair is done.
A damp spot returns when the water source is still running or the moisture has been trapped inside the material. Surface drying does not reach a source inside the wall, so the spot dries at the top and gets wet again from below.
A spot that dries and comes back on a regular pattern, such as after the shower is used, points to a fixture or a line in the same area. A spot that returns after rain points to water coming in from outside rather than from a pipe.
The crew checks for both. The findings are written down with the pattern the homeowner described, so the repair is aimed at the actual cause rather than at the spot where the damp shows up.
Paint, sealer and wallpaper can hide the stain of a leak for a time, but they do not stop the water. A leak covered this way keeps soaking the wall, and it can cause rot, mold and structural damage that grows out of sight.
Covering a stain can also remove the evidence the crew needs to find the source. A stain that has been painted over still shows the path of the water on the framing and the subfloor, but the easier the surface looks, the less likely anyone is to check.
Homeowners who are selling or renting a property should have a known leak traced and repaired, and the report kept, before the surface is covered. The crew's report is a record of the work done on the leak.
The repair belongs to the trade that fixes the failed part, usually a plumber for a line or fitting, a roofer for a roof, or a qualified contractor for a foundation or drain. The detection report tells that trade where to look and what the readings showed.
The restoration crew does not repair the line, the drain or the foundation. Its job is to find the source, dry the material around it and document the work, so the trade can make the repair with the facts in hand.
After the repair, the wall or floor is closed only once the readings show it is dry. A homeowner should ask the trade to confirm the repair in writing and keep that record with the detection report.
The number of rooms to check, the type of finish, how far the wet area reaches, and how many openings the confirmation needs move the cost most. A leak in a hard-to-reach cavity takes more time than one in an open wall. The price is explained and approved before work starts, and no figure is given here.
A detection job that can be done with meters and a camera alone is quicker than one that needs several openings. Each opening adds time for the crew to make it, check it and close it for the drying stage.
The repair of the leak and the finish work are priced by the trades that do them. The detection estimate covers the readings, the camera work, the openings and the report, and it is given after the crew has walked the area.
Water from a shower, tub, sink or dishwasher can soak the wall behind it for a long time. The crew checks the fixtures and the supply and drain lines, and it measures the framing behind the tile, paneling or cabinet that covers them.
A leak under a floor can soften the subfloor and cup the finish while the surface looks sound. The crew measures the floor from above and, where it can be reached, from below, and it notes where the readings are highest.
Damp that comes through a foundation wall or from outside the house is not a pipe leak. The crew measures the wall and notes where the wetness is strongest, and it refers the question of grading and drainage to a qualified contractor.
A hidden leak in a Cedar Rapids house is traced the same way in any part of the city: readings first, an image second, and an opening last. The flood history of the city, including the 2008 crest of 31.12 feet, is a reminder that water can sit in a wall for a long time after the river has fallen, so a damp spot should be taken seriously long after the event.
A homeowner in the city who has had a flood and a later damp spot should tell the crew about the flood. The earlier drying can leave readings in the framing that are different from a fresh leak, and the record helps the crew tell the two apart.
The City of Cedar Rapids building and floodplain office answers questions about repairs on a property. A homeowner who is opening a wall to repair a leak should ask that office whether a permit applies before the wall is closed.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Stained or sagging ceilings and walls opened and dried so that water left behind the drywall is found.
Leaks from washers, dishwashers and ice makers cleaned up, and the floor and wall dried to readings.
Crawl spaces and cellars that held water measured and dried before any rebuilding starts.
Mold in flood-wet walls and floors removed once the structure is dry, not covered over.
The crew uses moisture meters to read the wet material and a thermal camera to show where water is evaporating or has soaked in. The readings and the image point to the likely source, and the crew opens the smallest area needed to confirm it. Nothing is cut until the readings support the cut.
Not always. Many leaks are found with the meter and the camera alone. An opening is needed when the readings point inside the wall and the source cannot be confirmed from outside. The crew explains the opening before it is made, and it records the result.
The crew looks at the area you call about and the spaces around it that the readings point toward. It does not survey the whole house unless that is agreed in advance. Tell the crew about any other damp spot you have noticed, so it can be checked on the same visit.
The trade that fixes the failed part does the repair, usually a plumber, roofer or qualified contractor. The restoration crew gives that trade a written report with the readings and the source it found. The crew does not carry out the repair itself.
Damp that does not go away is usually a sign of a source that is still feeding water into the material. Waiting lets the moisture spread into the framing and the finish, which makes the repair larger. Call the line if the damp returns or spreads.
Usually not, but the crew will tell you if an area is unsafe. Keep the openings covered and the area clear, and keep children and pets away from the open wall. The crew explains the work as it goes so you know what is happening in your home.