Residential Leak Detection
Residential Water Leak Detection
Homes rarely announce a leak at the point it is happening. Water travels along framing, pipe runs and slab edges, so the wet patch on a ceiling is often metres from the source. We locate and document the origin non-invasively before anything is opened up.
Symptoms we're called for
- A utility bill that climbs without a matching change in habits
- A water meter that keeps moving with every fixture closed
- Staining, bubbling paint or a soft spot on a ceiling, wall or floor
- A musty smell, persistently high humidity or a warped baseboard
- Warm spots on a slab floor or a hiss near a wall or cabinet
Property types
- Single-family homes, townhouses and duplexes
- Condos and apartments (interior piping and shared assemblies)
- Homes on slab-on-grade and homes with crawlspaces or basements
- Pre-purchase and pre-renovation investigations
Methods used
- Acoustic listening and correlation to hear water escaping under pressure
- Thermal imaging to find temperature anomalies below finished surfaces
- Moisture metering and mapping to trace the extent of migration
- Tracer gas for lines and voids where acoustic access is limited
- Line tracing and pressure isolation to confirm the leaking run
Limitations, stated plainly
- Detection locates and documents; we do not perform repairs
- Concealed fittings behind sealed finishes may require a small access point to confirm
- Some leaks only present under specific conditions (hot water use, rain, pressure cycles)
What you receive
- A written report with the located source and the evidence behind it
- Photographs and thermal/moisture readings annotated on site
- A moisture map showing how far water has travelled
- Recommended next steps, including the trade to call if repair is needed
Next steps
- Send the report to your insurer or adjuster as part of a claim
- Give the locator's findings to a licensed plumber or restoration contractor
- Re-test after repair to confirm the source is resolved