Why You Should Hire a Professional to Find Your Leaks

10/9/2020 (Permalink)

Whenever you have a problem with your home, the first impulse is usually to tackle the problem yourself. Sometimes this can be the right choice, and the problem’s easy enough to solve on your own. Other times it’s much safer and smarter to call in the pros from the beginning.

Tracking down tricky leaks is one of those times. Sure, some leaks are easy to track down, but water has a way of traveling odd paths. So once finding a leak gets tough, then it’s time to call in some help. And here’s why:

They Know Where to Look

Water can travel strange paths before it finally comes out into your home, and you might be surprised how far it can come. That discolored spot on your basement ceiling could actually be caused by a leak in your roof or your wall on the opposite side of the house.

Professionals have tracked down hundreds, even thousands of leaks over the years. That experience gives them a wide variety of usual suspects to check, and a good number of unusual ones, too.

They Know What to Look For

That slight, turquoise line along your copper pipe? That’s where water has run along the outside and caused the copper to oxidize. It’s a sure sign that a leak is sending water traveling on the wrong side of the pipes.

Pros know these and dozens of other signs. What looks like a bit of dirt to you might indicate a serious leak in your roof, foundation, or wall. Or it might just be some dirt. A professional will be able to know the difference for certain.

They’ve Got the Right Equipment

Most of us can only use our eyes or sense of touch to lead us to water, but not the professionals. They have a wide variety of specialized equipment that can sense moisture and humidity through walls or probe underground for water deposits using ground-penetrating radar.

This equipment can be expensive to buy and tricky to use. They have years of experience using the equipment, and know-how to put it to good use.

They Know How to Fix It

Once a professional has found the leak, they’ll know the best way to fix the leak, and will usually be able to take care of the work themselves. The truth is, any professional who comes to repair the leak will have to track it down anyway, even if you have a good idea where the leak is.

By using a professional in the first place, you remove that step from the process, saving you money and getting the leak repaired sooner.