How to Find a Water Leak Inside a Wall

Of all the things that make homeowners anxious, water leaks inside walls rank high on the list. If you know you have a leak, but you can’t find the source, there’s nothing more frustrating. Below are five of the best ways to pinpoint the source of a water leak behind a wall so that you can get it repaired quickly, efficiently, and affordably. 

Listen For It 

It may seem silly, but for many homeowners, it really works. Just shut down any major noisemakers in your house, put your ear up against the walls where your pipes run, and listen. With any luck, you’ll hear the telltale signs of running water and you’ll be able to use your ears to pinpoint the exact location behind the wall. It’s the most accurate method, but it’s one that can work when nothing else does. 

Smell It Out

Believe it or not, sometimes the first symptom of a water leak behind a wall is the scent of it - that classic odor that is somewhere between mildew and wet dirt. It can be difficult to pinpoint a precise location in this manner, but if you only pick up the scent in a specific room of your home, then at least you know where to start. It’s important to note that not every leak will cause an odor, so keep this in mind. 

Look for Discoloration

In some cases, you might see discolored spots on the walls of your home that can indicate where the bulk of the moisture is. Though it won’t always tell you the exact source of the leak, it can give you a pretty good idea. The brown or yellow splotch may appear on the wall itself, on the floor beside the wall, or if you live in a multistory home, on the ceiling of the floor below the leak. 

Check for Mold 

If the leak behind your wall is relatively slow, mold might be the first sign that you have a problem. Finding mold in your bathroom is one thing, but finding mold in the hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom is something else entirely. Look for black or brown mold specifically, and if you find it where it normally wouldn’t be, you know the vicinity of your water leak. 

Peeling Paint 

Another excellent sign that you are dealing with a water leak behind a wall - and often one of the very best ways to pinpoint an exact location - is to look for places where the paint (or wallpaper) in your home may be bubbling, peeling, or even falling away. Moisture will cause the wall beneath the paint or paper to buckle, and this buckling is what causes the damage to the paint or paper itself. 

While all of these methods are helpful for spotting water leaks behind walls, especially when used together, the very best method is to call a professional plumber you can trust. Plumbers have years of experience dealing with water leaks in places you might not even think of, and they’re specially trained to spot and repair water leaks as quickly and as economically as possible.