Water damage is a common problem in Orlando homes. Older homes are especially in danger for water damage due to leaky pipes. Water leaking from pipes can cause extensive damage if it is undetected for a long time. The damage caused by leaking pipes can range from just a little wood warping or swelling in a designated area, to more serious damage like the swelling or buckling of a floor, wall studs and sheetrock. All of this wetness can lead to costly wood repairs. It can cause mold growth as well. This is unpleasant as well as hazardous to your health.



Water damage occurs slowly drips or sprays from one specific spot under your kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Most of the time, if caught early enough, the damage might not be necessary to repair. The thing with small leaks is that some can only happen while the water is in and will stop when it is not. The drainage pipes would be an example of this. When water is running through them, they leak. These leaks can be harder to detect because they can wet a spot on the floor of the cabinet or surrounding wall and then eventually dry out. You may open and close your cabinet door many times before you notice a wet spot. Try to be vigilant in checking for water under your sink each time you open the cabinet. This way you can find and fix any leaks before they cause any real damage.

The pipes that supply the water for your house are a completely different matter. Since they have water flowing into them at all times, the leaking will be constant. These types of leaks are likely to be noticed a lot sooner than those from drainage pipes. They will also cause real damage in a shorter time as well. Fix any issues with these pipes as quickly as possible to prevent any more serious or costly problems from occurring.

No matter which type of pipes you have that are leaking, the sooner they are repaired the less damage they are likely to cause. You might like to attempt to repair these leaks yourself. This will probably depend on where the leak in the pipe is located. If you can see the leak itself, you can probably fix it easily. If the place in the pipe that is leaking is behind the wall, it will not be as easy to fix. You might want to call a plumber if this is the case. Sometimes a leaking pipe can be repaired just by simply tightening a fitting on a pipe.

Another easy fix that will often stop a leak is to apply some pipe cement to the leak once the pipe is dry. If you have old metal piping as many homes in Orlando do, a hole could have occurred from rust and the entire pipe will have to be replaced. If you have PVC pipes, sometimes the seals need replacing or using plumber's tape inside and can correct the problem. Home improvement stores offer pipe replacement kits for under sinks. These kits are relatively easy to install and can be done by almost anyone with a little patience who wants to save the money they would have to pay a plumber.

In the end, it is important to follow-up and inspect for leaky pipes as they can occur anywhere, and anytime in any home from Orlando Florida to Seattle, Washington.