Are you good at dealing with a leak in your home, as they should never be ignored. They can often cause major damage to your home – and in the case of plumbing leaks could also affect your water bill. But just how should you tackle the leak?

Below are 5 steps to dealing with a leak. 

Identify the source

The source of the leak may be obvious – it could be a dripping tap or rainwater coming through a crack in a window frame. However, there are cases where a leak may not be so obvious. Random damp patches could be caused by a hidden leaky pipe or they could be caused by rainwater leaking in somewhere.

There could even be cases where a leak appears to be coming from one place, but is actually coming from somewhere else and dripping down. It’s important to find the source so that you know how to stop it. A leak detection specialist may be able to help with this.

Stop the leak

Once you’ve found the source, you can patch up the leak. When it comes to severe plumbing leaks, consider looking into hiring an emergency plumbing service. If water is coming through a hole in a roof, consider looking into a roof repair service. Don’t try to repair the leak yourself unless you know what you’re doing – a strip of duct tape over a pipe is not a suitable solution. 

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Clean up any mess

Once the leak has been repaired, you should then focus on cleaning up any mess created by the leak. There’s no point doing this until the leak is fixed, otherwise you’ll constantly be cleaning up (although of course, you can lay down buckets or mats beforehand to minimise mess). Wood, carpet and brick may need to be dried out. You may also need to clean up any mould that has grown in the area. There are companies that can help with damp treatment and mould removal. 

Repair any knock-on damage

Rotten floorboards or rippled wallpaper that have been damaged by the leak may need to be replaced. In the case of floorboards, this could be of structural importance – rotten floorboards could give way if left to rot, causing an injury. In the case of rippled wallpaper, it could be more of an aesthetic issue. Of course, if the damage is bad enough you may need a whole new wet – bathroom, kitchen, laundry – so insurance may allow for a beautiful new custom kitchen designed for you. How nice.

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Protect against future leaks

Now could be a good time to consider looking into ways of preventing future leaks. Once you’ve had one leak, it’s common to encounter other leaks – probably not in the same location, but possibly related to a similar problem. For example, a leak in a roof may be possible to patch up by replacing a damaged tile.

However, if the whole roof is old and worn, it could be followed by other leaks – unless you replace the entire roof, the leaks will continue. Similarly, there may be cases where a whole home has to be replumbed. This is a huge job and should only be done if advised by a plumber. 

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