Wall Leak Water Damage in Rockwall, TX

Pipes behind your walls feed sinks, showers, toilets, washing machines and outdoor faucets. When one of them leaks, the water runs down inside the wall cavity, soaks the drywall from behind and collects at the bottom plate and baseboards. By the time you see it, the inside of the wall has often been wet for a while.

If you see signs of wall leak water damage in Rockwall, TX, call us. Our team can help find the wet areas and dry the wall properly.

Call (972) 000-0000

Signs of a leak inside a wall

• Bubbling, peeling or discolored paint or wallpaper
• Drywall that feels soft, damp or crumbly when pressed
• Swollen, stained or separating baseboards
• Damp carpet or warped flooring along one wall
• A musty smell in one room or closet
• Mold spots on the wall surface or along the floor line
• Stains on the far side of a wall behind a shower, tub or laundry hookup

Why wall leaks happen in Rockwall homes

Common causes include loose fittings behind shower and tub valves, failed washing machine and ice maker supply lines, nail or screw punctures from hanging shelves or TVs, and old pipe joints wearing out. As the slab moves with the North Texas clay soil underneath, walls and the pipes inside them can shift slightly, which stresses joints.

Exterior walls are also where pipes are most exposed in a hard freeze. Rockwall doesn’t see many, but the February 2021 storm showed how quickly an unprotected pipe in an outside wall can split. Humid summer weather slows natural drying, too, so a wet wall cavity can stay damp for a long time if nobody dries it out.

What a water damage pro does

Drying a wall is more than drying the paint. Water damage service will usually:

• Use moisture meters to find how far up and along the wall the water has spread
• Check the floor, the baseboards and the room on the other side of the wall
• Remove baseboards and, when needed, the lower section of drywall or wet insulation
• Drill small holes or use specialized equipment to dry inside the wall cavity
• Run air movers and dehumidifiers and track moisture until the framing is dry
• Point out visible mold and explain how it should be handled
• Document everything with photos and readings for insurance

A plumber will need to repair the pipe itself. Ask us how the repair and the drying fit together, and get pricing before work begins.

What to do right now

1. Turn off the water to the fixture, or at the main valve if you can’t find the source.
2. Move furniture and belongings away from the wet wall.
3. Pull back area rugs and lift items off wet carpet.
4. Don’t paint over stains or cover the wall up. That traps moisture inside.
5. Take photos of the wall, baseboards and floor.
6. Call your insurance company, and call us.

Mold can start when materials stay wet for more than 24 to 48 hours, and the inside of a wall is dark and slow to dry.

You may also want to read about under-sink leaks, slab leaks or what affects water damage cost.