LITTLE ROCK — Leaks at the base of toilets were recently addressed here but what about other leaks in and around my house? What should I look for and how often should I do a thorough inspection to try to watch and catch leaks early?
“Water stains are the one item in a house that a homeowner should never ignore,” says Tim Hennelly, owner of Casa Buena Home Inspections in Little Rock.
“If a stain is noticed [you] should immediately ask [yourself], ‘Where did that come from?’ The very next thing [you] should do is find the source of the stain and get it repaired.”
Hennelly explains that water is the No. 1 cause of damage to a home and a stain is the most frequent tell-tale sign of a larger, underlying problem.
And ignoring a stain is never advisable because the leak won’t resolve itself.
Hennelly’s advice? Give all indoor plumbing fixtures a thorough once-over on a regular basis.
“A little [preventive] maintenance will save a homeowner hundreds or thousands of dollars in repair costs,” Hennelly says.
So which areas does this home inspector recommend homeowners carefully watch?
“While tub spouts, shower heads, faucets and faucet handles are easily seen, it’s under any sink where water supply pipes, water shutoff valves and drainage pikes are located that a homeowner should pay more attention to,” he says.
Hennelly adds that toilets, addressed here in an earlier column, are another place homeowners should watch carefully.
A stain found early enough may just require a licensed plumber to repair the source of the stained area. But a neglected stain may eventually lead to the need to hire a plumber to fix the original leak and also a qualified contractor to repair the damage done to the floor’s structure and finish flooring. A mold contractor may also be needed to remove any mold or fungal growth that the unchecked water had allowed to develop.
“I often wonder how many expensive repairs could be avoided if a homeowner took about 10 to 20 minutes every month to check out any areas where water fixtures are located for signs of stains or leaks,” Hennelly says.
Do you have a decorating or remodeling question? We’ll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Linda S. Caillouet, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail:
HomeStyle, Pages 39 on 10/29/2011