Finding water inside a wall, floor or ceiling with moisture readings, so drywall is opened only where it is needed.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Hidden leak detection finds water inside walls, floors and ceilings without opening more of the building than necessary. In Chico, calls are answered 24/7, and the crew uses moisture readings and sometimes thermal imaging to locate the wet area, then opens only the points the readings show.
Some leaks never show a stain. Water runs down a stud, behind a tile or under a subfloor, and the first sign is a smell, a soft floor, a warped baseboard or a utility bill that does not match. The water is real, but it is hidden. Finding it without tearing open the house is the skill of hidden leak detection.
After a flood or a burst line, hidden water is a common worry. Water that has gone into a wall can keep the wall damp for a long time, and the damage may not be visible until it has spread. The crew checks the places where water is likely to have gone and reads those points before deciding what to open.
If you suspect a hidden leak, avoid opening walls yourself, because a wrong cut can damage a pipe or a wire. Call (833) 490-5225. Calls are answered 24/7, and a crew is sent as fast as one is available to read the walls and floors.
A crew finds water inside a wall by reading the surface with moisture meters and, where useful, thermal imaging. The surface readings and the images show where water has reached, so the wall is opened only at the points that test wet.
A moisture meter measures the water content of a material, and it can read through the surface of drywall or wood to a depth that matters for a leak. A pattern of high readings shows where the water sits, and a crew can trace it along the wall and across the floor.
Thermal imaging shows temperature differences, and damp materials often read cooler than dry ones. The image is a guide that points to where to read more closely. The meter readings confirm it, and only then is a point opened.
Opening a wall is the last step because a cut can damage a pipe, a wire or a structural member, and because it is costly to repair. The crew reads the wall first and opens only where the readings require it.
Walls hold plumbing and electrical lines as well as insulation and framing. A cut in the wrong place can damage a line and create a second problem. Reading first keeps the cut where the water is and away from the lines that carry on past it.
The opening is also kept small and recorded. Each cut is photographed and noted, so the homeowner and the repairer know exactly where the wall was opened and why.
Keep a log of where the symptom appears and when, photograph any stains or swelling, and check the water meter for unexpected readings. Avoid cutting into walls yourself, and report the symptom to the crew early.
Write down the location, the time and the change you have seen. A simple log helps the crew target its readings, and it helps any later claim review.
If the water meter is moving when no fixture is in use, note the time and report it. That is a useful clue, and the crew can take it into account when it reads the walls.
Do not cut into a wall or floor without knowing what is behind it, because pipes and wires run through them. Turn off power to the area before using any tool near a wall that may be wet. Wear eye protection and a dust mask when opening drywall or flooring, and keep children and pets out of the work area.
The technician asks where the symptom appears, when it started and whether a recent water event preceded it. Those answers point to the walls and floors most likely to be wet, and they save readings in places that are unlikely to hold water.
Moisture meters are run across the wall, floor or ceiling in a grid, and the readings are recorded. A pattern of high readings in one area narrows the search, while a flat pattern suggests the water has dried or never reached the spot.
Where the room allows, thermal imaging shows cool, damp areas behind surfaces. It is a guide, not proof, so the crew confirms what the camera shows with meter readings before it opens anything.
Drywall or flooring is opened at the points the meters and images point to, and the openings are kept small. Each opening is photographed and recorded, so the homeowner can see what was found and why the opening was made.
The crew explains what it found, what it recommends and what is outside its work, such as the pipe repair. The findings go into the log, and the homeowner receives them in writing for the plumber or the builder.
Water inside a wall after a supply line or a storm leak can run down a stud and wick across the bottom plate. The crew reads the wall above and below the suspected point, and it opens the wall at the lowest wet reading. The pipe or the source is then repaired by a plumber.
A floor that is soft or spongy with no stain can have water in the subfloor or on the slab. The crew reads the floor in a grid, and it lifts flooring only where the readings are highest, so the rest of the floor is kept.
Water behind tile or a shower wall can get in through grout lines or a failed seal. The crew checks the wall at the grout line and the base, and it reads the cavity behind the tile before any tile is removed.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what hidden leak detection should cost.
A Chico house that takes water from a burst line or a storm can hide it in the wall or the floor long after the surface has dried. The crew reads those walls and floors because the surface is not a reliable guide to what is inside.
The Park Fire began in Bidwell Park on July 24, 2024. Silt carried by storm water can keep a wall damp for longer than clean water would, and it can hide the wet area behind a finish. The crew checks the base of the wall and the floor beneath it, where silt tends to settle.
The County's flow estimates describe the Five-Mile diversion, not the walls of a house. Hidden water in a Chico wall is a house-scale finding, and the crew reads it on the house.
Shutting off a burst supply line, extracting the water and drying what it soaked, in a Chico house.
Water from a dishwasher, washer or refrigerator line that spreads under hard floors before it is found.
Drying walls, floors and framing to a measured dry standard after a water loss in a Chico house.
Lifting and drying hardwood and carpet from underneath after creek or storm water has soaked them.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Before a contractor starts work in California, check its license status with the Contractors State License Board, ask for its scope in writing and confirm what insurance and paperwork it carries.
Water that soaked into walls, floors and cavities during a creek flood can keep the structure damp for weeks and show up later as odor, soft floors or peeling paint.
Often it can narrow the leak to a small area using moisture readings and sometimes thermal imaging. It opens the wall only at the points the readings show, and it does not guarantee to find every source without an opening.
Yes, if the leak is in a pipe or fitting. The crew finds the wet area and records it. A plumber repairs the line and checks it, which is separate work.
No. A thermal image shows temperature differences, which can point to damp areas. The crew confirms the readings with meters before it opens anything.
Water can be hidden inside a wall or under a floor and still give off a smell. The crew reads the walls and floors near the smell to find the source.
Yes. If the meter moves when no water is being used, that can point to a leak. Note the time and report it to the crew and a plumber.
The policy and the insurer decide what is covered, and some policies treat hidden leaks differently. Keep the log, the photographs and the crew's readings, and let the insurer review them.