Tracing a damp spot that will not dry to its source inside the wall or under the floor, before any repair is made.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Hidden water leak detection finds water that is leaking inside a wall, a ceiling or under a floor, where it cannot be seen. Technicians use moisture meters and thermal imaging, and open the structure where the readings point. In Norman the source is traced before repairs begin. Calls are answered 24/7.
A damp spot that will not dry is one of the most common signs of a hidden leak. The paint blisters, the floor stays soft or the wall smells musty, and the homeowner dries it and sees it come back. The water is usually coming from somewhere else and travelling to the spot before it appears, so drying the surface alone never settles the problem.
Do not keep drying the spot and hoping it stops. Stop using the water in the area for a short time and note whether the damp returns, then call (833) 490-5225. A water meter that moves when no tap is open is one of the clearest signs of a leak, and it is worth checking before the crew arrives.
The technician begins with readings across the whole area, then looks for the water's path. Thermal imaging can show cooler, wetter areas behind a finish, and a moisture meter can confirm where the water is. The structure is opened where the readings point, and the source is found before any repair is made. Repairing the finish without finding the source is how the same damp spot comes back.
Do not cut into a wall or floor to look for a leak without knowing where the pipes and wires run, because a cut can hit a live cable or a pressurised line. Do not use a moisture meter or a thermal camera near a live panel without the technician's guidance. Keep children and pets away from any opening in the floor or wall. If the damp is near an electrical outlet or a fixture, switch off the power at the breaker before touching the area.
The technician records where the damp is, how wide it is and whether it is growing. The water meter is read with every tap and appliance off, and the reading is compared after an hour. A moving meter with no use points to a leak on the house side of the shut-off.
A meter reads the moisture in the surface and below it, and the technician marks a grid over the affected area. The readings show where the wet zone is largest and whether it runs along a pipe, a duct or a joist line. The grid is kept so the same points can be read on the next visit.
A thermal camera shows surface temperature, and cooler areas can indicate water behind a finish. The image is a guide, not a result, so the technician confirms it with the meter before opening anything. Images are taken from the same positions each time so they can be compared.
Where the source is still unknown, the supply lines and drains are tested. Supply lines can be pressure-tested by closing the shut-off and watching the meter, and drains by running water and checking the joints. A plumber is called to make the repair once the line is found.
The wall, floor or ceiling is opened at the spot the readings and the test point to, and the source is confirmed by sight. The cavity is then dried, and the finish is replaced only after the readings show the structure is dry. The repair is then made to the source, not only the surface.
The water is coming from somewhere else and travelling to the spot. Drying the surface removes the moisture you can see, but the source keeps feeding the area. The spot returns until the source is found and closed.
Water moves along framing, pipes and gaps before it appears. A leak in the wall above can reach the floor at a distance, and a damp spot on the floor may be a symptom of a leak that is much further along the line.
The technician looks for the source rather than the symptom. The readings show the path, and the path leads to the leak.
Usually, yes, because the leak is inside the structure. The opening is kept as small as possible and placed where the readings point. Once the source is repaired, the cavity is dried and the finish is replaced.
An opening in drywall, plaster or a floor board gives access to the pipe or the joint. The plumber can then repair it, and the opening is kept for the drying until the readings are at target.
Where access is difficult, the technician may recommend a second opening. That is a judgment made on the readings and the layout of the house, and it is explained before it is done.
A damp spot that stays wet can support mold, and a musty smell from a wall or floor is a reason to check. The technician measures the moisture and looks for growth in the cavity. Mold is treated after the water is found and the structure is dry, not painted over.
A surface that looks clean can still have growth behind it, especially near a leak that has run for some time. The technician checks the cavity when it is opened and reports what was seen.
Mold is not confirmed or ruled out by a smell alone. The cleanup is planned after the readings and the inspection, and the crew explains what it found.
A supply line, a drain or a fitting inside a wall can leak for a long time and wet the framing without showing on the finish. The damp usually appears as a band or a patch that grows with each use of the water. The technician opens the drywall at the lowest reading and follows the pipe up and down the wall to find the leak.
A leak under a floor can run along the joists and soak the subfloor before the flooring shows anything. The floor may feel soft or warm, and a squeak may be the first clue. The technician reads the flooring and the subfloor from above, and opens the floor from below where access exists to confirm the source.
Where water comes through a concrete slab or into a crawl space, the leak may be a supply line under the floor or water from the ground. Slab leaks are often found by the water meter test and by moisture readings across the floor. Crawl spaces are read at the joists and the ground, and the technician records where the water is coming from.
Storms put water into the ground around a house, and that water is one reason a hidden leak can show up as a damp spot. The city's 2010 Storm Water Master Plan describes Norman as prone to flash flooding and gives an annual average rainfall of nearly 35 inches. Ground that has been saturated by heavy rain can push water toward a foundation, and a damp spot near the base of a wall after a wet spell may be water from outside rather than a pipe.
The February 2011 freeze at the University of Oklahoma in Norman caused frozen pipes and problems for students, and the February 2021 cold reached the city's water treatment plant. Pipes that split during a cold snap can leak for a long time inside a wall before anyone sees a damp spot, so a hidden leak after a cold season is worth checking carefully.
The city has also dealt with water moving through its creeks and lakes. In July 2023 water from Moore and Oklahoma City flowed down through Norman into Lake Thunderbird, and city officials called flooding an ongoing problem. When the ground is saturated, a foundation or a slab can take in water from outside, and the technician checks whether a damp spot is coming from inside the house or from the ground around it.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent hidden water leak detection, send the form and we'll call you back.
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Extracting and drying a Norman home after a burst supply line, with the wall and floor opened where the water went.
Checking and drying moisture under a Norman house, in the crawl space or the slab, before the finishes above are replaced.
Opening and checking stained ceilings and wet drywall in Norman homes so water behind the board is found before any repair is closed up.
Finding and removing mold that grew after water damage in a Norman home, once the structure is dry, rather than painting over it.
Drying after a supply-line leak follows a fixed order: the water is shut off, removed from the floor, and the structure is dried to measured readings before finishes are replaced.
Check the water meter first, with every tap and appliance off. A meter that moves points to a leak inside. A damp spot that appears after rain, near the ground, without the meter moving suggests water from outside. The technician reads both and records which it is.
The crew traces the water and finds the source as far as it can be seen, and it dries the structure. The repair to the pipe is made by a plumber, who uses the crew's readings and the opening to find the fault. Ask the technician for the written location before the plumber is called.
Often, yes. A leak inside a wall can only be confirmed by opening the wall at the point the readings indicate. The opening is kept small, and the technician explains where it is and why before it is made.
No. A thermal camera shows the surface temperature of a wall or floor, and cooler areas can point to water behind a finish. The image is a guide that is checked with a moisture meter and, usually, an opening before a conclusion is drawn.
A slab leak is found with the meter test and by reading the moisture across the floor. The technician will advise whether the slab must be opened, and a plumber will repair the line. The drying follows the repair, and the floor is finished only after the readings are at target.
A leak that runs continuously adds water to the bill whether or not it is seen. A rising bill with no change in use is one of the reasons to check the meter. Keep the bills, the meter reading and the date of the test, because they help confirm the leak.