There can be many causes to having water damage inside your property, some of these examples may be floods, burst pipes, sewage backups and more. These are some of the obvious signs however in some cases it can be a lot harder to detect, such as detecting leaks behind a wall. I have listed below a few signs that can you can look out for.
Musty odours are caused when there is excess water or moisture getting absorbed into building materials such as drywall, wood etc. If there is a strong foul smell in a certain area of the wall this can indicate a leak or mould growth.
Mould growth can be caused by excess moisture in kitchens, bathrooms or even basements. If you find mould on your baseboards, ceilings and walls there is a chance that there is some source of moisture behind the walls.
If the paint or wallpaper on you walls is bubbling or peeling away this can be another indication of moisture or water damage behind your wall. This is easy to spot as the seams of your wallpaper will start to lift and the paint on the walls will start to flake away.
However if your walls are warping this is something you would want to amend urgently as excessive warping can leak to structural damage and costly repairs, this is also another clear indication of a water leak behind your wall.
These are just some of the signs to look out for, alternatively you can also examine your water meter and view the usage numbers. If the water usage number has risen, then there is a hidden water leak.