Leak inside a wall
A leak inside a wall can wet the stud bay, the drywall and the bottom plate without showing on the surface. The meter and the thermal image locate the wet band, and the wall is opened in the section where the water is found.
Serving Duval County
Finding hidden water leaks in Jacksonville homes
Moisture mapping and thermal imaging that locate water inside walls and under floors, so only the wet sections are opened.
- Phones answered 24/7
- St. Johns River and storm water
- Scope explained before work starts
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Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Leak Detection
Hidden Leak Detection: what it covers
Quick answer
Hidden leak detection is the use of moisture meters and a thermal camera to find water inside walls, under floors and above ceilings without opening more of the building than necessary. It is used after a surge, a pipe failure or an unexplained stain or smell. Phones are answered 24/7, and only the wet sections are opened.
A hidden leak announces itself with a stain, a smell, a warped baseboard or a water bill that has risen for no reason. The water is usually far from the place it shows, running down a stud bay, along a joist or through a floor cavity before it appears. Finding its path is the first step in fixing the damage, and it is often the hardest part of the job.
Opening walls and floors at random wastes material and time, and it can spread the damage by letting moisture into dry areas. Detection works the other way: it reads the building first, shows the wet sections, and only those are opened. The rest of the house stays closed and undisturbed.
Meters, a thermal camera and a set of readings across the wall or floor show where moisture sits. A thermal image shows a cool, wet area as a different color from the dry framing around it, and the meter confirms the reading in the material. The two are used together, and the results are logged so you can see the map.
- Service area
- Jacksonville & Duval County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
How does a thermal camera find water inside a wall?
Wet materials cool as the water evaporates, and they hold heat differently from dry materials, so a thermal camera can show them as a different color. The image shows the pattern of the wet area, and a meter confirms the moisture in the material. Thermal readings are checked against meter readings before any opening is made.
A thermal image is a picture of surface temperature, not of water itself. Cool spots can come from air leaks, insulation gaps or a cold pipe as well as from moisture, so the crew does not rely on the image alone.
Thermal imaging works best when the building has been warm or cool for a while and the surface is not in direct sun. The crew chooses the time of day and the conditions for the scan, and it notes them in the log.
Why are the readings taken from a dry area first?
A dry reference reading sets the baseline for the building. Moisture meters give a number that depends on the material, so a reading is only meaningful against the same material in a dry part of the house. The reference is taken from the same wall type, the same floor and the same kind of framing.
A plaster wall reads differently from a drywall wall, and a hardwood floor reads differently from a subfloor. Taking the reference from the same material in the house keeps the comparison fair.
The reference also helps when the drying is measured later. The readings at the end of the job are compared with the dry reference, so the release is based on the same standard as the detection.
Will the crew open the walls to find the leak?
Only where the readings and the thermal image agree on moisture. The crew makes the smallest opening it needs to reach the wet section, and it photographs the opening before and after. The rest of the wall stays closed unless the readings say otherwise.
A small access hole in the wall, sometimes no larger than a hand, is often enough to see the pipe, the fitting or the path of the water. The hole is patched after the repair, and the patch is quoted separately.
The crew explains each opening before it is made, and you can ask to see the readings and the image at any point. The record shows which sections were opened and why.
What moves the scope and price of a leak search?
The size of the area to be scanned, the number of rooms involved, the type of material and the number of openings needed decide the scope. The price is explained and approved on site before the search begins, and changes are explained first.
A search of one wall with a clear symptom is short. A search across several rooms with no obvious source, or a search through a plaster and lath house, takes more readings and more openings, and the scope grows with it.
Detection is often the first step in a larger job. Once the source is found, the repair and the drying are scoped separately. The detection report is given to you so the decisions can be made with the facts in front of you.
Can the leak be found without a thermal camera?
Often, with meters alone, but the camera makes the search faster and reduces the openings needed. A meter reads the moisture in the material at the point it is placed, and a camera shows the pattern across a surface. The crew uses whichever tools suit the job and explains the choice.
A meter is the most reliable check for a single spot, while a camera is better for a large area. Used together, they show the wet band and confirm where it is wettest.
A homeowner can check for a leak with a water meter reading when no water is in use, but this does not show where the water is inside the building. The crew's readings give a fuller picture, and the plumber can use the same information to trace the line.
Warning signs
Signs you need hidden leak detection
Do not cut into a wall or floor yourself to look for a leak, since you may hit a live wire or a pressurized pipe. Keep electrical equipment and wiring away from any opening until a licensed electrician or the crew has checked it. If you smell gas or hear a hissing from a pipe, leave the area and call the gas company or the plumber first.
- A stain or a soft spot on a wall or floor with no obvious source
- A musty smell that is strongest near one wall or under one floor area
- Paint that is bubbling or peeling without a clear reason
- Baseboards, door frames or trim that have swollen or pulled away
- A water bill that has risen without a change in use
- A hum or a running sound from a wall when no fixture is in use
Our process
How our hidden leak detection visit works
Describe the symptoms and the history
Tell the line where the stain, smell or soft spot is, when it was first noticed, and whether there has been any recent leak, storm or freeze. The history narrows the search, and the crew plans the readings around it.
Read the surfaces with meters
Pin and pinless meters are used along the wall and floor to read moisture in the material without opening it. The readings are logged against a reference reading from a dry part of the house.
Scan with a thermal camera
A thermal camera shows the temperature pattern of the wall, floor or ceiling, and cool areas are often wet. The image is checked against the meter readings so that a cold spot is not mistaken for water.
Open only the wet sections
Small openings are cut where the readings and the image agree on moisture. The rest of the wall or floor is left in place, and each opening is photographed before and after.
Trace the water and report the source
The opened section is checked for the path of the water and its source, such as a supply line, a drain or a fitting. The source is passed to the plumber or the trade that repairs it, and the drying of the wet section begins.
Options
Types and options for hidden leak detection
Leak under a floor
A leak under a finished floor wets the subfloor and the joists below it. The readings are taken through the flooring where possible, and boards or tiles are lifted only in the area of the wet readings.
Leak above a ceiling
A leak above a ceiling can wet the insulation and the ceiling board while the source is in the floor above or the attic. The attic and the room above are scanned, and the ceiling is opened only if the readings require it.
One call and it gets handled.
A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.
Duval County
Why hidden leak detection is different in Jacksonville and Duval County
Jacksonville's older houses hide water in plaster walls, lath cavities and floor framing that a surface check cannot read. In the historic neighborhoods of Riverside and Avondale, the detection is planned around the thickness of plaster and the spacing of the lath, since both change how a meter reads.
In the city's newer subdivisions and in the nearby towns, walls are more often drywall over studs and floors are often a concrete slab or an engineered floor. Those materials read cleanly on a meter and show a clear thermal pattern, which makes the search faster.
Commercial and multi-unit buildings in the city's core have shared chases and stacked plumbing, and a leak in one unit can travel along them to another. The detection covers the chase and the neighboring unit when the source is in a shared space.
Related
Related services
Burst Pipe Water Damage
Extraction and drying after a supply line or pipe bursts, including the wall and floor behind the leak.
Appliance Leak Damage
Water extraction and drying after a washer, dishwasher, refrigerator or other appliance leaks into the floor and walls.
Ceiling Water Damage
Drying and removal of wet insulation and ceiling board after water has come through the roof or from a plumbing fault above.
Crawl Space Moisture After Rain
Removal of standing water and drying of the joists, subfloor and insulation in a crawl space after rain or river flooding.
Where we work
Hidden Leak Detection across Duval County
- Leak Detection in Riverside and Avondale
- Leak Detection in Mandarin
- Leak Detection in Jacksonville ZIP 32202
- Leak Detection in Jacksonville ZIP 32207
- Leak Detection in Jacksonville ZIP 32210
- Leak Detection in Jacksonville ZIP 32216
- Leak Detection in Jacksonville ZIP 32218
- Leak Detection in Orange Park
- Leak Detection in Atlantic Beach
- Leak Detection in Neptune Beach
- Leak Detection in Jacksonville Beach
- Leak Detection in Fleming Island
- Leak Detection in Middleburg
- Leak Detection in Green Cove Springs
- Leak Detection in Penney Farms
- Leak Detection in Ponte Vedra Beach
- Leak Detection in Saint Johns
- Leak Detection in Yulee
- Leak Detection in Fernandina Beach
- Leak Detection in Hilliard
- Leak Detection in Macclenny
- Leak Detection in Saint Augustine
- Leak Detection in Callahan
- Leak Detection in Bryceville
- Leak Detection in Doctors Inlet
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
Water damage claims and complaints for Jacksonville homeowners
A Florida homeowner who has a water damage claim or a dispute with an insurer can take a consumer complaint to the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services, at myfloridacfo.com.
Wet-season roof leaks in Jacksonville and North Florida
A roof leak in the wet season often shows first as a ceiling stain, a damp attic smell or insulation that has darkened.
FAQ
Hidden Leak Detection FAQs
Do you need to open walls to find a leak?
Not always. The meters and the thermal camera often find the wet area without any opening. When an opening is needed, it is made at the smallest size that reaches the wet section, and it is photographed first.
How accurate is a thermal camera for finding water?
It is useful for finding wet areas and patterns, but it does not confirm water on its own. The crew checks the thermal image against meter readings, so the wet area is confirmed in the material before anything is opened.
Can the detection find a leak in a pipe behind the wall?
It can show where the water is and how far it travelled. The pipe itself is usually found by opening the wet section, and the plumber does the repair. The crew shares its map of wet areas with the plumber so the search is not repeated.
My water bill went up. Is that a leak?
It could be, but a higher bill can have other causes, such as a running toilet or an irrigation system. The utility can advise on the meter reading, and the crew can check the house for wet areas if the bill is not explained by a known use.
Is hidden leak detection covered by insurance?
This site does not say what a policy covers, because that depends on the policy and the insurer. Keep the report and the photographs of the wet areas, and ask your insurer what it needs to see before any repair.
Will the detection leave holes in my wall?
Small access openings may be left, and they are patched by the repair trade after the source is fixed and the wall is dry. The crew records each opening, so the patch can be matched to what was cut.