Repairing Water Damage In Your Bathroom

Repairing Water Damage In Your Bathroom

Not all forms of water damage are created equally. When looking for telltale signs of bathroom water damage in your home, it’s important to know what signs to look for. Whether you’re fearful that a dated bathroom is showing some signs of mold, or you’re ready for a bathroom renovation to upgrade the dated space, you’ll need to know what to look for, to ensure you hire the right contractor for your repair needs. A leaking shower pan or small leak under the sink, might be the warning signs you should look for, to prevent major damage before it strikes.

Signs of Bathroom Water Damage Every Homeowner Should Look for

If there are “soft” spots on the floors or walls, or if you enter your bathroom and you are greeted with a musty smell, signs might be pointing to the fact that bathroom water damage exists in the space. But, to what extent, what is causing it, and how quickly do you have to act? Consider a few of these signs, every homeowner should look for, if they are thinking there’s a possibility of water damage lurking in their home, especially a bathroom.

1. Musty Smell

If you smell an odor or must that you know hasn’t always been there, this might be the sign that there’s a leaking shower or plumbing somewhere that needs tending to.  A damp smell, even after you’ve cleaned, and dehumidified the space, is a sign that something might be off in your home’s bathrooms.  It might just be an inadequately sized bathroom fan but if you upgrade the ventilation system, and this still doesn’t do the trick, you might need to look deeper.

2. Mold and Mildew Constantly Show Up

We all know that black mold can be toxic; however, there are small spots of mildew or mold that you can wipe down and they don’t come back. However, when they do come back, and regardless of how much bleach or other household cleaners you’re using, the spots don’t go away, an underlying issue might be present.  Leaking shower piping (within your walls), faucet or plumbing leaking, or a leak behind the toilet, might be causing condensation to build up, which is causing mold or mildew to make its way back into the space. If you spot it more than once, and have to keep cleaning it, this is a sign that there’s something more serious than the eye can see.

3. Warped Walls or Space Between Tiles/Caulking

No, it’s not just a shoddy bathroom renovation that the previous homeowner did in the home (in some cases it might be). But, if the walls are extremely warped, and they keep getting worse, or if the tiles seem to be shifting and caulking seems to be disappearing, there’s another telltale sign you’re possible dealing with bathroom water damage issues somewhere. Piping, sinks, faucets, drains, and other plumbing fixtures, might be causing the water damage in the space, that you simply can’t see on the surface. What’s the solution? It starts with calling a contractor in many instances, so they can assess the space, determine if bathroom water damage does exist, and if so, they can provide you with the proper guidance to properly repairing it once and for all.

4. Floors Feel Spongy or Soft

If plywood is below the surface of your home’s flooring, this is a great area for moisture to make its way into. Therefore, water damage can cause the floors to soften, and you might feel as if you’re stepping on a sponge each time you take a step onto the bathroom floors. Cosmetic fixes are going to further cause damage. If the plywood is compromised, it needs to be ripped out and replaced immediately. You might have to gut the entire space, or in some instances, if the damage isn’t too bad, you might get away with a peripheral repair. Regardless of how bad it is, when you feel like you’re stepping on soft spots in the bathroom, don’t overlook this as nothing more than a little water having made its way onto the outer surfaces. Oftentimes, it is a much deeper issue, and a sign that you’re dealing with potential bathroom water damage that needs to be repaired immediately.

You Know the Signs… Now What?

Okay, we’ve highlighted some of the prominent signs that bathroom water damage exists. So, what do you do? A quick DIY fix is enough, right? Or, you can completely tear down the walls, rip up the flooring, replace all your plumbing fixtures, and that’ll do the trick, right? In most instances, it isn’t that easy.

First thing’s first, you’re going to want to call a bathroom remodeling or bathroom renovation professional to visit your home.  If possible, you (or the contractor you’re working with) should also call a plumber to visit your home.  Doing this allows you to have the bathroom plumbing assessed by those who are licensed to do so, and understand what the underlying causes are of the damage that has taken over your bathroom space.

Once you have had the professionals visit your home, they can provide you with the proper solution for repairs. Yes, in some instances, it is a quick fix or just a peripheral repair that has to be completed. However, in some instances, you’re going to learn that the bathroom water damage has made its way deeper than just the surface, and below it, meaning you’re going to have to do some repair and remodeling work in order to treat the damage that you see, as well as the damage that you can’t see.

Some Fixes that Can Improve the Space

If the job isn’t a big one, there are some DIY jobs you can do on your own. Again, this is after you’ve had a specialist visit your home, assess the damage, and inform you how bad the bathroom water damage is. Some quick fixes might include:

• Replacing the caulking around your shower or tub.
• Repairing or replacing the water damaged drywall.
• Installing new tiles, laminate, or other flooring materials.
• Repairing broken or leaking plumbing fixtures.
• Installing a large CFM bathroom exhaust fan.

These fixes are solutions for instances where the water damage is just peripheral or is not structural. If the damage hasn’t penetrated the outer surfaces, you can often get away with doing these smaller repair jobs. And, you won’t have to spend too much money, or wait for days or weeks, to have a bathroom remodeling contractor do major repair work in the space. A fresh coat of paint, some caulking, and scraping off the mold and mildew from the surfaces, is a job that is sufficient where minor bathroom water damage has occurred.

What to Avoid

In instances where you spot the black or toxic mold, or where the walls are warping, you don’t want to try to do the job yourself. In these instances, the bathroom water damage has gotten to a point where you can’t fix it on your own, and you’re only going to make matters worse in the event you try.

In instances of black or toxic mold, you’ll want to ventilate the space. You should bring in a blower fan and place it in front of the wall. You might also want to shut off the water and call a mold remediation specialist to remove it. What you’ll want to avoid at all costs, is just throwing bleach all over the place. This masks the mold but it doesn’t kill it. Specialists have the right chemicals and products to eliminate the mold, and help prevent future breakouts.

Where the walls are warping or flooring is warped or damaged, you’re going to want to contract a bathroom remodeling specialist that does this type of work. In most cases, you’ll have to remove the current drywall, remove the damaged pieces, and you’ll have to install new walling throughout the space. The same goes with the flooring. Depending on how much the plywood has been compromised, and how much your floors feel like you’re walking on a bed of sponges, the level of the repair work is going to be greater, and more complex with each case. Only a bathroom renovation specialist is going to have the experience, the equipment, and the knowledge, to do the work in a timely fashion, and ensure they eliminate all signs of bathroom water damage in your home.

You don’t want to leave it up to chance, or simply hope that a few peripheral fixes are going to resolve the issues you’re seeing, feeling, and smelling, when bathroom water damage has made its way into your home. The longer you wait, the more it is going to become damaged, and the more it is going to end up costing you to repair in the long run.

First thing you’ll want to do when you spot signs of damage, smells of musk, or signs of wall or flooring damage is call a specialist. They’ll assess the damage, provide you with the best repair options, and get the job done in a timely fashion, all while working to prevent future breakouts of water damage in your home.

Star Remodeling Repairs Water Damaged Bathrooms In Orange County NY

Do you have an old our out-dated bathroom that has suffered from extensive water damage?  Do you have mold growing in your bathroom walls?  Spongy floor?  These are all signs that your bathroom water damage is beyond a simple repair and a whole gut-and-remodel project is probably the best solution.  Star Remodeling has experience remodeling water damaged bathrooms.  We can tar the bathroom down right to the studs and rebuild it for you as good as new with a new modern look.

If you’d like an estimate to repair or remodel your water damaged bathroom give us a call (845) 421-0277 or fill out our online contact form and we’ll get right back to you.