Water Leak Repair Services and How to Choose the Right Contractor
Water leaks are caused by high water pressure in pipelines, broken seals, pipeline corrosion, damaged pipe joints, clogged lines, and rapid temperature changes. If the leaks are not fixed immediately, they can cause structural damage to one’s home, fire hazards, mold growth, discoloration of walls, musky odors, increased utility bills, and, in the long run, acute health problems for the occupants of the affected property.
Services offered by water leak repair companies
Professionals skilled in water leak repair excel in all things related to preventing and fixing leaks in any part of a given house, workplace, or other kind of property. They specialize in different services related to leak repairs and water damage restoration.
1. Leak detection
In many cases, people experience the negative effects of water leaks in their property but cannot accurately locate the exact space or point from which the leak occurs. Repair companies have the necessary tools and experience to scan an entire property and pick out the leaky area, whether it is a broken pipe, a ridge in a wall, corrosion in the plumbing mechanism of the property, or something else.
2. Water leak repair
This service involves detecting and fixing any kinds of leaks in pipes, fixtures, or appliances. These objects are most likely to sustain any kind of damage or leaks in homes as water flows in and out of them frequently with high pressure.
3. Roof leak repair
Leaky ceilings can seriously damage the design and safety aspects of a home. If roof leaks are not fixed on time, they can go on to affect the electrical wiring and other basic foundations in a given property. For this reason, fixing these leaks is the biggest priority for homeowners, especially if they are dealing with multiple leaks in their houses. Water leak repair companies are experienced in fixing roof leaks.
4. Mold remediation
Water leaks result in mold growth, which can cause a host of health issues for home occupants. Water leak repair contractors generally offer the service of removing the mold growth caused by leaks.
Apart from these, contractors offer other services, including slab leak repair, sewer leak repair, pipe replacement, periodical leak inspection visits, and much more.
Factors to consider when choosing a water leak repair contractor
Many companies offer water leak repair, water leak emergency services, water damage restoration, and similar other services. One should consider certain key factors before choosing a contractor.
1. Customer service quality
The quality of a company’s customer service speaks volumes about its overall reputation and credibility. Companies that handle water leak repair need to be responsive to the needs and concerns of their clients. Their customer service representatives must be friendly and knowledgeable enough to answer all the leak-related questions of their clients promptly.
2. Licensing and insurance status
Any contractor, whether they are related to water leak repairs or other tasks, needs to have the proper license and accreditation for their work. These certifications, provided by appropriate government agencies, prove the legitimacy of any company.
Apart from this, insurance is also a key requirement for contractors. If something goes wrong during a leak repair project, the company’s insurance covers the cost of correcting those damages. This means that that expense does not fall on the client.
3. Area of specialization
Leak repair companies come with their own areas of expertise. While some excel in detecting leaks faster and more efficiently than others, certain service providers are more adept at slab leak repairs. Some contractors may offer the quickest emergency leak repairs, while others may be experienced at handling roof leak repairs. So, it is important to identify the underlying problem and hire a contractor specializing in the type of leak one wants to repair.
4. Online reviews
Past clients of leak repair companies often leave their reviews and ratings online after they have paid for and received their services. These reviews provide an accurate picture of the quality of a contractor’s services. By reading online reviews, one can determine the benefits and drawbacks of all their shortlisted water leak repair contractors.
Apart from these, other important factors one must consider include the transparency of contractors regarding quotes, their overall experience, their costs, the range of services offered by a given contractor, and the discounts and deals offered by contractors to their customers.
DIY process of fixing water leaks
One does not always need to hire a professional to address their water leak-related problems. There are certain tried-and-tested DIY steps to do so.
To begin with, try locating the leak. After that is done, shut off all the valves under their kitchen and bathroom sinks and also the underside of the toilets to completely shut down the water supply. Doing so will stop the leakage before the homeowner can begin the fixing process.
This is followed by drying up all the pipes and cleaning up dirty water from them. The next step involves applying plumbing putty to leaky pipes and fixtures to seal holes.
If the damage in the pipes is extensive, then replacing them altogether is advised. Moreover, one should use clamps to fix smaller water leaks in the pipeline architecture of properties.