A small plumbing leak can be an absolute headache, in more ways than one. On a recent commercial project I had the opportunity to investigate the extent of a small plumbing leak in a 5 story office complex. The leak originated on the 5th floor in a break room - the culprit, a small 1/4 inch flexible plastic line. The small line leaked overnight and ultimately founds it's way to the 1st floor lobby.

Much of the damage wasn't even visible. Except for the occasional water stained ceiling tile. Most of the damage didn't develop until several months later. The damage, was mold. We all know the hazard that mold can bring, the most serious is a health hazard.

How did I find the damaged areas? Using infrared thermal imaging was key in locating several "cold" moisture spots throughout the building. Not visible to the naked eye, mainly because the mold and wetness was sandwiched between the sheetrock and wallpaper. Once the wallpaper was removed, the mold was extreme as seen in the photo below.

When dealing with water and conditioned spaces, one must remember that even though the water has been removed from the carpet or any other visible area, the damage has already been done. If the water was left standing for any extended amount of time, the water has most likely started to wick into the sheetrock. In a matter of days mold will begin to grow in spaces that you don't even see. So it's important that when a major leak has occured and the steps have been taken to clean-up, it's even more important to investigate if moisture is within the wall cavities.

Moisture as seen with infrared thermal imaging.

Brian Doles