Bathtub leaks are a source of water damage that often plagues homeowners. These leaks can typically be prevented with the appropriate precautions, but it is easy to neglect to take these steps.
Water Damage Restoration Anchorage
Our water damage restoration technicians at TCM Restoration often encounter the aftermath of bathtub leaks. Here are a few of the most important things you should know about bathtub leaks.
Determine The Cause Of The Leak
The first essential step for dealing with a leaky bathtub is determining the source of the leak. Before you can do anything, you must know where the water is coming from. Moreover, the longer the leak goes on the more water damage will accumulate over time. Even small amounts of leaking can cause major water damage in the long run. Below, we go over the three most common types of bathtub leaks — drain leaks, overflow drain leaks, and crack leaks.
Common Types Of Bathtub Leaks
Drain Leak
A leaky bathtub drain is a source of constant trouble for homeowners. This type of leak occurs when the drain and attached lines beneath your tub weaken, causing the seals to fail or cracks to form. This drip, even if slow, will result in water damage to the infrastructure below the tub area. You can minimize the likelihood of this happening by only allowing water and bath products down your bathtub drain and regularly cleaning your hair which can clog up your bathtub drain.
Overflow Drain Leak
Overflow drains are there to prevent water damage, but if not taken properly care of they can also contribute to water damage. When working properly, overflow drains will siphon water out of your tub when it reaches a high enough level. However, as tubs age, the overflow drain can break, leak, or crack. Often this is attributable to a bad drain gasket. Fortunately, this can be easily replaced, but a lot of damage can occur in the meantime if you aren’t careful.
Crack Leak
Tiny hairline fractures in your tub can develop, especially as it ages. These cracks are so small that they are hard to spot with the naked eye. Yet, large amounts of water can still seep through them. An easy trick to finding out if and where you have a crack leak is filling up your tub with water and then looking for any signs of a drain current near any side of the tub. If you spot one, then you have to find the crack.
Repairing Leaky Bathtubs
Leaky bathtub repair is best handled by professional plumbers. In the case of drain problems, you may need new parts of a new waterproof seal. For cracks, plumbers can easily apply a two-part epoxy to prevent future leaking.
Don’t let a leaky bathtub wreak havoc in your home! Give us a call at TCM Restoration today if you are dealing with the effects of a leaky bathtub so we can help you repair the damage and put it in the past.
