Do i have a water leak?

Question

I was putting clothes away in my daughters closet today and picked a plastic tote up off of the closet floor and there is mold and the closet floor is wet. Her room is on the other side of the bathroom wall. Do I have a water leak and how hard is this gonna be to fix?

Answer 1

yes you have a leak, you might want to call a plumber. If you own your home your homeowners insurance will pay for it.

Answer 2

You may not have a leak. Its possible that the steam from your bathroom is seeping through the wall and hitting the cooler floor leaving it wet, thus mold. If you have a bathroom fan, make sure you are using it every time the tub or shower is used. Dry up the floor and use a solution of part bleach part warm water to kill the mold. Leave the closet door open. Check after the next use of tub/shower to see if the floor is wet. If it is a leak it will be wet every time the tub/shower is used. Don't put anything on the closet floor, especially plastic tubs, they won't allow the moisture to dry up. Another possibility if you are always using the bathroom fan is that the fan ductwork is clogged with dust and the steam from the bathroom is backing up into that closet. If you don't have a bathroom fan you should open the bathroom window every time the tub/shower is used and leave it open for at least 5 minutes after the water is shut off. A bathroom fan exhausted to the outdoors is one of the best things you can invest in to help keep your home mold free. Another thought is that if you have a clothes dryer the steam from that may be finding its way into that closet. Is the dryer in the basement below that closet? And is there any other way that the dampness can be coming up from below. Do you have an uninsulated crawlspace beneath the closet?

If it is actually a leak from the bathroom you should check all the seams around the tub and make sure they are caulked. Check where the pipe for the shower head comes out of the wall as well as the tub filler spout and the controls. Some will have trim that can be pulled away from the wall. Fill any holes behind them with caulk.If all that doesn't work then you may in fact have a leak inside the wall (not very common). If that is the case then you will need to call in a plumber and it won't be cheap unless you can open the wall and do it yourself.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Sounds like you have a leak. Can't say how hard it will be to fix.