If you think that you might be dealing with a plumbing leak in your home, then the ramifications could be much greater than you initially imagine. In addition to the natural effects of having a bunch of extra water pumping into places that it shouldn't, you might also be harboring a mold infestation. To help you figure out whether you have a water leak and what to do if you do have mold, here are some tips:

Leak Warning Signs

First of all, you want to be able to identify whether you have a leak and exactly where the leak is. There are a number of warning signs that can point to a leak and can even lead you in the right direction.

For example, if you find that you have reduced water pressure in certain parts of your home, then you might be dealing with a leak. Since a leak will allow some of the water to exit your plumbing, it will reduce the total amount that reaches your faucet at the end, which will make it seem like your water pressure is lower than normal. This can be hard to detect in the case of small leaks, but if you are dealing with a serious leak, then you might be getting very little water from your faucets.

You should also look for blisters in your paint, since that will indicate that some rogue water is seeping into the area between your wallpaper and paint. This is usually caused by gravity pulling the water down, which means that you should look above any such blisters.

Of course, mold can also indicate a leak, but dealing with mold is an entirely new struggle in and of itself.

Mold Removal

When getting ready to handle mold, you want to make sure that you sufficiently protect yourself. You want to wear a filter that can protect your nose and mouth from spores, goggles that can fully protect your eyes, and clothing that covers all of your skin.

To actually remove the mold, you want to make sure that you pick a cleaning solution that is potent enough for the job at hand, but not strong enough to be unnecessarily toxic. Bleach, ammonia, or borax can all work, but you will usually need to dilute them with a bit of water.

As for the actual mold removal, just make sure that you treat the entire site with the cleaning solution and then let it sit while it kills the mold. Once this is done, you may need to clean up the remains of the mold and dispose of them in sealed containers.

For more information on detecting a leak before it leads to mold, contact companies like Langley Plumbing.