Leak detection
in Cochrane, Ontario

Find the source before you fix the damage.

Water almost never shows up where it gets in. It runs along a truss, down a stud bay, or across the top of a vapour barrier and appears in a completely different room. That is why so many leak repairs get done twice — the visible damage gets patched and the actual source keeps running.

We start with the source. Moisture readings, a look in the attic and the crawlspace, checking supply lines and drains under load, isolating fixtures, and working out whether what you are seeing is a leak at all or condensation doing a very good impression of one.

What we check

Roof and flashing, valleys and ice dam damage, plumbing supply and drain lines, toilet flanges and wax rings, tub and shower surrounds, water heater fittings, washing machine and dishwasher lines, sump and weeping tile behaviour, and bathroom or dryer venting into places it should not be venting.

Condensation versus a leak

In this climate a lot of what gets called a leak is warm indoor air hitting a cold surface — an uninsulated rim joist, a poorly sealed attic hatch, a bathroom fan blowing moist air into the attic, or a cold water line sweating in summer. The fix for that is completely different from the fix for a pipe, and it costs a lot less to get right the first time.

Ice damming and winter water

If water shows up on an exterior wall or ceiling edge in late winter and then stops in spring, you are usually looking at an ice dam rather than a failed roof. We will tell you what we see and what would actually stop it happening again, whether that is ventilation, insulation, or keeping the snow load off a problem section.

Then we fix it

Once we know the source we can handle most of the repair ourselves — the line, the fitting, the flashing, the fan venting, and the drywall and paint afterward. If it turns out to be something that needs a licensed plumber, roofer or electrician, we will say so plainly instead of taking a run at it.

Questions we get

Leak detection, answered

Can you find a leak without opening up walls? +

Often, yes. Moisture meters, access from an attic or crawlspace, and isolating fixtures one at a time will find most of them. Sometimes a small inspection opening is the fastest and cheapest way to be certain, and a small hole we cut on purpose is a lot easier to repair than guessing.

Do you repair what you find or just find it? +

Both, in most cases. Finding it is the hard part. We handle the repair and the drywall and paint afterward unless it needs a licensed trade, in which case we will tell you exactly what to ask for.

My basement is damp but I cannot see water. Is that a leak? +

Maybe not. Damp with no visible source is often condensation, grading, or a downspout dumping against the wall. We check the cheap and likely causes before anyone starts talking about excavation.

The stain only appears in winter. What is that? +

That pattern usually points to ice damming or attic condensation rather than a hole in your roof. It is worth diagnosing in the season it happens, so call while you can still see it.

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