Just as I encountered two of the most common leaky home repairs that you may encounter as a homeowner — in the attic and in the bathroom –I have had to deal with other leaks in and around my home.

In the Kitchen

Yet another hot spot for leaks is the kitchen. Under my kitchen sink, the previous tenants obviously did some damage. Somehow they installed the garbage disposal incorrectly, and every time that or the dishwasher was used the plumbing would leak.

I didn’t know about if for a while until the cabinet began to stink. After cleaning out the cleaning supplies and being totally grossed out at the slimy mold that was growing down there, I had to rip out that wood altogether.

While down there, I accidentally discovered the source of the leak. After uninstalling everything, replacing the pipes with the help of a plumber, and then re-installing everything, the leak was finally fixed. Of course, to get everything really fixed we had to cut off the pipe down to the wall and start from scratch. We also discovered that the amazing house builders had chosen to put the main drain for my home under my kitchen sink as well. That will be fun to deal with should anything ever come up.

In the Wall

Another incident that occurred was the fault of a storm. During a rain storm, a ladder was blown over on top of the back yard faucet. Nothing looked out of place, but the pipe inside had been twisted and developed a small but growing leak. We knew nothing about it until we noticed that a section of the interior wall and the carpet around it was damp.

We had to cut away part of the home’s siding to get to the pipes. After a plumber came, we had to cut off the broken pipe and attach a new one before we could stop the leak.

In the Yard

Last but not least, the most mysterious leak we ever had was in the yard. During a very bad dry season when the land was contracting at an alarming rate, I wondered why a section of the grass in my yard was greener than the rest. When the water bill came, I was shocked to see it had more than doubled. The water company agreed to recheck the meter. However, when the man opened the lid, it was full of water! It turns out that a part of the water pipes from the water main to my home had cracked underground. Of course this was not covered by the water company, so I had to pay the bill and pay to get the pipe fixed.

Our faithful plumber came out and thankfully only had to dig up a small section of the yard before finding the source of the leak. An underground leak is not easy to find!

As you can see, water leaks can cause many problems and be found in nearly any place in your home. The best thing to do is keep your eyes open for anything that signifies a leak. Wet spots, discoloration, or even green grass can mean there is a problem. Let TalkLocal connect you with a professional as soon as possible to avoid having to repair even more damage.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Liz Nelson from WhiteFence.com. She is a freelance writer and blogger from Houston. Questions and comments can be sent to: liznelson17 @ gmail.com.

Even a small water leak can become a big problem. I know, because my home is the king of leaks. I don’t know what it is about a home that is more than a handful of years old, but water just seems to want to escape from pipes and other places and seek out anything it can to destroy. From collapsed ceilings to mushy yards to moldy cabinets, I have had more than my fair share of water disasters.

Here are some things you can watch out for in your home to prevent leaks, repair leaks, and fix water damage.

Leaky Home Repairs in the Attic

When I first got my house I had no idea what I was doing. I got it inspected, of course, but in reality I knew nothing about home repair or maintenance; which is why I freaked out when it started raining in my garage. Water dripped across the ceiling and onto the cars, and the ceiling drooped down in a disturbingly bubble-like fashion.

I evacuated the garage and inspected the attic, finding out that the air conditioning unit’s drain hose had become plugged, and the drip pan was overflowing. No matter how many air conditioning repair technicians I called, none could figure out how to get the unit to drain properly. They advised me to turn the unit off, but at 100 degrees-plus outside, how could I?

Eventually, part of the ceiling collapsed, and shortly thereafter, the problem was fixed. I was able to replace a section of the ceiling without a big problem, but it wasn’t something I would like to repeat.

This made it all the more frustrating when the downstairs bathroom ceiling started dripping too. With a surge of fear, I quickly called a plumber who let me know a drain pipe from the upstairs bathroom had cracked, allowing the water to drip through. We got that sealed and resolved before any major damage was done, thankfully.

Leaky Home Repairs in the Bathroom

Speaking of bathrooms, this is a hot spot for leaks of all kinds. For me, the biggest issue I have faced is with the downstairs bathtub. The faucet started to leak one day, and I thought it would be a simple repair. However, the faucet was too old to fix and needed to be replaced to stop the leak. The tile around the faucet had to be broken away to get to the pipes, and I was left with a huge hole in my shower.

After that, another disaster occurred, this one man-made. Never leave firecrackers and matches anywhere near your toilet. That auto-fill feature is killer! From wet carpets in the next room to a stinky replacement process, it was a hassle. Just for your future knowledge, it is not possible to repair a cracked toilet. Not even with lots and lots of waterproof tape.

As a home ages, it seems like the hot water pipes take the worst beating. I have had to replace the hot water pipes under both of my bathroom sinks. Thankful for WD-40, I was able to pry them off and replace them myself, as they simply screw on.

Water, Water Everywhere!

If you are having any issues with leaky pipes or ceilings, you’ll want to get it checked out ASAP. But don’t waste time calling around. Use TalkLocal to find the right professional in just minutes.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Liz Nelson from WhiteFence.com. She is a freelance writer and blogger from Houston. Questions and comments can be sent to: liznelson17 @ gmail.com.