3 Signs of Trouble Brewing in Your Walls
1. White Stains – Efflorescence
White, chalky stains on the masonry – is the first sign that your masonry building has moisture issues. Efflorescence happens when moisture weeps out through the face of masonry, bringing with it mineral deposits. More than 30% of buildings in Chicago have this tell-tale sign.
If your building has efflorescence, don't call a sealant company, call us. It's best to identify and repair the water source, and give the building time to dry, before sealing the masonry.
Sealing a building before fixing the water source can force water vapor inside, causing leaks from ceilings, windows, doors, even electrical outlets.
2. Chronic Leaks
Persistent leaks on a ceilings or walls? The roof typically isn't the water source in masonry buildings. Before you schedule an unnecessary roof replacement, have Wet Building Solutions confirm the leak source and recommend repairs to fix it permanently.
Each building deteriorates in a unique way. We diagnose the issues specific to YOUR building. Water doesn’t discriminate. It destroys custom homes, condos and town homes. Under the decorative finishes, most contemporary buildings are constructed with new-growth tree farm lumber that doesn't hold up to water intrusion.
3. Wafting, Musty Smells
When water accumulates in a building's walls and/or roof system, strange smells follow. The trapped moisture and condensation breed bacteria and mold that decays wood building materials, like trusses, joists, LVLs, TJIs and furring strips, as well as plywood sheathing, insulation and drywall.
A building's structural integrity can be compromised quickly by water intrusion. Odd smells in a building may also indicate bacteria and mold spores in the air that are unhealthy to breathe.