WATER LEAKAGE REPAIR

Good leak detection narrows the source down step by step, so you only open up what needs opening. The methods below are standard in the trade; which ones are used depends on the leak.

Timing and pattern

The most useful clue is when the water appears. Damp after showers points to a wet area or discharge pipe. Damp after heavy rain points to a window, external wall, roof or balcony. Damp that never dries points to a pressurised supply pipe. Note down when it happens before the site visit.

Moisture readings

A moisture meter maps how wet a wall, floor or ceiling is across an area. The wettest point is usually closest to the source, and repeat readings later show whether a repair has worked and when the area is dry enough to paint.

Thermal imaging

A thermal camera shows temperature differences on a surface. Wet areas often read cooler, which can reveal the path of water behind tiles or plaster without breaking anything. It points to where to look; it does not prove the cause on its own.

Pressure test

For suspected supply pipe leaks, the pipe run is isolated and pressurised to see whether it holds. A falling reading confirms a leak in that run.

Ponding test

For bathrooms, toilets, balconies and flat roofs, the floor is sealed at the drain and filled with water for a set period while the ceiling below is watched. If it stays dry, the membrane is holding. The same test is used to sign off new waterproofing before tiles go down.

Water spray test

For windows and external walls, water is sprayed on one section at a time from outside while someone watches inside. This isolates which joint or crack is letting rain through.

There is no fixed price for leak repair, because the same stain can come from a loose joint or from a failed membrane under a whole bathroom floor. These are the things that move the number:

• The source. A pipe joint, a window seal and a bathroom membrane are very different jobs.
• Access. How much tile, plaster, carpentry or ceiling has to be opened, and whether outside work needs a gondola, scaffold or ladder access.
• Testing. Ponding, pressure and spray tests take time but avoid paying twice.
• Affected area. A small localised repair versus a whole wet area or wall face.
• Reinstatement. Matching tiles, replacing ceiling boards and repainting a whole wall or room.
• Approvals. Some wet-area and external works need HDB or MCST approval before they start.

Our guide to water leakage repair cost goes through each of these with the questions to ask before you approve a quotation. The site visit and quotation are free, and quotes are itemised so you can see what each part costs.

If water is dripping near lights or sockets, or a ceiling is sagging, switch off the affected circuit and call us or our emergency leakage repair team for containment first. The permanent repair can then be planned properly.