How To Repair Weak Spot Ii Under Sink Cabinet

Notice and Repair Subconscious Plumbing Leaks

Updated: Jun. xi, 2022

Find and fix small-scale drips earlier they cause major damage

Family Handyman

We testify simple ways to find and stop common water leaks before they crusade rot and other expensive damage. You'll find most of them around bathtubs and showers, drains, sinks and toilets.

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Time

An hour or less

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

Less than $20

Tub and Shower: Splash Leaks

Test a shower door

Splash water all around a shower door. If water seeps out from behind the frame, caulk the frame on the inside. Run a new bead along the flooring/tub joint.

Splash leaks are simply water escaping past a shower curtain or a shower door. Plumbers tell us information technology's the most common blazon of bath leak. Although it may sound modest, this leak causes major damage when h2o seeps into the subfloor where flooring meets the tub or shower. Shortly the vinyl floor or tiles begin to loosen. Even worse, the plywood subfloor delaminates and rots, requiring a huge, expensive tearout and replacement projection.

Signs of trouble:

• Curling vinyl flooring or loose tiles adjacent to the tub.
• Peeling paint or flaking, chalky-looking forest stop virtually the shower.
• H2o stains on the ceiling or joists beneath.
• Mold spots on the wall or flooring almost the tub or shower.
• If you use a curtain, look for standing water on the floor after you shower.

How to discover the source of a bathtub drain leaking:

• If you take a shower door, splash water all around the door and frame. Leaks around the frame may have five minutes or longer to bear witness up.
• If the door has safe gaskets or a rubber door sweep, check them for gaps.
• Besides bank check for any gaps in the caulk where the shower or tub meets the flooring.

How to fix a leaking tub drain:

• Be sure to overlap sliding doors correctly when y'all shut them. The inner door should exist closest to the faucet.
• If yous have a shower curtain rather than a door, make sure you close it completely when you shower, or add together a splash guard.
• Seal a leaking frame by running a small bead of tub and caulk around the inside of the frame. Strength the caulk into any gaps betwixt the frame and the shower surround. Rapidly wipe away all the excess caulk. When the caulk dries, test for leaks once more.
• Replace any worn gaskets or door sweeps. Bring the former i to a home eye or plumbing supply store and look for a matching replacement (be sure to get the correct size to fit).
• If the old caulk along the floor shows gaps, scrape it out and run a new bead.

Homeowner story:
"I noticed the flooring tile along the tub was coming loose. I pushed on it and it crunched down into the underlayment, which was totally rotten. We ended up replacing all of the tile and function of the subfloor."

Figure A: Tub and Shower Leaks

The nigh damaging tub and shower leaks occur when water splashes out of the enclosure. Tile and bleed leaks can also cause major damage.

Tub and shower: Drain leaks

Photograph 1: Exam a drain

Plug the bleed with a examination plug and add together water. After an hour, cheque to run across if the water level has dropped.

Photo 1A: Close-up of examination plug

Measure the drain diameter and buy a test plug to fit.

Drain leaks allow water to sneak around the outside of the drain where information technology'southward connected to the tub or shower. This is especially common with plastic or fiberglass tubs and shower pans, since these materials flex slightly when you stand on them, often breaking the seal effectually the drain. These leaks tin can stain or destroy the ceiling below or rot flooring joists. In the case of a tub assail a concrete slab, the leak will ruin flooring in the bath or bordering rooms.

Signs of problem bathtub drain leaking:

• Water stains on the ceiling or joists beneath.
• Loose flooring near the tub or damp floors in adjoining rooms (if the tub is on a concrete slab).

How to find the source of a leaking tub drain:

• If you can see the underside of the drain through an admission panel or open ceiling, partially fill the tub and and so release the water. In a shower, plug the drain with a rag and and so release the water. Check the drains and traps for leaks from beneath through the access console.
• If you don't have access to the underside of the drain, plug the drain and add enough water to form a minor pool around the drain (photo). Marking the border of the pool past setting a bottle of shampoo next to it. And so expect an hr. If the puddle shrinks, the drain is leaking. Don't rely on your tub stopper for this examination; it may leak. Remove the stopper and insert a 1-1/2-in. test plug (detect them at home centers). Remove the grate and use a 2-in. plug for a shower.

How to fix a bathtub drain leaking:

• To repair a tub bleed, unscrew the bleed flange from above. Then clean the flange and use silicone caulk. Besides remove the prophylactic gasket that'southward nether the tub's drain pigsty and take information technology to a home center to find a matching gasket (exist sure to become the correct size to fit). Slip the new gasket into identify and spiral in the drain flange.
• If you take access to a shower drain from below, tighten the ring nut that locks the drain to the shower pan. If that doesn't work, replace the drain assembly. If you don't accept access beneath the drain, cut a hole in the ceiling below or replace the drain assembly with a WingTite drain.

Tub and shower: Tile leaks

Tile leaks occur when water seeps through deteriorating grout or caulk and gets into the wall behind the tile (Figure A). Depending on the materials used to set the tile, this tin can lead to tile falling off the wall, astringent rotting of the wall framing, and damage to the subfloor, joists or ceiling below.

Signs of trouble:

• Loose tiles.
• Persistent mold.
• If the shower is against an exterior wall, you may find an expanse of peeling paint exterior.
• Stains on the ceiling under the shower.

How to find the source:

• Examine the grout and caulk joints for gaps. You near ever observe mold here.
• If you have loose tile backside the tub spout or faucet, open up the access console behind the faucet and wait for dampness or stains.

How to set information technology:

• Remove the one-time grout, caulk and loose tiles.
• If the surface behind the tile is still solid, y'all can reattach tiles, regrout and recaulk using tub and tile caulk.
• If more than a few tiles are loose or if the wall is spongy, you lot'll accept to install new backer lath and tile, or a fiberglass surround.

Toilet flange leaks

Photo 1: Locate the source

Accept measurements from stacked walls to find the source of a ceiling stain. In nearly cases, the stain occurs close to the source.

Photograph 2: Check for flange leaks

Unscrew the toilet bolt nuts and remove the toilet. Scrape away the wax and look for leaks. Also cheque for cracks effectually the toilet'due south horn.

These leaks occur where the toilet meets the waste piping below. They allow water to seep out at every flush, which will wreck flooring, rot the subfloor and joists, and impairment the ceiling beneath (Photo 1).

Signs of trouble:

• Water seeping out around the base of the toilet.
• Loose or damaged flooring.
• Stains on the ceiling below.
• A toilet that rocks slightly when you push against it. This movement volition eventually pause the wax seal between the toilet and the closet flange.

How to find the source:
If yous take ceiling stains, measure from stacked walls (right photo) before you go through the hassle of removing the toilet. If the stain is virtually the toilet, a leaking flange is the most likely source. Remove the toilet (Photo two) and look for these leak sources:

• The flange is level with or beneath the surrounding floor surface.
• Cracks in the flange.
• Bolts or the slots they fit into are broken.
• The flange is loose, not screwed solidly to the subfloor.

How to fix it:

• If you lot don't find whatever of the problems listed above, reinstall the toilet with a new wax ring.
• If the flange is too low, install a plastic flange riser over the existing flange.
• If the flange or bolt slots are broken, install a metal repair flange.
• If the toilet rocks because the floor is uneven, slip toilet shims under the toilet when you reinstall information technology.

Homeowner story:
"I had noticed the toilet rocking slightly for a few years, but I kept putting off the repair. Then ane solar day the ceiling under the toilet fell in. It turned out that the wax band had been leaking for years. The subfloor around the toilet was rotted, and the more it rotted, the more than the toilet rocked and the more h2o leaked out with every affluent."

Effigy B: Toilet Leaks

Toilet leaks tin can come up from the h2o supply or tank, but the most damaging leaks occur at the flange and wax ring.

Sinks: Sink rim leaks

Exam for rim leaks

Dribble h2o effectually the sink rim and faucet base of operations with a sponge. And then look for leaks below using a flashlight.

Sink rim leaks allow water to seep under the rim or the base of the faucet. They will gradually destroy your cabinets and countertops in kitchens and bathrooms.

Signs of problem:

• Puddles, dampness or water stains inside the cabinet.
• Loose plastic laminate nearly sink.
• A loose faucet base of operations.
• Deteriorating caulk around sink.

How to detect the source:

• If you have a plastic laminate countertop, examine the underside of the countertop using a flashlight. Expect for swollen particleboard or other signs of h2o impairment.
• Dribble water around the sink rim and look for leaks (photo).

How to ready it:

• Tighten the faucet base by turning the mounting nuts underneath it.
• If the sink rim is caulked, scrape away the sometime caulk and recaulk.
• Tighten the clips nether the sink rim that clamp the sink to the countertop.

Homeowner story:
"The caulk around my bandage atomic number 26 sink was in bad shape for years, but I didn't worry well-nigh information technology until the plastic laminate in front of the sink began to loosen. I stuck my head under the sink and saw that the particleboard under the sink rim was blackness and swollen. When I poked at the rotten particleboard, it crumbled like charred woods. I had to supervene upon all my countertops at a cost of $800. But I'm glad the former countertop gave me a warning sign—with a few more than months of rot, that 100-lb. sink could have fallen into the cabinet below."

Effigy C: Sink Leaks

Sink leaks tin can occur at any plumbing joint. But the most common leaks happen at the sink rim, shutoff valves, supply line connections and slip joints in the waste product lines.

Under Sink Plumping: Supply leaks

Bank check for supply leaks

Don't rely on your sense of affect to find tiny nether sink plumbing leaks. Wipe each connection with a dry out tissue. Then await for a wet spot on the tissue.

Supply leaks under the kitchen sink or bath vanity tin can go unnoticed for a long time since they're ordinarily at the back of the cabinet. Water tin can run down the pipes into the floor or subfloor, rotting the sink base, the floor and the framing.

Signs of under sink plumbing trouble:

• Puddles, dampness or h2o stains under sink plumbing and inside the cabinet.
• Stains on the ceiling below.

How to find the source:

• Dab shutoffs and connections with a dry out tissue or paper towel and expect for wet spots (photograph).
• Run the dishwasher and cheque for leaks under information technology.

How to fix it:

• If the valve stalk on a shutoff valve drips, tighten the packing nut. If the leak doesn't stop, replace the valve.
• For other leaks at the shutoff valve or at the faucet, attempt tightening the compression nut first. If that doesn't stop the leak, detach the fitting, coat the ferrule or gasket with Teflon articulation compound (available at abode centers and hardware stores) and reassemble the connection.

Sinks: Drain leaks

Bleed leaks in kitchens and bathrooms normally occur at the drain or at the slip joints in the drainpipe. Subconscious behind boxes and bottles, these leaks can damage floor, cabinets and fifty-fifty ceilings below before y'all notice them.

Signs of trouble:

• Puddles, water stains or a chilly odor in the chiffonier.
• Loose or damaged floor in front of the sink.

How to discover the source:

• Fill the sink bowls, so as they drain check all joints from the sink to the wall with a dry tissue (see photo in a higher place).
• Run and bleed the dishwasher and check the waste material hose connexion.

How to prepare it:

• For a skid joint leak, kickoff tighten the sideslip nut. If that doesn't work, detach the joint, glaze the washer with Teflon articulation compound and reassemble.
• For a leak from the basket strainer, tighten the ring nut under the sink. If the leak continues, disconnect and remove the handbasket strainer. Reassemble it using plumber's putty as a sealant nether the basket's rim.

Two Slow Leaks That Betoken Catastrophe

If you notice puddles near your water heater, check the pressure level relief valve and the drain valve. If either is dripping, replace the valve. If not, the tank is leaking and you need a new h2o heater. Don't filibuster. Tank leaks often get-go slow and then suddenly burst days or weeks later, causing a major household flood. The same goes for washing motorcar supply hoses. If yous observe a tiny leak in the hose itself or at the crimped metal fittings at the ends, replace the hose. Otherwise the hose may eventually burst, releasing a continuous menses of h2o.

Test for Hidden Leaks

The vast majority of leaks occur at or most fitting like tubs, sinks and toilets. But if you lot suspect a leak in the h2o supply system, there'due south a unproblematic fashion to check it— even if the pipes are subconscious within walls. Outset, plough off all your faucets. If yous have drippy faucets or a toilet that runs between flushes, close the shutoff valves. And then go to your water meter and bank check the position of the "1-cubic-foot" dial. Check the dial again two hours later. If the dial has moved, you accept a leak in the water supply.

Required Tools for this Projection

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you offset—you'll save time and frustration.

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips past having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.

Originally Published: Nov 25, 2022

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