Rubber washer hoses, dishwasher door seals and supply valves, and the thin plastic tube behind a refrigerator ice maker all wear out. In many of the township's 1970s and 1980s homes the laundry sits on the main floor or upstairs, so a burst washer hose soaks the ceiling below as well.
Hidden water under cabinets and floors
Dishwasher and refrigerator leaks run under the cabinets and into the subfloor, where laminate and vinyl plank trap them. The tech who does the walkthrough runs meters and thermal imaging along the toe kicks and across the floor before anything gets pulled up.
Drying in place where possible
- Toe kicks removed so air reaches under the cabinets
- Injection drying pushing air into cabinet bases and wall cavities
- Laminate and engineered flooring lifted where it holds water
- LGR dehumidifiers drying the subfloor from both sides when the basement or crawl space below is open
Washer drain water is gray water, Category 2, so pad and drywall it soaked usually come out.
Hoses, recalls and prevention
Braided stainless hoses outlast plain rubber, and a leak sensor under the sink catches drips early. CPSC recalls list appliance defects by model, and EPA Fix a Leak Week covers checking for slow leaks.
Leaks that reach a neighbor are covered under townhome and condo water damage.