Leaks do silent damage to a home. Something as small as a loose trap or clogged drain can go undetected for months; leaking water into your cabinets, between your walls, or under your floors and causing extensive, costly damage. Leaky pipes or openings usually leave warning signs of their presence so you can identify the type of damage and repair it early.

If there is a leak, there will be some water stains as well. The place where you find the leak can tell you from where it has originated. Like, if you notice stains around exterior doors and windows, then the water is getting in from the outside.

If you find some stains on the ceiling, then there might be some leakage in your roof. There can also be some problem in the plumbing lines inside you attic. If you have a leaky sink or a pipe, you will notice stains at the bottom of the cabinet.

A wooden floor can be easily damaged through a leak. Do keep an eye on certain areas of your home like, kitchen floor around the dishwasher or the refrigerator, or in front of a poorly sealed window. Bathroom area is also a high risk area for leaks.

Spongy beams or rafters may be a warning of structural problems as a result of water damage. Spotting these in time may save you thousands of dollars in repairs.

You can do the food coloring test to detect any leakage in your toilet. You just have to remove the lid and flush. After it refills, add some food coloring substance. After 15- 20 minutes, if you notice any traces of color in the toilet bowl, then there is a leak.

Many of these signs and symptoms of water damage are apparent after a good length of time, and in many cases extensive damage has already been done. A handy device to alert you of a leak in the early stages is a water-leak alarm.

It is a plug in system and is operated on a battery. It has a sensor pad which you will place at high risk areas like under the washer etc. It will give a sound as soon as it senses water around it.