Water doesn't drip straight down
A drip from a tub overflow gasket can run along a joist and appear as a stain ten feet away. If you open the ceiling where the stain is, you find wet drywall — not the pipe. You've now made a hole in the wrong place, and the leak is still running.
How tracing works
Tracing a leak means reading the signs — where the stain started, where the water's pooling, which fixture is above it, the age of the pipe runs — and narrowing to the source before opening anything. It's methodical, not magic. The result is one targeted opening and one repair, not a torn-up ceiling and a guess.
- •One targeted repair instead of trial-and-error demolition
- •No replacing drywall you didn't need to open
- •The leak actually fixed, not just mopped
- •Less time with the wall open — less mold risk
Call before you cut
Tell me where the stain is, what's above it, and when it shows up. I can usually narrow it down over the phone and confirm it on site with one opening, not three.
Have a plumbing issue right now?
Call and leave a voicemail — Bob calls back during business hours. For the fastest reply (usually within the hour), email him directly.