Water heaters in local homes sit in hall closets, garages and laundry rooms, often on the slab. A tank that has rusted through leaks slowly at first, then all at once. A relief valve that opens dumps hot water fast. Either way, the water runs under the closet walls and into the carpet or flooring of the rooms next to it.
Beyond the closet
The closet floor dries quickly; the problem is the water that moved under the bottom plate into the hallway, a bedroom or the kitchen. The crew maps moisture well past the closet, pulls baseboards along wet walls and dries the slab and any carpet pad that soaked through.
Hot water and finishes
Hot water from a relief valve can soften vinyl flooring adhesive and delaminate particleboard cabinets faster than cold water. Those materials get checked early. Readings on the drywall and slab are logged daily until they match a dry reference.
