I went to clean my laundry room and dryer vents etc today and when I pulled the dryer back I noticed the lower part of the sheet rock seemed to be moisture damaged and baseboards are pretty rotten. It's only behind the dryer. When I looked at the dryer ducktwork there was a tear in it. Can this read be the cause of the water/moisture damage or do I need to look for another culprit before I rip and out replace.

It's very surprising but makes sense if it's getting blasted with humid air for 45 minutes every time laundry is done.

We are a large family so we run the machine quite often.

Thank you. I do have a moisture reader and it showed high earlier today. I did several loads today and jumped back to see how it felt but no difference. I did notice outside the wall that washer and dryer back to was seeping water out the foundation so I'm thinking maybe the drain pipe is leaking somewhere? Guess I'll call a plumber out for starters. This probably has been happening for a long time.

Post a pic of the washer box and valves if you can

Is it an HE washing machine ?


Your trap/drain could be partially clogged with lint/soap residue and may be backing up into the box when the washing machine starts pumping. I see this happen on older houses over time especially if it is an HE washing machine with a 1 1/2 inch drain before code mandated a 2 inch drain. if you want to troubleshoot take a hair dryer and dry the brick and a fan and dry the drywall out and then dont use the washer for a few days and see if it stays dry. If it does not then you have a possible supply line leak issue. Also what is that white pvc pipe doing on the outside of your house in the picture ?

I think I was Incorrect. I want to change my opinion. That's a lot of water. I do believe that is an actual leak. Follow JP guidance.

I'm not sure if it's a HE washer, I'll have to look when I get home. I haven't seen water backing up out of the box and I watched it drain some yesterday. There is no water in the house.

The concrete is dry as of this morning and seems to only get wet when running the machine. It was dry before I ran it yesterday and slowly got wetter the more I used it.

As for the grey pvc pope, previous owners had wires everywhere for lots of different things. It just houses old wires.

I think it is your drain box or could be your hot and cold supplies behind the wall that has a drip but most likely drain

You are going to have to cut sheetrock anyways I would cut out and get a water hose and put in drain and watch and you may can fix yourself

If you need advice you can text me or pm me

So it was a leak right behind the stud on the drain line. This leak must have been happening for a long time bc it eroded away the bottom of the stud and even some of the foundation around pipe.

Get it repaired tomorrow and then have to figure out how I should enforce this stud to have proper support for the outside wall. Probably just have a contractor do it for peace of mind.

I was anxious it would be covered in mold behind the wall.

Sonce you have so much sheetrock to do anyway

I would have them replace your washer box also. Not with some cheap one go to a plumbing supply or HD lowes and buy one for them or at least tell them not a cheap one

maddiedou said:

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Sonce you have so much sheetrock to do anyway

I would have them replace your washer box also. Not with some cheap one go to a plumbing supply or HD lowes and buy one for them or at least tell them not a cheap one

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I also would replace the box and the fittings. I'd hose that area down with Concrobium, and then sister on a 2x4 stud where you like, and call it a day. My opinion is that those particular studs aren't performing much structural duty. They are 3.5" wide and they have a 2" hole (at least) cut in them for the drain.

I'd also probably cut that drywall at an easy square dimension. You can patch that yourself easily after it's dried out. Mud/tape/float/Texture and paint...watch youtube. It won't look as good as a tradesman doing it 80 hours a week, but it's behind the washer/dryer and won't be seen. I'm not saying not to do it right, but if you are hiring this out, costs are going to be considerable and that's a place I would pick to shortcut if I had to. Aesthetics are one thing, function is another.

Yeah I can hang, float, etc Sheetrock no problem. I agree it doesn't really matter behind the washer and dryer.

Got back home and noticed the bottom plate is gone in that section too

Interesting update: so we found what caused the leak. I guess when the home was being built they hit the pipe when nailing the foam or plate behind the brick and plugged with with concrete or something similar. Through the years (home was built ~97-98) it finally eroded a hole through the plug and has been leaking for who knows how long. The whole bottom plate in that area was completely gone too. Got everything replaced and supported.

Was the nail still in it ?

I have seen leaks before caused by drywall and cabinet/ trim nails but they took decades to rust out before the leak started. The last one repaired had been in the pipe for close to 35 years before it rusted out and started leaking.

No it looks like they pulled the nail (or whatever) and plugged it. Initially that's what we thought, the mail finally rusted and broke off but I don't see that to be the case.

I found the drain in the shower pan in my last house was not connected to the sewer pipe. Was like that draining directly to the ground for a dozen years.

Would have been much easier and minimal expense at the time.

I'd bet the guys didn't even know they hit it. They wouldn't have been able to know without a washing machine.

Or they could have just said "f- it" but I'm wanting to believe they just didn't know.

Reminded me...Years ago, our washing broke in some fashion (I don't recall) and it leaked. The water flooded the kitchen, utility room, and downstairs bedroom.

I was really puzzled why the water didn't drain via the drain hole in the foundation underneath the washing machine. I had always assumed that that hole was simply a drain in case of a water issue.

Called a plumber out who ran an auger down that hole but the auger line became blocked after 20 feet or so. It turned out that the drain did go through the foundation to the side of the house. But, when the house was being built, the guys who put the cement skim coat around the foundation simply covered up that hole.

I knocked through the skim coat to let the accumulated water drain out. I think I "plugged" it just with steel wool.

Forget about texturing and painting the new sheet rock. Instead, go find some nice tile you like and spruce up the laundry room while you are at it. Easy DIY.

my friend bought some old home and had new w/D installed. Ran first couple of loads and noticed the wall getting wet. Come to find out, the drain for the washer was in the floor, not the wall, but the installers put a box in the wall anyway and dropped the drain hose into it. Washer was just draining into wall cavity until my friend figured out what that drain was in the floor.

Put in one of those nifty vent boxes that lets you get your dryer flush against the wall since you are already doing all that work.

CapCity12thMan said:

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my friend bought some old home and had new w/D installed. Ran first couple of loads and noticed the wall getting wet. Come to find out, the drain for the washer was in the floor, not the wall, but the installers put a box in the wall anyway and dropped the drain hose into it. Washer was just draining into wall cavity until my friend figured out what that drain was in the floor.

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