Why water and leak trails shouldn’t be ignored – Expert insights

Water or leak trails are visual signs of leakage or imprproper or unintended water diversion where rain or precipitation or other water intrusion runs in a pathway across a material surface. Generally, over a period of time when water runs, wicks, or leaks into an area where it is not intended, it will leave a trail on the face of a building material to indicate the pathway of water.

The image below shows an example of a water trail on the exterior surface of a masonry wall.   In this particular case, the rain gutter above the masonry wall has a defective joint where there is an opening that allows water to leak outside of the rain gutter. As that water residually drips at each rainfall, a trip a trail of discoloration this coloration is left on the face of the wall.