Doing a quick visual check once a month is a really smart habit, and it takes less than a minute. Just open the cabinet under each sink, move any bottles or cleaning supplies aside, and look and feel around the pipes and base. You’re checking for damp patches, swollen wood, water marks, or tiny droplets forming on joints.
Because these areas are closed and dark, small leaks can hide for a long time. By the time they become obvious from outside, the cabinet floor may already be warped, mouldy, or rotten. That turns a cheap repair into a more expensive carpentry and plumbing job.
This simple monthly routine fits nicely with other checks – like your “leak patrol” around the house. You’ll catch many issues at the stage where tightening a joint, replacing a washer, or calling a plumber for a quick fix is enough, instead of dealing with full-blown damage later.