A slab leak is a plumbing issue that can remain undetected for months underneath your house. Houses that are built on a basement or a crawlspace don’t face this issue. But homes built on the ground have the plumbing system installed under a concrete slab that supports the foundation of the house.
And anything buried under concrete is not easy to access, assess or repair. But, it is the most cost-effective way to supply water in your home. The copped pipes laid under the concrete slab may develop a pin-sized hole, causing a slab leak.
How Does It Occur?
Slab leaks are common in areas where the land is prone to expansion and earthquakes. They are prevalent in Texas, Dallas, and Houston areas. The subsequent shift in the soil underneath the slab cause cracks to appear in the concrete. Ultimately concrete is a perforated surface. The pinhole leak that occurs in pipes due to pressure or corrosion contaminates the walls, floors, and surrounding areas
How To Detect A Slab Leak?
Slow leaks may take years to notice as changes are incremental. Some of the signs associated with a slab leak are:
- Sound of water running through the pipes when no taps are open
- Water bills are higher, but no change in water usage
- Damp places on the floor
- The slab foundation develops a crack
- The bad smell emanating from walls and floor
- The visible shift in the soil surrounding the structure
- Uneven growth in foundation plants or the lawn
Options For Slab Leak Repair
The condition of a home’s plumbing system, the age of the house, and materials will determine if the job calls for the replacement of sections of plumbing, minor slab leak repairs, or a completely new piping installation.
Pipe Rerouting
Sometimes your plumber will advise you not to dig under the slab and reroute the plumbing above ground. If a section of the pipes is problematic, new plumbing lines can provide a new and less disruptive solution.
The plumber will decide where the new pipes can be installed, like the walls, attic, closets, and other structures that can conceal pipes. So water can run through the old pipes, and when the installation is done, the water supply to the old pipes can be turned off, and the new ones can be made functional. And you will not even have to move out of your house for this repair.
Breaking Through The Slab
Breaking through the slab is expensive and requires the homeowner to live elsewhere while the work is done. Sometimes, a larger area of pipes is affected, and breaking the slab to access the pipes seems like the only course of action. Your plumber, in this case, will completely install a new system to supply water to your home.
Tunneling Beneath The Slab
Most homeowners prefer tunneling if they have expensive flooring rather than breaking down the slab from the top. Structural integrity is very important in this course of action. And the soil is filled back up and pounded into place to fill up the tunnels after replacing leaking pipes.
Slab leaks occur due to faulty installation, low-quality material, or expansive soil shifts. And for homeowners, this can be a really difficult plumbing issue as it can be very time-consuming and expensive. But we are here to help you out by providing affordable and quality 24/7 slab leak repairs in Rockwall, Texas, and other plumbing services at Wasden Plumbing. We do it right the first time! So call us now for information, and get an estimate.
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