Does your home have a concrete slab foundation? If so, then you may be vulnerable to slab leaks. Slab foundations are built atop a bed of crushed gravel above a layer of sewer lines and pressurized piping. When your pipes and sewer lines start to break down, this can cause a slab leak. Slab leaks typically only occur after long periods of corrosion, so it’s important to address them as soon as signs appear because they can cause your foundation to crumble if ignored.
How can you tell if you have a slab leak?
One of the main signs of a slab leak is sudden heat in your floors. When your hot water line has a leak, this heat can make your flooring feel warm to the touch. You may also notice mold or mildew growing under carpeting. In some cases, you will also see standing water around the outer perimeter of your home. A sudden spike in your water bill, low water pressure, baseboard cracks and a fluctuating water meter can also be signs of a slab leak.
What are the challenges of determining the source of a slab leak?
Unfortunately, in the early stages, slab leaks are very difficult to distinguish from other home leaks. By far the largest roadblock to identifying a slab leak is the difficulty of accessing the piping. There are almost no visible signs of slab leaks, and special equipment is required to locate slab leaks as noninvasively as possible.
How can our team help find your slab leak?
At The Waterboy, we have years of experience with slab leaks and we know how to rule out other leak possibilities to get to the heart of the problem. Ultimately, if you determine you’re dealing with a slab leak, a restoration professional will need to cut or chisel into your foundation to reach the broken piping and make the necessary repairs. As you might imagine, it’s important to identify the leak before you start drilling. Untrained restoration professionals can cause unnecessary damage if their work is not guided by a leak detection expert.