Common Slab Leak Repair Methods | Mansfield, TX
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Underneath your home’s slab foundation is a network of pipes taking water to various parts of your house. Some of these pipes carry wastewater from various parts of your house to the public sewer line or a septic tank outside your house. Unfortunately, like other parts of your plumbing system, these pipes can leak due to several reasons. For instance, with time, they will get corroded and develop holes or cracks. Unfortunately, slab leaks can be difficult to detect, and failure to fix them on time can lead to several problems. For instance, the excess amount of water in the slab can cause the ground to shift. When this happens, the slab foundation can crack and compromise the structural integrity of your house. In the worst cases scenario, the cracking slab can cause the walls of your house to also crack and even collapse. To prevent such an eventuality, it is imperative for you to work with a professional slab leak expert to ensure that slab leaks are detected early enough and prevent the situation from getting out of hand.
Unlike other types of leaks, slab leaks can be quite difficult to fix, given that they are located deep within a concrete slab, and accessing them can be quite a daunting task. As such, professionals use specialized technologies to detect the leaks and fix them accordingly. Below is a rundown of common techniques you can expect your slab leak repair expert to use in your Mansfield, TX, home.
Breaking Through the Slab
This is perhaps the most obvious way of trying to access a leaking pipe deep within the slab. It simply involved digging straight down through the slab. However, it is worth noting that this is quite a laborious job. It is also very disruptive, and it tends to cost more. Therefore, slab leak experts only use this technique in situations where less invasive solutions cannot work. This slab leak repair method is also limited in the sense that not all slab foundations are built the same and some should not be cut at all. For instance, if your home has a suspended flat slab, your slab leak expert might advise against breaking through it. The good news is that professional repair experts know the rules, and they will not take decisions that might endanger your house.
Pipe Rerouting
As mentioned above, there are situations in which digging through the slab to access a leaking pipe does not make sense. In such a situation, your slab leak expert might decide to install a new plumbing line above the ground. Depending on how corroded your plumbing system is, your slab leak expert can advise you to repipe your whole house or just a section of it. However, since the pipes can negatively affect the aesthetic value of your house, your slab leak repair expert will try to conceal the new pipes by installing them in walls, in the closets, and through the attic. The biggest benefits of pipe rerouting as a solution for slab leaks are that it is less invasive and disruptive, and it will not cost you a lot or put your house in danger of losing its structural integrity.
Tunneling
Tunneling is another great alternative to breaking through the concrete slab when it comes to slab leak repairs. This method is associated with several benefits. For instance, you can continue living in your house as the work continues. Besides, the mess is kept outside your house, and it won’t affect our day-to-day activities at home. Last but not least, the method is less expensive, and therefore, it is going to save you a significant amount of money. Since tunneling is less invasive, it is an excellent choice for homeowners whose houses have extremely expensive flooring. Therefore, if you would like to get a slab leak repair, but you do not want your floor to be damaged, and you are not ready to relocate temporarily, tunneling is an excellent slab leak repair technique to choose. In most cases, slab leak experts depend on engineers to dig the tunnels to ensure that the structural integrity of houses is not affected by the tunnels.
Trenchless Pipe Repair
This is a highly advanced method of fixing slab leaks with very little if any digging to access the leaking areas. The concept in this method is very simple; a leaking water pipe is sealed by lining its walls with an epoxy coating that hardens as it dries to form a new pipe. However, it is worth noting that as good as this slab leak repair technique sounds, it is not in any way foolproof. The trouble is that if a leak occurs in the future, fixing it will be more difficult since heat can no longer be applied. But if you prefer trenchless slab leak repairs anyway, you can alternatively go for pipe bursting. This involved inserting a new pipe into the old ones while splitting or destroying the old one.
The Bottom Line
Overall, it is apparent that the pipes that are found deep within your slab foundation can also leak. Unfortunately, these leaks are more difficult to fix since detecting and accessing them is not easy at all. The good news is that by working with a professional blab leak repair expert, you can have access to several effective solutions that have been found effective in fixing such complex leaks. If you are looking for a professional slab leak expert in or around Mansfield, TX, Slableak.com is an excellent company to consider. We have been repairing slab leaks for many years, and we understand what needs to be done to fix slab leaks in any given situation at the minimum cost possible. Besides, we have a team of highly dedicated slab leak repair experts who will listen to your concerns, assess the situation at hand, and offer the most efficient and convenient solution. Feel free to contact Slableak.com today for more information about our company and the services we offer in Mansfield, TX.