Everything You Need To Know About Slab Leak Detection | Mansfield, TX
Leaks can appear unexpectedly, no matter how careful you are, and while most of the time they appear in places where they can be easily detected and repaired, sometimes they don’t, such as under your Mansfield, TX home’s concrete slab foundation. When this happens, the leak can be hard to detect, and even harder to repair. Slab leaks can creep up on you unexpectedly, so slowly, it can take years before you even see the signs of trouble, and they can create so much damage that the entire structure of your home is at risk for a collapse.
A slab leak happens when one of the pipes under your home’s concrete slab starts leaking. The water seeping from this leak can cause the ground under your home to start eroding. Even worse, if the leak goes undetected for some time, the foundation of your Mansfield, TX home can start buckling, which will lead to cracks in your floors and walls, and eventually to collapse, resulting in the total loss of your house.
Because of this, early slab leak detection is possibly the best way to ensure the safety of your home’s structure and its underlying foundation. But, how can you implement leak detection strategies when the leak isn’t readily apparent? Let’s take a look at some of the signs that would indicate you have a slab leak.
Early Warning Signs
There are several things you should look out for to determine whether you are going to need slab leak detection for your home. Here are the most important, and noticeable ones:
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An increase in your monthly water bill
If you notice either a gradual or a sudden increase in your home’s water bill, even though your family isn’t using more water than usual, you should start considering there might be a leak somewhere. In this case, you can perform a cursory inspection of the most common areas for this problem, including your toilets, under the sinks, your outdoor hoses, and any other water fixture in your home. If the problem continues and you can’t detect the source, your best bet will be to call a reputable plumber to assist you with professional slab leak detection.
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Parts of your floor feel warm to the touch
If you suddenly start noticing that part of your floor feels warm to the touch, you should start suspecting not only that you have a slab leak, but that its source can be found in your home’s hot water pipes. The problem with slab leaks is that once they are advanced enough, the water leaking from the pipes will find its way through small cracks in the slab, which means that you might be unaware of the problem until your flooring starts showing signs of water damage.
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Your floor looks warped or raised
Once a slab leak has been going on for some time, it might start damaging your floor, and you may notice it looks raised or warped in some places. The formation of a raised “dome” is usually a sure sign of a large problem under your home’s foundation. Because of the severity of the damage that might have already occurred, your best bet will be to call a professional immediately for help with slab leak detection and repair.
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You notice your entire home seems to have been raised
When a slab leak is severe enough, it can cause your home’s foundation to swell, raising your entire home a few inches off the ground. This can be readily apparent in your yard, where the foundation will become visible above the soil. At this point, any shift in the foundation due to the erosion beneath it can cause the entire structure to collapse so it is critical you get expert slab leak detection and repair right away before you lose your home and everything in it.
How the Pros Get It Done
Slab leaks are dangerous and can lead to very expensive repairs and the loss of your home. They can also put your family’s well-being in peril’s way, which is why requesting professional slab leak detection is critical as soon as you start suspecting there might be a problem.
In many cases, when the exact location of the slab leak is not obvious, a professional slab leak detection service will use specialized equipment to facilitate and speed up the process. The faster you find the location of the leak, the faster you can have it repaired, and the less damage you will sustain.
A professional slab leak detection service will find a slab leak by draining all of your home’s water pipes and filling them with air in order to use highly sensitive sound equipment to find the location of the leak or leaks.
Repairing a slab leak can also be complicated and in many cases will require drilling through your home’s concrete slab. There are other options available, such as digging a tunnel under the slab to reach the leak or rerouting your pipes above ground. The method applied to your home’s slab leak will depend on the exact location and depth of the leak.
Many people ask whether slab leak detection is covered by their homeowner’s insurance policy, but sadly, in most cases, it isn’t. This is one of the main reasons why early detection is so important. By finding the leak early, the amount of damage is reduced, and the cost of repairs will not be as high as when the problem has been going on for a very long time.
If you suspect your Mansfield, TX home is being affected by a slab leak, you are going to need professional help right away to minimize the damage it could cause. At SlabLeak.com we are always willing and happy to help you avert any catastrophic damage to your home, so, if you see signs of a problem, don’t hesitate to pick up your phone and give us a call today!