Consequences of Untreated slab leaks in your home
The majority of homes in Mission Viejo are built on concrete slabs. There are two reasons behind it. Firstly, the soil in most parts of California is clay-like and unstable. So, the soil is not suitable for the foundation. Secondly, slab is better than soil as it reduces so many structural risks. But there is also a potential risk of slab leaks. This is a common problem but people do not have sufficient knowledge regarding slab leaks, their causes, effects, detection, repair and restoration. Hence, slab leaks go untreated and it causes several damages in the home.
In this article, we will discuss the consequences of untreated slab leaks in your home. Keep reading.
Let us start.
What Are Slab Leaks?
You know that water lines run within the concrete floors in your home. Sometimes there is wear and tear in the pipelines because of foundation shifting, hard water, high water pressure and more. This, in turn, causes leaks in the waterline.
Slab leaks occur when one or more pipes leak that run below the foundation of your home.
Earlier, most experts used to think that soldering flux, contact with concrete, non-reamed pipe, and terrible installation practices cause slab leaks. Now we know that pipe leaks cause slab leaks.
Symptoms Of Slab Leaks:- Before treating your slab leaks you need to identify the slab leaks in your home. So, let us try to understand a few of the symptoms of slab leaks.
- High water bills:- The easiest way to detect your slab leaks is to check your water bills. If your water bills go up suddenly over some time. If you can not detect the leak then check the pipelines to detect potential leaks.
- Water Spots:- You can easily defect your slab leaks by looking for any water spots or damp areas on your floors. Leakage in the hot water line cages this. You can feel the water spots when you walk barefoot on the floor.
- Swelling:- It is hard to detect your leaks when your sewer lines leak. Sewer line leaks don’t usually cause visible signs of damage to the foundation. But this may affect the expansive soil. This can cause your slab to swell. So, you can look at the floors that are bulging.
- Sounds:- There are several specialized listening devices to detect slab leaks. If you cannot detect the slab leaks by water spots or swelling, you can use these devices. You can call a plumber to help you in this process. The plumber will turn off the water. Then, he will pump air into the lines to detect the remaining water.
- Mould or Mildew Smell:- Slab leaks cause mould and mildew on the floors of your house. So, you can detect the slab leaks if you get any mould or mildew smell.
Detecting slab leaks is not easy at the initial stage. Slab leaks take time to show the symptoms. But remember, you can recognize the leaks without dismantling your property. There are a lot of effective scientific methods and technology to detect slab leaks. Such modern machines are electromagnetic pipeline locators and electronic amplification equipment. If necessary, you can remove a single tile. You can fix that after detecting the leak.
Dangers Of Untreated Slab Leaks In Your Home:- In most situations, slab leaks can cause severe damages if they go untreated. So we have discussed the immediate and long term effects of slab leaks in your home.
Immediate Consequences:-
- Odor:- Water leakage from the pipelines causes slab leaks. So, when you cannot detect the slab leaks, one of the first signs of damage is the smell. Before growing the mould, this smell creates an unpleasant situation. It creates nausea and headaches.
- Erosion:- Slab leaks create erosion both from underneath the home and all around it. When the water stays long under the foundation of your home, it will remove the dirt and sand below. This can damage the foundation severely.
- Yard Damage:- As the water erodes and moves, the landscape around your home will start to change. You can see the change in ground levels and other areas like flower beds and vegetable gardens.
- Damaged Flooring:- If the water stays long under the foundation, it soaks through the foundation and begins to damage the floor. You have to detect through the signs. Otherwise, the floor will start to change in colour.
- Cost:- It is frustrating to detect and fix a slab leak in the short run. You have to bear some loss. But, it is nothing compared to the cost of repairing long term damage of slab leaks.
Long-term Consequences:-
- Damaged Drywall:- If any action has not been taken initially, the water will seep and meet your drywall eventually. It can damage your drywall severely. You may have to replace the wall in the future. It can fall anytime. So, be aware of this damage.
- Mould:- Another long term effect of a slab leak is the growth of mould. If you do not fix it quickly, the water sitting below the floor can create mould in the lower areas of your ground and walls. Moulds will affect your health.
- Health Issues:- Prolonged exposure to mould can create health issues among your family members along with damaging the health of your home. Mould creates Allergies, asthma, and chronic illnesses.
- Damaged Foundation:- All the short term and long term damage of slab leaks lead to foundational damage. You have to take help from professionals. Otherwise, it can damage your home entirely.
- Cost:- The cost of long term damage of slab leaks can cause you severe financial loss. You may become hopeless.
Detecting slab leaks in your home can be very challenging. You have to take help from professionals. You will be glad to know that we have a team of dedicated team members. We provide slab leak repair services in Mission Viejo and other Oceanside areas. We have listed down the process of repairing your slab leaks.
- Spot repair:- We will open the slab at the exact place. Then, we will fix the leaking pipe. This option is very cost-effective and favourable for newer constructions.
- Reroute or Repipe:- If the damage in the pipeline is severe, we will replace the pipe with a new one. Replacing the pipe is the best option in case you have an annoying leaking history in your home. Sometimes, creating another route for pipelines is necessary. So, we will reroute your pipelines.
- Epoxy pipe coating:- Homeowners prefer this option. We will apply a coat through the inside of the pipe to prevent leakage. The process is suitable in case your pipelines have small leaks in different places.
The cost will vary depending on the severity of the problem and the method used to fix the problem. Our expert team also provides emergency home solutions to provide you with the best repairing service in Mission Viejo. We care about our clients. So, we strive to reach out to them even after the repair service to check whether the problem was permanently fixed.
Conclusion:- In short, a slab leak can cause several damages if left alone. So, better take help from professionals. Experts will ensure that your problem is fixed quickly.