What Causes a Slab Leak?

A slab leak can cause all kinds of serious problems for a homeowner, the worst case scenario being serious damage to the foundation. When this happens the cost of fixing the problem can be huge. It is therefore a good idea to understand both the symptoms of a slab leak and what causes them so that any problems can be dealt with quickly before they become very expensive.

The cause of a slab leak is water coming from leaky pipes. In order to get water into your house it is necessary for the pipes to run underneath and then into the foundation. Over the years these pipes will start to corrode, particularly if you have old copper pipes for you water supply. Once the pipes start to corrode it is just a matter of time before they start to leak.

While it may not seem like a leaky pipe can do enormous damage to a concrete slab. The water works its way into the cracks and crevices in the slab and will eventually damage it. This is especially true if you live in an area that gets cold during the winter, water that freezes and then thaws is particularly damaging.

If your slab leak is not addressed fairly quickly things are only going to get worse. Eventually the concrete will reach the point where it cannot hold any more water, when this happens the water will start to work its way up into the floors and walls of your house. If this goes on for any length of time you will likely find that you have mold in your walls as well as drywall is an ideal breeding ground for mold.

Unfortunately in most cases people do not realize that they have a slab leak until they reach the point where the damage starts to become visible on the floors and walls of their house. At this point the damage is extensive and will be costly to repair. If you suspect that there is something wrong with your plumbing such as higher than expected water bills or the sound or running water when the taps are turned off it is a good idea to call a leak detection specialist.

Leak detection specialists use high tech equipment to allow them to pinpoint the location of any leaks without having to put a hole in your slab. This will allow you to determine if there is a problem before it gets serious and costly to repair.

Slab Leak Repair Cost

There is no getting around the fact that it costs a considerable amount of money to fix a slab leak. That being said, if you put off making the repair the cost will go up dramatically so it is important to make sure that you spend the money to fix the problem right away.

Estimating the cost of fixing a slab leak can be tricky because there are a lot of factors involved. The cost can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars into the tens of thousands. The difference in cost is largely determined by how serious the damage is.

The first step is detecting the leak, this can cost anywhere from one hundred to five hundred dollars. In some cases this will be included in the cost of the repair but most of the time the contractor doing the repair will hire a specialist in leak detection and will pass the cost on to you.

If you are lucky and the repair is a quick and simple one it will cost anywhere between $500 and $1000. In this case the repair is just a matter of jack hammering a small part of the slab, repairing the pipe and patching the concrete back up.

It may well be that when the contractor gets a look at the pipes he may find that they are deteriorating and need to be replaced. This will generally run between $1000 and $3000 depending on the length of pipe that needs to be replaced.

If your entire plumbing system is starting to deteriorate it may be necessary to replace the whole thing to make sure that there will not be any more slab leaks in the future. If this is the case it will cost anywhere from $5000 to $15 000.

The worst case scenario when it comes to slab leaks is if you have a leak that has been ignored for a considerable length of time. In this case not only will you need to spend the money to fix that pipes listed above but you will also need to fix the foundation and in many cases the floors and the wall of your house. In this case the costs will run into the tens of thousands of dollars. This is why it is important to make sure that if you see signs of a slab leak that you address them immediately.

How to Tell if you Have a Slab Leak

A slab leak is a major problem for home owners, particularly if they are not dealt with quickly. Over time the damage will spread and the cost of fixing it will be enormous. That being the case it is important that you know how to recognize the signs that you may have a slab leak.

The biggest warning sign that you may have a slab leak is if you have wet carpets for no apparent reason. This is the result of the concrete becoming completely saturated and leaving the water nowhere else to go. Alternatively if your floors are wood or vinyl you may notice that they have started to warp. In either case if you reach this point you almost certainly have a serious slab leak and the damage is already extensive, you need to call somebody to come out and fix the damage immediately before it gets any worse.

If the leak is serious enough you may well start to smell the problem, if you have a damp smell or worse you smell mold there is a pretty good chance that your slab is leaking. This is because the water has started to climb up the walls of your house. Drywall is an excellent breeding ground for mold so if you get to this point you will likely need somebody to clean up the mold in addition to stopping the leak.

Mushy patches of grass or flooding in your yard is another warning sign that you may have a slab leak. The leak does not necessarily have to be under your house, a broken pipe under your yard can send water flowing towards your house where it may damage the slab.

The worst sign of a slab leak is damage to your foundation. Once the water gets into the slab it can cause it to crack or shift, clearly once this happens you have a major problem and it needs to be addressed right away. If you start to notice bumps in your floors or cracks in you walls you have a foundation problem.

Clearly a slab leak can do a lot of damage if it is left untreated. It is therefore important that if you notice any of the symptoms above that you call a leak repair specialist immediately, before things get any worse.