A slab leak is where water from the ground or plumbing system leaks to the outside of a building through the foundation. The water may be coming up at an opening in the floor or traveling into an interior wall, ceiling, or basement. They are most commonly associated with older, homes that have their plumbing pipes laid directly on top of a concrete slabs for part of their run outside.
Slab leaks can cause thousands and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars in structural damage as well as health hazards if left untreated for long periods. Various types of damage can result from the leak, including: rot, mold, chemical burns, and structural collapse.
The first step in identifying a slab leak is to make sure the water underneath the floor or in an interior wall is leaking. To do this you can place a bucket onto one side of the building and note any water that leaves onto the outside surface of the foundation. The next step is to determine if there are any water leaks on your property by carefully checking each entrance point for leaks.
These entrance points include: doors, windows, and utility lines. Try to determine if the wet area is large enough to be a leak or could be from another source. Although it may seem obvious that there is water entering your home from inside the walls or floor, there can sometimes be other sources like rainwater leaks in the roof or condensation.
Once you have identified a slab leak it's important to get a qualified contractor for repairing slab leaks as quickly as possible. Water damage from slab leaks can increase quickly. If the source of the leak cannot be pinpointed quickly, a qualified contractor can help to locate the leak using a variety of tools such as: electronic stud finders, infrared cameras, moisture sensors and listening devices.
It is critical that you call a professional regardless of whether or not you believe it is a very large leak or if you think the damage could be repaired by someone with little experience. The water does not need to be pouring into your home for there to be serious problems. If you wait until the damage has become severe, there is a greater chance that you will have to do the job on your own and the insurance will most likely not cover your expenses.
To ensure that you are getting a qualified contractor, look for the following: local and state contractors licensing boards, National Association of Home Builders-Approved Contractors Program (NAHB-AC), an address that has been inspected by the department of insurance, UID number from National Water Facilities Association, utility licenses.
When a slab leak has been identified, it is important that there be an immediate response. Immediate response is critical due to the fact that water is extremely damaging to a home and it will cause damage over time if there is not immediate action.
As soon as a slab leak is identified the first thing to do is to remove any extra materials such as carpets, window screens, or furniture in the area of the leak until you have done an investigation. Use your judgment as to how much of the area can be evacuated.
Next inspect the entire building for structural damage or for other water sources such as a leaky roof line or condensation and perform necessary repairs. A qualified contractor should be able to give you an idea of how much time it will take to complete the repair as well as give you advice on what type of materials will be needed such as: foam insulation, caulking, gaskets, waterproofing material and/or fiberglass roofing.
Once you have the necessary materials on hand, use them to repair the leak as soon as possible. Using tar or a similar product to seal around a slab leak is not recommended due to the fact that they are easily lifted and may not last long. Many contractors use an expanding foam and then caulking as the first line of defense after taking care of any major damage.
Tackling a slab leak can be a difficult job. Even after you have tried everything you can to repair the leak, sometimes the damage is too extensive and it's necessary to remove part of the floor. If this is the case, it is important that you contact a professional contractor so that they can remove any damaged material and install new waterproofing at an exterior wall joint. Doing this may require cutting two pieces of concrete and welding or bolting them together.
Conclusion:
To prevent leakages in your home, you need to make sure that you hire a professional plumber who can repair the plumbing pipes efficiently. If you do not have one, find one and then direct him to take proper actions to fix the leakages as they occur.
All of these methods above can be applied by any household owner who wants to get rid of slab leaking problems for good. But in order to avoid such problems, a proper installation should be done by a professional plumber.
Author Bio: Karl Brown
Karl, a marketing manager at EZ Leak Detection, loves to write about plumbing and HVAC services to make the life of the reader easier. Leakages in your property can be dangerous but not all the leaks are easily accessible. He has given extensive information about water leak and slab leak and tips to detect them quickly along with quick solutions to prevent you from inconveniences and health hazards.
Leakage problems and malfunction of appliances demand comprehensive solutions. Also, regular maintenance is not the thing to be missed for leading life with zero hassles. Read our recent post related to leakage detection and repair, alerts for HVAC shutdown and how to repair it, and installation of AC and water heater in San Diego.
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