If you’ve noticed cracking in your floor or concrete, it can definitely be a cause for concern. While some normal cracking around your home is fairly standard, it’s important to understand what constitutes a dangerous crack and what is par for the course.

Once you’ve established this, you can determine if you crack is coming from general wear and tear, or if it is indicative of a deeper problem, such as a leak in your plumbing system.

Different Kinds of Floor Cracks

Poor Construction Practices

If work was done quickly and not safely, poor choices made during the construction phase can result in concrete cracking. This can be attributed to poor preparation, mixing, or even just bad design. When this is an issue, you should have a contractor review your foundation to ensure you don’t have any problems that can get worse over time.

Physical Cracks

There are a variety of physical forces that can affect your concrete and floors. These are generally due to one of four factors:

Soil Shrinkage

Dry ground can cause shrinking, thus lessening the support for the foundation.

Soil Expansion

When soil is full of groundwater it can expand, putting pressure on the concrete and leading to cracks.

Temperature Expansion

As the ground freezes and thaws, soil can expand and contract. This “heaving” can lead to cracks in floors and foundations.

When Should You Worry?

These cracks are generally small and more cosmetic than anything, but what happens when a crack is a little more severe? Then you might have a slab leak on your hands.

What is a Slab Leak?

A slab leak is a leak in your plumbing system that happens below the surface, underground or concrete. Naturally, a cracking floor is one of the signs that you may have a slab leak, but with so many different causes of cracks, how do you know if it could be a slab leak?

Several other warning signs of a slab leak may include:

• Warm spots on the floor
• Higher Water Bills
• Moldy Carpets or Smells
• Drop in Water Pressure

If you suspect a slab leak, or even if you just have a crack in your floor you are worried about, it would be beneficial to call in a professional leak locator to ensure there isn’t a severe problem.

Florida LeakHero uses their state-of-the-art leak detection technology to determine the location of the leak and get your problem solved as soon as possible.

If you believe you have a leak, contact Florida LeakHero for all of your leak detection needs.