Water outside of your home can come from a lot of sources, but if you start noticing water coming from the concrete around your home it might be the sign of a deeper problem. If you’ve noticed suspicious water on your sidewalk or entryway that shouldn’t be there, you may have a slab leak.

What Is A Slab Leak?

At the most basic level, a slab leak is basically caused when a pipe under the concrete slab of your home develops a leak. This is a much more difficult problem to address than a leak where the source of the issue is above the surface.

What Causes A Slab Leak?

There are a variety of causes of a slab leak on your property. For instance, you might find it is due to a ground shift. In a case like this, the weight of the home impacts the slab foundation as well as the earth it was built on. This causes a ground shift and a significant shift here can also cause pressure on your water pipes. This can lead to cracking and potential leaks. You might also find a similar effect is caused by a natural disaster like an earthquake. The difference? While one takes years, the other occurs in minutes.

It’s also possible that you have faulty wrapping. Through normal use, water pipes will both expand and contract. Without the right wrapping, these pipes rub against the concrete causing wear and tear.

Alternatively, it is possible that the pipes were damaged at the very beginning when the concrete slab is put in place. It can take years to see the signs of this. Even a chemical reaction between the copper pipes and the minerals in the ground could be the cause of the leak

What Are The Issues Here?

Similar to any leak in your property, the damage caused here can be extensive and the repairs can cost you a fortune. It can also lead to damage that impacts the structure and safety of your home as well as driving up water bills.

Signs Of A Slab Leak?

There are various different signs of a slab leak. Be aware that usually, a slab leak will go unnoticed until it starts causing serious issues like foundation damage. Damage to the foundations will be displayed by bumps and jolts up in the floor. If you’re lucky, you might notice the issue in your yard first before it starts causing problems with the interior of your home.

If it does start to impact your home, you should watch out for damp carpet and flooring that has warped. Eventually, the build-up of water will start to be absorbed by the concrete slab and this is when interior problems start to develop. You might notice that your carpet is wet or if it’s the underside of the carpet, it could start to smell. Mold is also likely to begin to show up in and around your home. You might even find that the slab leak has impacted the sewer line resulting in a terrible stench.

Contact the Leak Detection Heroes at Florida LeakHero

You might think that you can complete your own research and make the fix yourself, but when it comes to leaks time is of the essence. Professional leak locators, like the team at Florida LeakHero, have highly specialized equipment designed to detect leaks even when they can’t easily be seen. If the problem is not addressed quickly, it can cost you a fortune in property damage, if you suspect a slab leak call Florida LeakHero today.

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

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