Both of the terms are correct – a slab leak is another name for a foundation leak.
The terms slab leak and foundation leak are used interchangeably in the North Texas housing and insurance industry.
Most homes in North Texas are built on a slab foundation made with rebar. The water line runs below the concrete slab/floor. As many people know, the soil in North Dallas can be unforgiving and shifts a great deal. (Hence, the rebar you see in our foundations.) The clay soil expands and contracts with the temperature changes and with an increase, or lack of, rain. As our foundations settle with age, the likelihood of a pipe leak increases. The leak can be a water line or a sewer line that causes the foundation leak. They can be small, similar to a pin-hole size to start or they can be a larger crack in a sewer line PVC pipe.
Front Yard Tree roots caused a sewer line crack.
What causes a slab leak?
The peculiar nature of the soil in the North Dallas area of Texas can cause foundation shifting.
This is probably the biggest cause of slab leaks in homes located in North Texas. It occurs in all cities, including: Frisco, Little Elm, The Colony, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Prosper, Celina, Addison and surrounding North Texas
- Shifts in the ground can cause the foundation to move or crack and cause small cracks in the pipes.
- Over time, trees planted by builders or unknowingly by homeowners, with invasive roots, will see the roots creep under a foundation. This can damage your slab. These invasive roots can also grow around pipes and crack them – growing, even into the pipes themselves. Large trees planted too close to a house can severely affect a home’s foundation.
- Many homes built prior to 2010, have copper pipes under the foundation. Over time, small pin-hole type leaks can happen.
- Even pressure of ground movement can cause issues. Pipes can bend over time due to ground shifting and pressure. Eventually this can cause a crease type hole.
Key Signs that you have a slab leak (or foundation leak)
- Warm or hot spot on the floor of your home
- Sudden wet spots on the floor that aren’t caused by other plumbing issues
- Cracks on the surface of your floor
- Very low water pressure
- Sound of water running beneath the floor despite the closure of every water source
- Unexplained increase in your water bill
Tunneling under a home in Frisco, Texas.
Common Ways to Fix Slab Leaks
There are many ways to fix slab/foundation leaks in North Texas. The manner that is chosen depends on where the leak is, how much of an issue it is and what is determined to be the most cost-efficient but effective manner for repair. The most common methods used to repair a foundation leak include the following:
External
This is the least invasive method for the home-owner. It involves digging a tunnel under the foundation of the home and replacing the piping from the tunnel under the home.
Sleeve
The sleeve method includes using the current copper piping as a sleeve to slide a new pipe into.
Repairing a sewer drain under a foundation
Reroute
One of the ways to repair a slab leak is to locate the leaking pipe and leave the leaking line under the foundation and reroute a new line through walls and the attic. This also eliminates concern for other areas of the same line leaking under the foundation in the future.
Floor Penetration
This method includes locating the site of the leak and then jack-hammering the concrete slab until you reach the pipe and replacing the pipe.
For North Texas Slab Leaks – Call the Experts
Trident Plumbing has built a reputation in North Texas as your reliable plumbing experts for foundation and slab leak fixes and repairs. With our team of highly-trained plumbing technicians, we can quickly identify the source of a slab leak and repair it without additional stress to our homeowners.
Trident has 2 master plumbers who are experts in Foundation (slab) Leaks – both detection & repairs. If you think there may be a slab leak within the flooring of your home, contact us. Our team uses less invasive techniques to find and repair foundation leaks. Our proven methods will help reduce the damage to your floor and also lower the cost of our services. Our team can get your repair completed quickly and restore your home’s flooring back to normal. We make every effort to locate and repair the issue without tearing up your floors searching for the source of the leak.
Call us today: (972) 900-6660
Read more about foundation shift in North Texas at WFAA: Click Here