Why You Should Trust Us
HOMR wanted answers and advice on dealing with a potential cracked or leaky foundation slab — before major repairs are needed. We spoke to Rodrigo Duenas, foundation expert and owner of FCS Foundation and Concrete Services in Dallas. Rodrigo provided valuable insight on 5 key foundation leak issues:
- The potential damage caused by foundation slab leaks
- The 4 telltale signs you have a slab leak
- The best professional to help fix your slab leak
- The true current cost of slab leak repair
- The truth about homeowner’s insurance and slab leak cost
Ignore That Leaky Concrete Slab At Your Own Peril
Most people think of slab leaks as slow dripping water that creates a foundation crack over the course of several years. That’s true — but only in the best case scenario.
“Slab leaks can be caused by sewer water or freshwater,” Rodrigo explained to us. “A cold water sewer leak is a drainage system problem. Those cause the foundation to settle because it’s very slow drainage.”
Settling causes multiple structural integrity issues, from uneven flooring to drywall cracks. And this is the better slab leak scenario?
“The problem with a freshwater leak — it’s pressurized water,” Rodrigo continued. “The ground absorbs so much water that it starts expanding like a sponge, and it pushes the foundation up.”
When your foundation heaves, there’s nothing to do but wait for the ground to dry out. And that will take awhile — fresh water pressure leaks often cause entire lots to flood in a matter of minutes.
In the meantime, you’re stuck with a flooded basement or first floor of your home, cracked walls, an expanded foundation and the potential for your entire home to shift.
A foundation slab leak presents a host of long-term health hazards, even if it doesn’t harm your home’s structure. These health risks include:
- Mold growth in your basement and subfloor
- Mildew under your tiles, in your grout and concrete walls
- Standing water damage in your basement, crawl space and subfloor attracts pests
- Hot water leaks (if fresh water) can cause severe burns and scalding
The 4 Telltale Signs Your Foundation Has a Slab Issue
There are a few warning signs to help spot a leaky slab before it causes real damage to your home. If you find yourself saying any of the following 4 things, call a master plumber immediately to check for a potential leak.
1. “Why is my water bill insanely high lately?”
If your water bill skyrockets and your water usage habits haven’t changed, you probably have a leaky pipe. Make sure to address this quickly to keep the damage away from your foundation.
2. “I hear something running but I can’t find it anywhere.”
That dripping sound might be coming from under your house. If you hear a faucet running but never find the source of the sound, there may be a leak underground.
3. “Why is that corner of the yard always soggy?”
“If there’s that one area on your property that’s always wet, no matter what — that’s a warning sign,” Rodrigo told us. A soggy patch of your yard isn’t always just an area with poor drainage. It’s often an indicator of a slab leak.
4. “Honey, is it just me or is that one floor tile really hot?”
If you walk around your house without shoes and feel a hot spot under one of your tiles, that’s a clear indicator of a pressurized hot water leak in your pipes. Call a master plumber immediately before you experience a major flood or someone in your home gets burned.
HOMR TIP: When gutters drain too close to your home’s foundation, it leads to slab leaks and cracks. Read HOMR’s official guide to gutter installation to learn how the experts avoid this issue.
Why Fixing a Slab Leak With a Master Plumber Is The Best Option
You noticed a warning sign and think there's a leaking pipe near your foundation. Now, your best choice for professional slab leak detection is to call a master plumber.
Master plumber is the highest certification a professional plumber can achieve. It takes 7 to 10 years of training, multiple professional references and several years of on-the-job experience. The level of trust and credibility a master plumber brings to a water leak detection project is unmatched.
“If you want the job done right, and you want insurance to cover your claim, you need a master plumber,” Rodrigo stated.
Once you've hired a master plumber to handle your water leak repair, the following 4 steps should occur:
- Conduct pressure and hydrostatic tests to determine the source and type of your plumbing leak
- Decide between tunneling, rerouting pipes or breaking your slab to access and repair the damaged pipe leak
- Call a foundation repair company to assess potential concrete foundation damage
- Obtain a bid for the plumbing repair cost
Run These 2 Tests to Discover Your Plumbing Leak Source
A master plumber should conduct 2 tests as the first steps in detecting slab leaks.
First, run a pressure test to gauge the psi level on a house bib or faucet outside your home. Your plumber looks at the meter to judge if your water pressure is at a proper level. If not, you're dealing with a freshwater plumbing leak.
Next, run a hydrostatic test. Your plumber will block off the drainage and city exit of your sewer water pipe system. The rest of the pipe is filled with water — the level shouldn't go up or down unless there's a leak. This is a pass/fail style test, and a failure means you're dealing with a sewer leak.
TLDR: A pressure test detects freshwater leaks, and a hydrostatic test detects sewer water leaks.
How Will You Access The Leak to Repair It?
Next, your master plumber determines the exact location of your plumbing leak.
Freshwater Leak Detection
If you have a freshwater leak, your master plumber will use sound to locate a leak in your walls or flooring. You'll hear a “whoosh” sound that resembles constant running water if the leak is within your home structure.
If the leak isn't in your walls or interior pipe system, a foundation repair company should be called to bring in more intricate slab leak detection equipment.
Sewer Water Leak Detection
A master plumber will snake a small camera (or series of cameras) through your sewer line. The source of your issue — usually pinhole leaks or a corroded cast iron or copper pipe — should be visible.
If the leak can't be located with a camera, a foundation company should be called to price out how to detect a leak under a slab.
Slab Leak Repair Access Options
There are 3 main methods to access and resolve a slab leak:
- Tunneling. “Most homeowners choose to tunnel in to repair underground leaks and slab leaks," Rodrigo explained. “That way you don't tear up your floorboards or put big holes in your basement.”
- Rerouting Pipes. You may want to re-route your pipes and plumbing lines to resolve the leak and avoid future water damage. New pipes are installed while the old pipes are still operational, so you won't lose access to water in your home during the installation. The downside to this option is you'll be opening up your walls or flooring to do the work.
- Slab Breaking. The most costly and invasive option, breaking your slab to resolve the leak is a worst-case option. So why choose an incredibly disruptive to your home structure? Sometimes, it’s the most direct path to the leak. If time is of the essence, breaking your slab is much quicker than tunneling around it.
Ask your master plumber for the most efficient way to reach and remediate your leak. Try not to go through your flooring or home's structure unless the price of tunneling is too unreasonable — there's no need to disturb your home life any more than the leak already has.
Now, Hire Your Foundation Inspection and Repair Experts
The master plumber's series of tests and recommendations directly inform how a foundation repair company will address your concrete slab leak. Wait until you have the plumbing reports and recommendations to call your foundation experts — it'll make their work simpler and faster, which saves you money.
Need a foundation repair pro ASAP? One message gets you a free project quote.
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