If you can find the cause of a slab leak in time, you can prevent and even reverse damage to your concrete foundation or the basement. An expert plumber Carlsbad and professional service has all the expertise, tools, and resources for this kind of professional work and fixing. However, you can also conduct some minor repairs and work if you have the right tools for it and possess adequate knowledge on the subject.
Detecting A Slab Leak
As stated, it is important to detect the slab leak in time to prevent extensive damage. It cannot always be easily identified through visuals and some tools may be required.
However, some of the signs of a slab leak include:
- Sloppy flooring/baseboards.
- Reduced pressure of water.
- Warm spots on your floor, the origins of which cannot be determined.
- Sound of running water coming from unexplained sources.
- An abnormal increase in the water bills, the cause of which may not be determined.
Tips For Fixing Slab Leaks
Typically, a slab leak will occur within the concrete structure. Therefore, appropriate materials should be used for any repair or fixing. Below are the tips that you can use for fixing slab leaks. However, the expert Carlsbad plumber services can also help you in this regard.
Assessing The Damaged Areas Of The Pipes
Repairs for the slab leaks and the damaged pipes can be done in multiple ways. One way is to repair the pipe at the very spot of the damage. The alternative method is to re-route the pipe so that it has a new path and goes around the concrete structure. Re-routing will also take care of any such problems that may occur in the future.
To assess the damaged areas of the pipe and repair them directly, you need to tunnel yourself or penetrate the concrete above. It may not always be accurate to dig a tunnel beneath the concrete. Also, you may not be able to repair it correctly as you cannot directly see the damaged area. However, you can also reach the slab from the ground above. This way you will be able to see the damaged area directly and can repair it with much more efficiency. However, you will have to disrupt and break the concrete to do that.
Destroying Concrete To Reach Pipes
In some homes, the plumbing lines and the pipes are encased within concrete structures. In such a scenario, the pipe can be assessed only by destroying the concrete slab. It may be a more time-taking and costly procedure when compared to re-routing the pipe.
While damaging concrete is the shortest way to assess a damaged and leaking slab, the procedure is used as a last resort. As stated, it is expensive and disruptive. The concrete in the structure of a home or building is one of its most important structural components. It is installed based on the depth and the type of soil. Some concrete structures can be so important to a foundation and a building/home that they should never be cut or damaged. A professional service for plumbing in Carlsbad will destroy the concrete for assessing and repairing slabs only when there are no other options available or are not suitable due to any reason. Each home and building may be unique in its structural characteristics. The professional plumbing service providers in Carlsbad will present you with the right options only after carefully evaluating your home/building structure.
Accessing the pipe’s damaged area can be a cumbersome task. It may require some expertise and professional tools and resources. You can search the Google online engine by using the right keywords (such as “plumber near me”) to locate an expert plumbing service provider in Carlsbad. The website of such professional businesses and service providers has all the contact information (including phone numbers). Call the service provider directly to get the service when you find that you are incapable of locating the damage and/or fixing it yourself.
Re-Routing The Water Pipes
During re-routing, the pipe will be run along the concrete and placed under the ground. Because no existing pipe remains functional, there is no leak. The irrelevant system will be sealed after all the pipes running beneath the cement are disconnected completely.
Re-piping can also be done for the entire house in such a scenario. The supply lines for water in a home or building will be rerouted so that they go around the concrete slabs and not beneath them. An expert plumber and service provider will evaluate the condition and will find out the location for installing the new pipes. The pipes can be installed through the closets, attics, and/or within the walls, among other locations and structures. The structure should be able to protect and cover the new pipe routes. Sometimes new features (such as crown molding) can be added through the woodwork.
Fortunately, your water supply will not be stopped even when the new pipes are installed. Water to a home or building continues to run through the older pipes until the new pipelines are fully installed and functional. The homeowners and the occupants of the building are not required to move out of it due to the rerouting of the pipes and the plumbing work. Once the new piping system is functional, the water supply through the old network of pipes is stopped and re-initiated through the rerouted and new pipe network.
Tunneling For The Repairs
Creating a tunnel for plumbing work or for repairing damaged pipes and slab leaks is the work of professionals. A professional tunneling service for plumbing may also be recommended due to the reasons given below.
- The homeowners and the building occupants can stay inside the structure while the repair work is carried out.
- The home never gets messy as everything needed for repair stays out of the house.
- In many scenarios, creating a tunnel for repairs is a more cost-effective and economic option.
Homeowners usually prefer tunneling for repairing slab leaks and other kinds of piping works when they have put lots of money into the home’s flooring. During tunneling, some parts and areas of the floor will be destroyed when the professionals break inside the concrete slab from the ground above. The areas used may include a room or two, which are destroyed for tunneling purposes during slab or piping repair.
Many of the expert plumbing service providers may have all the tools, expertise, and resources to create tunnels of their own for the repair of the foundational work. In some scenarios, the expert services of the engineers may also be utilized. The digging work is carried out under the supervision of the engineers. These professionals are also responsible for certifying the work. Usually, tunnels of suitable width and height are created so that adequate working space can be provided to the plumbers. Creating and digging a tunnel will also cause lots of dirt. All this dirt and soil must be replaced in the requisite areas when the plumbing is complete, and all the repairs and installations have been done.
Trench less Repair With Epoxy Resin
A suitable method for homeowners who do not want any trenches or tunnels to be dug to repair their pipes is CIPP (Cured In Place pipe). The method is also called as pipe lining method. Through this method, the professionals can gain access to the damaged area of the pipe with the least digging and without creating any trenches.
Moisture can result in fissures and cracks in the slab. The damage occurs due to the entrapment of excessive moisture. An epoxy resin can bind itself to such areas, harden after some time, and fill the fissures. It will also ensure that any further spread of the fissure is prevented. However, you need to identify such spots and damaged areas carefully.
In this method, epoxy resin is applied to the broken pile (within its inside section). The method is used commonly for repairing pipes with holes or those that have been corroded over a period. The epoxy resin method is also suitable for fixing pipes that have cracked with a known or no apparent cause. During the application, all the buildup and debris are removed by using a cutting tool. The pipeline is also rinsed for effective cleaning. Subsequently, an inflatable tube and the liner (with the epoxy coating) are placed inside the pipe. When air pressure is built up, the liner will press against the pipes inside the walls. This will ensure that the resin is applied fully to the fissures or the cracked areas of the pipe. In some time, the resin will dry fully, and a new pipe section will replace the older damaged pipe.
Conclusion
Some of the repairs related to slab leaks can be done by yourself. However, if you are short on tools and resources or do not have enough knowledge of the work, you can always reach out to expert plumber services in Carlsbad. You can also talk to them to know more about the cost and benefits involved and get some free tips and advice directly from the professionals. Re-routing Piping structures, tunneling, use of epoxy resins, or even destroying the concrete above the pipes and the slabs are some of the measures utilized for fixing slabs. Such measures can take care of any major issue affecting the piping network of a home or building. Only the experts can find out the most suitable methods of fixing slab leaks.