Slab leaks are a fact of life in places where soils are unstable. Mansfield, TX just happens to be one of those areas. Technically, a slab leak is when a house is constructed on a slab of concrete or built by beams and piers and the walls in the basement begin to fracture from the pressure of the shifting earth. A slab leak repair is never a welcome expense, but Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth will efficiently and affordably fix the issue.
Why’s It Built That Way?
After WWII, slab construction became popular because it was quicker and much less expensive, and Mansfield, TX needed new houses fast. A rebar-reinforced, thick, concrete slab is poured directly on top of pipes laying beneath the slab, where they’re hard to perform a slab leak repair.
If the plumbing cracks or the plumbing joints leak underneath the concrete slab, then you have a major problem, a slab leak, and you’re going to want a slab leak repair company that specializes in fixing them, not an ordinary plumber.
The trouble here is that as water erodes the soil underneath your home, the piers and beams are put under more stress causing them to crack. These cracks can be invisible to the eye or wider than an inch. The cracks act like rivers running into your home and may cause extreme damage.
A slab leak can cause water damage to floors, walls, furniture, and basically everything inside your property. A slab leak repair requires a specialist who has the experience and knowledge to get through tons of concrete to protect your Mansfield, TX home.
Plumbing Materials and Create Slab Leaks
Slab leaks happen when the plumbing fails in some way. The culprit could be weakened water lines, chemical reactions, faulty installations, or shifting soil.
A big factor in any slab leak repair is the piping materials that often reflect the time period they were installed. It’s impossible to know what shape your plumbing is in unless you were there when it was built.
Cast Iron Plumbing
Most homes built before the 1960s will have cast iron piping, but after that plastics have replaced them. Cast iron has some advantages over plastics like they tend to make less noise and you don’t hear water move through the house. These cast iron pipes are more durable, and they’re fireproof too. Cast iron tends to stick around a long time.
Cast iron can be corroded by water and minerals in the earth. As a remedy, we cover them in a protective material making them much more efficient and long-lasting than their 20th-century counterparts.
Galvanized Steel
Galvanized steel pipes are also common in older homes. Galvanized steel is durable but vulnerable to corrosion. Steel piping tends to have lots of clogs because the interior coating gets eaten away with time. As a result, rust and mineral buildup and the lines become totally blocked. Plumbing made more than 50 years ago will need to be replaced.
Copper
Copper is regularly used today for pipes, particularly for hot and cold water supply lines. Flexible copper is commonly found as the material of choice for water supply lines to appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers. Copper is strong and corrosion-resistant.
However, copper plumbing comes in variable wall width. The flexibility of copper requires careful installation because the smallest dint can create plumbing issues and may even require a slab leak repair.
Plastic Pipes
Plastic is corrosive-resistant and pliable. You’ll see a lot of them in replacements, connections, and many other implements of plumbing. Plastics are by far the most commonly used materials these days.
Most common types include:
- ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride pipe).
- CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride pipe).
- PEX (cross-linked polyethylene)
The Primary Cause of Slab Leaks
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, 25% of all homes in the United States suffer from $2.3 billion worth of damage in a single year from shifting soil.
A slow slab leak leaks water underneath a property creating more shifting soil and the pressure has to be released through the slab. The quicker these are detected the better. Slab leak repair should be attended to with an urgency.
Do You Have a Slab Leak?
Expandable soils, expansive clays, or shrink-swell soils It’s not common knowledge about what type of moving ground is messing with the plumbing. Some slab leaks are slow and can get worse over time without being noticed.
A few red flags that may tip you off:
- Unexpectedly expensive water bills
- Water sounds like it is running even though all the taps are shut
- A crack in the foundation
- Discolored or wet floors/ coverings
- Unpleasant smells emitting from floors or walls
- An uneven lawn
- Soil has clearly shifted
Any of these suspects should cause a little alarm, but don’t panic. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth is the best in the industry when it comes to dealing with plumbing embedded in concrete. A slab leak repair doesn’t need to be traumatizing. We can get it done affordably and fast.
The Most Important Factor Is Who You Trust
It doesn’t matter when plumbing was installed, what type of soil moved, or what the pipes are made of, if you’ve got a slab leak and need a slab leak repair, then the most important factor is to find a trustworthy expert like Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth.
There are plenty of great plumbers in our part of the great state of Texas, but Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth is the industry leader when it comes to tackling these big jobs. Let us walk you through each part of the process and provide clear and transparent pricing. We’ve chosen our team from the cream of the crop, and they know how to get the job done fast. We’ll be honest with you about how long the repair will take and prepare you for the disruption to your daily life. In a time like this, you need reliable services that you trust to do it well. Get in touch with Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth today!
Check our previous blog about this topic here.