Photo: Tim Douglas

How is plumbing run in a slab home?

During the plumbing slab construction, the pipes are buried in gravel or sand beneath the slab and are (obviously) difficult to access. The plumbing through slab isn't easy to reconfigure once placed. Modern homes are more likely to have a moisture barrier that protects a concrete slab.

johncflood.com - Plumbing in Concrete Slab Foundation Homes | John C. Flood

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Wet spots underfoot? Weeping cracks in your foundation? An unexpected jump in your water bill? These can be signs of a plumbing leak. If you have a slab foundation home, you may have serious trouble. Plumbing problems can be difficult to solve when your plumbing runs beneath your home’s concrete slab foundation. Cutting through concrete, as you may imagine, adds significant time and cost to a job. Although slab plumbing can be a challenge, there are simpler ways of repairing slab foundation plumbing problems besides blasting through the concrete base of your home.

What Is A Concrete Slab Foundation?

A concrete slab foundation is constructed by pouring concrete — a mixture of gravel or broken stone, sand, cement and water — within a mold to cure. Homes with this a concrete slab foundation rest atop this rock-solid block. There is no crawlspace or basement beneath, which means the plumbing is under the slab foundation. Concrete slab foundations that encase the home's plumbing lines, also called under slab plumbing, could have pipes made of copper, cast iron, or galvanized steel and these materials are prone to decay over time. These pipes may wear down and start to leak. During the plumbing slab construction, the pipes are buried in gravel or sand beneath the slab and are (obviously) difficult to access. The plumbing through slab isn't easy to reconfigure once placed. Modern homes are more likely to have a moisture barrier that protects a concrete slab. Many municipalities began to require them because a wet concrete slab foundation is unable to dry itself (your home covers the surface through which the moisture would normally evaporate) and will eventually fail. It's likely that your home does not have a moisture barrier if it was built prior to the 1980s.

Symptoms of Slab Foundation Plumbing Problems

What are some of the red flags indicating a leak in a pipe beneath your concrete slab foundation?

Water spots on your floor

Soft spots on your floor

Spots of hot or cold temperature on your floor

A sudden, unexpected increase in water bills

Low water pressure

Foul odors

Visible foundation damage

Pooling water or depressions in your yard

Cracks in the walls of your home

A broken pipe under the slab can cause wet spots on your floor because concrete is a porous material. You may have a problem with the pipes in your concrete slab foundation if you’re walking around your home and find your socks suddenly wet from some mysterious moisture. Foul odors can result from mold growth or a breach in the sewer line and landscape damage may occur as water seeps under your yard. Cracks in your walls indicate a foundation shift that could also be the result of a leak from the plumbing under the slab foundation.

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Find a plumber specializing in slab foundation plumbing who can use leak detection devices to discover the location of the break. Pay attention! Ignoring the signs of a leak or broken pipe under the slab can lead to additional (and almost certainly expensive) foundation repairs. Water seeping through your foundation can create mold and mildew under your carpet or other floor coverings while attracting pests. Your nice home can be compromised quickly.

Piping Problems For Concrete Slab Foundations

If you do have pipes under your concrete slab foundation, these common conditions may put them at risk for damage: Age, or the presence of old pipes made of copper, cast iron or galvanized steel

Penetration from tree roots

Shifting within your foundation, or shifting ground around the foundation itself

Solving Plumbing Problems in a Concrete Slab Foundation

If your home's plumbing is submerged beneath a concrete slab foundation, one of the best ways to avoid dealing with the problem twice is by rerouting your piping around the slab. Again, accessing pipes and repairing plumbing in a concrete slab foundation can make for a complex, messy, and time-consuming project that involves a jackhammer, a concrete saw, or at least drilling holes in your foundation. The project can be done — just expect to pay for the labor. A professional plumber can isolate the leaky area and reposition your pipes in a more accessible location behind your home’s walls or ceilings if you decide to reroute your pipes. You have some options, like trenchless repair, when your leak is beneath your yard.

Do You Need A Plumber To Repair Pipe Problems?

Suspect you have a leaky pipe hiding in your concrete slab foundation? Call a licensed plumbing expert right away to handle the slab plumbing issue. John C. Flood can help determine the source of your leak and repair plumbing problems in the foundation of your home in the metro D.C. area, including the District, Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Schedule service online now or call us!

johncflood.com - Plumbing in Concrete Slab Foundation Homes | John C. Flood

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