Any water leak in your home can become a serious plumbing issue. One potential leak that requires immediate attention is a slab leak. Kentwood Water Restoration provides complete slab leak detection and repair services.

A slab leak happens when the water supply pipes or drainpipes that run through the concrete slab beneath your home break, crack or burst. The leak is not actually in the slab itself, but rather in the pipes encased in or underneath the concrete slab of your home.

Your plumbing could develop a leak under a slab for several reasons. Some of the most common causes are:

  • Wear and tear on pipes due to friction from other nearby pipes, concrete, gravel, etc.

  • Pipe corrosion

  • Improperly installed or poor quality pipes, often due to poor construction

  • High water pressure

  • Shifting or settling slab causes a pipe to break

How do you know if you have a slab leak? There are a number of common signs to look for, which include:

  • The sound of running water when all water is turned off

  • A spinning water meter, even though no water is running inside or outside your home

  • Cracks in your walls or flooring

  • Mildew or noticeable moisture under carpets or flooring

  • The smell of sewage could indicate a break in the sewer or a drain line

  • A recent bug problem due to added ground moisture

  • Higher-than-average water bills

Slab leak detection requires a plumbing expert and a careful, thorough detection process. With  proper equipment and modern tools, Kentwood Water Restoration can find and repair slab leaks with minimal destruction to your property. Slab leak detection services are conducted by trained technicians.

Slab Leak Repair

Once the leak has been detected under the slab, you may have a few repair options. These include:

  • Re-piping – This solution is often used if there are multiple leaks, and is best for putting a permanent stop to those leaks. This option may require some invasive cutting into your floors and concrete slab in order to access the pipe leak and install brand new piping.

  • Pipe re-routing – With this repair, new pipe is run above ground. This option is ideal if only short length of pipe needs to be replaced.

  • Pipe Relining – Depending on the size of the leak, a new liner can be pushed through a broken sewer pipe to cover breaks and seal all leaks. This is trenchless pipe repair technology and only requires access holes on either end of the pipe, as opposed to digging a trench to uncover the entire length of buried pipe. An epoxy infused flexible sleeve is pulled through the old pipe but it cures in place to become strong, rigid pipe as smooth as new PVC pipe.

Your homeowners policy may or may not cover the cost of a slab leak repair. It depends on your insurance company and the type of coverage you have. So check with your agent in advance.

Slab leak detection and repair requires expert advice. It is best to work with a trusted, licensed professional because the best course of action may not always be the least expensive.

Kentwood Water Restoration provides complete slab leak detection and repair services. If you suspect this type of leak in your home, call your local Kentwood Water Restoration plumber for an inspection. And if you experience flooding due to a slab leak, Kentwood Water Restoration provides full-service plumbing repair, including water cleanup and water damage restoration.