Nearly all homes in Dallas-FortbrWorth are built on concrete slabs because the soil is very unstable. Slabbrfoundations may reduce some of the structural risk to your home, but it can't completelybreliminate it. However, these issues can be mitigatedbrwith the help of your certified plumber.
Soil Shift May Cause Plumbing Leaks
The soil in ThebrDallas-Fort Worth metro area has high clay content. It expands in the summer and shrinks in the winter. Introduction of large amounts of waterbrcauses it to expand, subjecting foundations to pressures from underneath. This highly expansive soil can also experience long drought periods. When water is withdrawn, these clay soilsbrwill contract causing cracks in the ground. Ifbrthe soil moves too much, pipes can leak. A leak can cause the soil to shiftbreven more. Even small leaks can cause significant results. A pinhead size leakbrcan waste enough to fill 12,000 bathtubs to overflowing.
In some extreme cases, the slabbrand flooring can push upward, which may flood the ground floor of the home,brcausing damage flooring, furniture and appliances. A leak can also erode thebrsoil and cause the slab to cave in. When the slab foundation fails, the weight ofbrthe concrete may further damage the plumbing lines beneath the slab.
One reason water pipes are installedbrunder slabs is cost. It is significantly cheaper to install pipes under thebrslab, than to run them above ground in an attic or between floors. Lessbrmaterial is used and drilling, strapping, or protection is not necessary.brOverhead pipes can be also noisy when the water is being used. Little can bebrdone to eliminate the sound without soundproofing the walls and ceilings. Anotherbrreason is maintaining the water temperature. brPipes installed in attics are exposed to extreme temperatures,brespecially heat. A cold water pipe that runs through an attic to an isolatedbrfixture may take several minutes to deliver reasonably cold water. Insulationbrhas very little effect on standing water in a pipe broiling in the 140-degreebrheat of an attic.
Slab leak detection andbrfoundation repair are essential to keep your foundation stable. It's muchbreasier (and less expensive) to locate a leak than to do major restoration workbrto the house after a leak is found.
Call Berkeys, your plumbing repair company, if:
· You hear the sound of water running when no taps arebropen
· You have foundation cracks
· You have discolored flooring, such as darkenedbrhardwood
· You smell bad odors coming from floors or walls
· Grass of foundation plants grow unevenly
· There is a visible shift in the soil around your home
· You have warm spots on the slab floors
· Your water bill increases for no obvious reason
Detecting a leak early isbrimportant to assure your home's plumbing system is functioning efficiently andbrsafely. Berkeys Air Conditioning and Plumbing recommends annual plumbingbrtune-ups as the best way to repair little problems before they become bigbrproblems. A lot of money can be saved on water bills and you may avoid spendingbrthousands of dollars on foundation repair and home restoration.
You can call BerkeysbrAir Conditioning & Plumbing 24/7 at 817-481-5869 or visit http://www.berkeys.com for questions and scheduling information orbron Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Berkeys.
About Berkeys
Berkeys is an award winning home service company, providing quality plumbing, air conditioning, and heating services to homeowners in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex for over 35 years.
All of our technicians, are background-checked, drug tested and have passed rigorous state examinations and are licensed by the State of Texas; they understand the complexity of state codes all the way down to local requirements.