The Problem with Untreated Slab Leaks

A slab leak can occur anywhere on your service line on a cold water supply line, a hot water supply line or a drain line. These leaks are enough to fill any homeowner will dread and you may be wondering if your homeowners insurance will cover the damages and how much you'll need to pay.

Unfortunately, these leaks often go on for some time before they're detected and you may not even realize you have a problem until you notice a wet spot on the floor. What's worse, homeowners insurance rarely covers the cost and you may be facing a cost upwards of $2,000 to fix the slab leak by hiring a plumbing company like Inland Empire Plumbing.

Still, these leaks do need to be fixed as soon as possible as the longer you wait, the worse the damages -- and cost. Here are some of the worst problems that can happen if you let the problem continue.

1. Damage to Your Foundation

Your home's foundation is basically just a piece of concrete with steel supports in it and damage will occur from a slab leak eventually. Slab leaks have been known to make your foundation crack, move or rise up, which compromises your home's integrity.

2. High Water Bills

Even a very small leak can cause you to waste thousands of gallons each month, potentially adding hundreds to your water bill every single month until it's addressed. While slab leaks can be expensive to repair, it can easily be more expensive to leave it untreated.

3. Floor Damage

With water leaking beneath your home's foundation, it will eventually run out of space and move upward. Slab leaks can destroy carpeting, cause tile floors to crack, make linoleum bubble and utterly destroy hardwood.

4. Mold Growth

Dangerous mold can become a real problem when water from the leak starts to get into your home. Drywall acts as a sponge, absorbing water from the leak and moving it through your walls, which is an ideal setting for mold growth. It takes only days for mold to start growing in the walls and mold spores can cause everything from asthma to an upper respiratory infection, or worse. Once it's in the walls, you'll also need someone who specializes in mold removal along with a Riverside plumber.

5. Musty Odors

Once the slab leak has been sitting for awhile, your home will take on an unpleasant musty odor. If the leak is in a sewer line pipe, you can just imagine how your home will start to smell in a week!

6. Destroyed Lawn

Slab leaks often occur in a sewer line or water main line and the leak could be under your lawn instead of your house. In this case, you can face thousands in damage from destroyed landscaping and dead grass. It can also cause structural damages if it occurs near a pool.