What Is a Slab Leak?
A slab leak is a leak in the water supply or drain lines that run beneath your home's concrete foundation. In North Texas, most homes are built on concrete slabs with copper or galvanized pipes running underneath. When those pipes develop leaks from corrosion, soil movement, or age, the water has nowhere to go but into the soil and eventually up through your foundation.
Slab leaks are serious. Left unaddressed, they can undermine your foundation, promote mold growth, and cause thousands of dollars in structural damage.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Slab leaks are hidden by design. You can't see them. But they leave clues:
- Your water bill jumps with no change in usage
- You hear water running when every fixture is turned off
- Warm spots appear on tile or hardwood floors, indicating a hot water line leak
- Damp or dark spots on carpet, especially along walls
- Cracks in walls, floors, or the foundation itself
- Musty smell or visible mold near baseboards
- Low water pressure that develops gradually
How We Find Slab Leaks
We use electronic leak detection equipment that listens for the sound of pressurized water escaping from a pipe. This technology lets us pinpoint the leak's location within inches, without jackhammering your entire floor to find it.
We also use thermal imaging cameras to detect temperature differences in the slab caused by hot water leaks. Between acoustic and thermal detection, we can locate most slab leaks in under an hour.
Repair Options
Once we've located the leak, repair options depend on the severity and pipe condition:
- Spot repair: We open the slab at the leak location, fix the damaged section, and patch the concrete. Best for a single, isolated leak in otherwise healthy pipes.
- Reroute: We abandon the damaged under-slab line and run a new line through the walls or attic. This avoids opening the slab entirely and is often the best long-term solution.
- Full repipe: If the under-slab pipes are old and corroded, multiple leaks are likely. A full repipe replaces everything with modern PEX or copper through the walls.
We'll recommend the approach that makes the most sense for your home's age, pipe material, and budget. No unnecessary work.
