If your home sits on a concrete slab, there’s a good chance that some plumbing will go in or even under it. Normally, these pipes are used to connect your home to the sewer and municipal water system.
However, like all pipes, they can be subjected to significant forces that can lead to leaks or breaks. In such an eventuality, it is important to know the possible effects on your foundations and to react appropriately to avoid dramatic situations.
Possible Causes of Plumbing Problems
A water leak can be caused by an archaic plumbing system or by an installation error such as a poor connection between the pipes and the fittings. However, problems can also be caused by soil expansion due to prolonged rainy weather or soil contraction during a drought. Even trees whose roots grow next to or below your soil can influence the humidity level. These dry out the soil and cause it to contract.
These changes in volume can cause the foundation to deform and crack. Nearby plumbing may therefore be affected, the occurrence of leaks becomes likely.
Foundation problems due to damaged plumbing
There is no one way that water main breaks can damage concrete foundations. This is because depending on how the soil under the concrete slab reacts, the effects will be different.
Foundations that collapse due to loss of support
If you are faced with a large leak, the huge amount of water released can quickly saturate the ground under the concrete slab. This waterlogged soil is at risk of being washed away and leaving a large void under the foundation. Without sufficient support, the concrete above this space could be subjected to significant stress, resulting in floor cracks. In extreme situations, the foundation could even collapse due to this lack of support.
Problematic bulge in the concrete slab
If you live in an area with clay soil, there’s a good chance that your foundation will be on a type of soil that is sensitive to moisture fluctuations. The fact is that when its humidity level increases, it expands. When the soil dries out, it contracts. As a result, a plumbing problem under the concrete slab is likely to spread enough water for increased moisture content to expand the soil and create a bulge under your foundation. As a result, the foundation is under great pressure to rise. In some cases, cracks will be created, leading to water infiltration.
React appropriately to your foundation problem
In short, leaky plumbing can potentially lead to significant damage to concrete foundations. That’s why at the first sign of water infiltration from cracks in your concrete slab, you should contact a company that specializes in foundation repair.
In this sense, the Fissure Expert team will be able to assess the situation you are facing, in order to offer you the best solution to your foundation problem.
Need a Crack Repair Expert?
If you notice cracks on your foundation, it is important to act quickly. Fissure Expert offers professional foundation crack injection services throughout Quebec. Call a certified foundation crack contractor for a free estimate. We serve Laval, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and many other cities.