Serving South Bend, IN and Surrounding Areas.
Concrete Slab Leak

5 Symptoms Of Concrete Slab Failure – & When To Hire A Water Damage Expert

As a South Bend homeowner, there is nothing more concerning than finding water pooling around your property or moisture seeping into your home.

For many homeowners in Indiana, water damage problems can be traced back quickly to a problem with a concrete slab foundation. If your home is built on a concrete slab, any water-related issues can bring to mind nightmare scenarios. You may be picturing a costly future of cracked foundations, water leaks, and expensive repairs. 

While concrete slab leaks can be a leading cause of many water damage issues in South Bend homes, a bigger issue is the ignoring of potential signs of problems. 

To learn more about concrete slab leaks and how they may be leading to your home’s water damage, read below.

What Is A Concrete Slab?

You may have heard that your South Bend home is built on a concrete slab, but you may not know what that means. So what exactly does it mean when your home is built on a slab foundation? 

A concrete slab is exactly what it sounds like – a large slab of concrete at the base of the home that makes a solid foundation for a home. 

A concrete slab can range in size. Some may be 4 to 6 inches in thickness, with the center of the slab often being the thickest part of the concrete. In order for slabs to have their shape and strength, concrete is poured in one setting and is fortified with steel rebar and post-tension cables. This will help ensure that all of the concrete sets evenly throughout a single slab. This will ensure that the slab has extra durability to withstand the weight of the structure on top. 

Want to know a fun fact about slab foundation homes? They don’t have crawl spaces or basements.

In fact, directly below the concrete slab is the ground where the slab was laid. Because of this, it is essential that the soil has been graded properly prior to pouring and setting the slab foundation. 

To ensure that there is proper drainage, a layer of sand will often be set just below the concrete slab. The sand acts as a necessary cushion for the slab and allows for safe space and room should the ground shift and settle over time.

Piping is often run under and through concrete slabs when they are laid. This allows for the installation of plumbing in the home. Unfortunately, this piping can spring a leak that may not be noticed quickly as the plumbing is under the slab. 

When left untreated, these leaks can potentially lead to costly damage to your home, slab, and bank account. 

5 Signs You Have Water Damage From A Slab Leak

1. Your Water Bill Suddenly Jumps

One way to notice that something is wrong with your plumbing and that you may be dealing with water damage is a sudden rise in your water bill. 

This is especially true with concrete slab leaks. As a plumbing leak continues untreated below the slab, water will continue to flow. This will lead to your water bills coming in higher and higher. 

Notice your utility bill is skyrocketing and can’t find any reason to explain the rise? You may need to check for a slab leak – and potential water damage due to the leak.

2. Your Home Has A Loss Of Water Pressure

If you notice that your plumbing has lost the pressure power it once had, you may be dealing with a bad slab leak. 

As a concrete slab leak continues to flow, water pressure will decrease across other parts of your home. If no other faucets are flowing and the pressure is still low, you may have a slab leak hidden below the surface. This can mean that water is rising up and through your slab into the interior of your home – a bad sign for potential water damage.

3. A Mold Or Mildew Smell Fills Your Home

Any water damage is often accompanied with a bad smell that cannot be located. The same is true when a concrete slab leak occurs.  As moisture begins working its way up through the pores in a concrete slab, the water content can build up and allow mold and mildew to grow at the foundation of your house.

This is when out of sight doesn’t equal out of mind! If you begin to notice that your home is taking on an unexplained odor, you may be dealing with a slab leak mildew mess! This type of water damage can be incredibly costly and painful to deal with.

4. Your Flooring Is Damp Or Damaged

A concrete slab leak can also lead to wet or damp floors.

Take note of the flooring directly above your concrete slab. If it begins to feel wet or damp without reason, this may mean that you have potential water damage. Concrete slab leaks can often force water into your home due to the pressure differentials – and can lead to unfortunate water damage problems.

5. You Are Finding Water Collecting Outside Your Home

Concrete slab leaks can lead to water pooling outside your home. The reason so few homeowners notice this as an issue is due to assuming the water is weather-related. Unfortunately, if there is no reason for the water to be pooling, it could be occurring due to a slab leak below the surface of your home.

Concrete slab foundations are often poured wider than a home’s length. If water is pooling around the sides of your home outside of weather or watering-related reasons, you may be seeing water collecting as it leaks out and up from the slab.

Letting slab leaks continue without treatment can lead to severe damage to your home and foundation. The moment you begin to notice the presence of one or several of the above symptoms of a slab leak, it is time to contact your South Bend water damage experts.

Worried About Slab Problems? Call South Bend’s Water Damage Team

When it comes to concrete slab water issues, you need the experience of a skilled team to come and help you address the problems. At First Response Disaster Restoration Specialists, our team will help you identify potential water damage and find the source of your problems quickly. 

Not only will our team examine your foundation with a trained and experienced eye, but we can offer guidance on the steps you should take to fix any slab leaks with long-lasting results.

If you would like to learn more about water damage issues with South Bend homes, contact our team today. We have been serving the South Bend community for years with high-quality restoration services, and are ready to help you fix any water damage concerns you may have.

Contact our team today to learn more about water damage and other restoration services for homes in South Bend and the surrounding region.

concrete, concrete slab failure, damage prevention, emergency repair, flooding, flooring, flooring repair, mishawka, mold, repair, restoration, south bend, water damage