There is a direct relationship between your home’s plumbing system and its foundation. If your house sits on a concrete slab foundation, there’s a good chance the plumbing system is encased within that slab (commonly called under slab plumbing). If not, your home’s pipes probably run beneath the foundation, buried in the ground. Either way, if the foundation should shift due to uneven soil, weather conditions, or nearby excavation or construction, that shifting could do some serious damage to your plumbing system.
Most homes have plumbing systems that are underneath or encased within their concrete slab foundations. If those plumbing systems should suffer damage and become cracked or broken, you could be faced with unexpected moisture that brings with it its own set of unique problems. Some signs you may be dealing with a water leak in a pipe beneath your home’s concrete slab foundation include soft spots on your flooring, cracks in the walls of your home, a sudden spike in your water bill, low water pressure, foul odors, pooling water or low spots in your yard, and visible damage to your foundation.
Several factors could affect the condition of your plumbing system, including the type of material your pipes are made of; copper, galvanized steel, clay, and cast iron pipes can break down with age and use, becoming cracked and causing leaks. If too much water leaks into the soil beneath or around your home, that excess water can cause the soil to expand and shift, causing further damage to both the plumbing and your home’s foundation. If there is no moisture barrier (true for most homes built before 1980), a porous concrete slab foundation can become saturated and damaged. Since your home is resting on the foundation, the water has nowhere to go to evaporate. Just as damaged plumbing can lead to a damaged foundation, the opposite it true as well.
Additional problems that can arise as a result of excess moisture buildup in your home and/ or its foundation include mold and mildew, which can cause property damage and pose a health risk to the occupants of the home. Pets, infants, elderly people, and family members with health problems such as asthma, allergies, immune system deficiencies, and respiratory problems can be adversely affected by the presence of mold and mildew. Even healthy peoples exposed to mold can suffer from a number of health issues such as sore throats, nasal congestion, eye irritation, chronic coughing, wheezing, and skin irritation in some cases. Toxic mold exposure has also been linked to more serious issues including confusion, memory loss, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating.
Tree roots can pose a threat to your home’s plumbing system if trees are growing too close to the foundation. Tree root infiltration is a major cause of plumbing leaks and foundation problems and can be expensive to remedy. Using a root barrier and/ or planting trees an appropriate distance from the house can help avoid problems caused by root infiltration. Root systems for most trees are typically one to two times larger than the height of the tree at maturity, so it’s important to plant trees a safe distance from the home’s foundation.
For a precise inspection that can locate foundation issues before they become big problems, call Advanced Foundation Repair today. We offer an affordable way to fix your foundation problems for life with easy payment and financing options and transferable lifetime warranties. Get the best available foundation repair with our Advanced Pro-Lift Technology. For dependable foundation repair and amazing customer service, call us at Advanced Foundation Repair in Dallas.