If you have a home without a crawlspace, it is possible to find water leaks under your foundation at one point or another. They appear in the strangest places and can be difficult to locate. These leaks are caused by broken pipes or the failing waterproof seal around your home’s foundation. This can be due to shifting soil, erosion or even tree roots growing underneath the house and cracking the seal.
There are several ways to tackle this problem.
Identify the source
“Is that your toilet running I hear?” Tree roots often damages plumbing pipes underneath your home. They can be very invasive as they look for nutrients and water. Ongoing toilet problems can point to a tree root issue. If they have caused a crack wide enough for you to see dirt or tree roots inside pipes, you’ll need to excavate to make repairs. You may even need to unearth a large section of your foundation.
The roots also need to be addressed carefully to save the tree. The flooring will likely need to be replaced, so catching these issues early on is key to minimizing the costs associated with repairs.
Repair Foundation Cracks Immediately
If your home has cracks in its foundation, you’ll want to fix them properly. You can hire a professional from a Las Vegas plumbing company to inspect and repair foundation water leaks. You do not want to patch them yourself.
Installing A Perimeter Drainage System
A perimeter drainage system is a drainage ditch installed outside your home. This ditch is intended to divert water from your house and towards the ground away from your home. If water is redirected away from your home, it has less chance of soaking through the ground and causing foundational cracks.
Repairing A Cracked Footing
If you spot a crack in your footing (the part of your foundation that sits directly on the ground), you’ll need to repair it as soon as possible to prevent water from seeping in and causing a foundation leak. You should hire a Las Vegas plumbing company to identify potential cracked footing problems. They’ll likely pour new concrete into the crack in your footing to fix it.
Re-route Through the Attic
If you have a space in your attic you may need to consider re-routing any pipes through the attic; water will run through the attic and avoid your foundation and potential foundation leaks. Re-routing pipes involves cutting holes in riser pipes and then inserting them into existing spaces between ceiling joists.
The sooner water leaks under your foundation are fixed, the better. If you notice water coming from underneath your home, it’s best to get a professional to come out and inspect it immediately. You don’t want to wait too long and risk further damage from the leak.
