Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Archive for May, 2012

How Slab Leaks Can Cause Damage for Homes

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Slab leaks in Olympia, or also known as a foundation leaks, can cause a serious problem in your home. A typical cause of a slab leak occurs when the foundation for the home is poured. While the cement is still wet and setting, copper plumbing is installed, and it is laid in to run wherever it needs to go for the plumbing system of the home. This is a fairly common practice.

The problem occurs when the copper piping is soft. As the cement hardens, any kinks, bends, nicks or other imperfections in the pipe are exacerbated. Over time, these problems can become more and more magnified, eventually resulting in one or more tiny leaks in the pipe. This causes water to leak directly into the concrete foundation.

This causes a number of problems for homeowners, both short-term and long-term. In the short-term, it reduces water pressure and increases water consumption, resulting in higher monthly bills for poorer water delivery. These are inconveniences and annoyances, but nothing compared to the long-term damage that a slab leak can cause.

The moisture in the foundation becomes a breeding ground for mold. This mold can spread throughout the foundation and the house, which is a serious health risk for you and your family. Mold and mildew spores negatively impact air quality and can lead to illness. Plus, the moisture weakens the foundation gradually over time. Eventually, you have a home that is less structurally sound and may succumb to mold, which can cause thousands of dollars to eradicate and repair.

Slab leaks can be repaired, but sometimes after repairing one, another will crop up shortly thereafter. However, they still must be repaired immediately before the problem spreads and becomes too big to handle.

There are a few different methods for repair, including breaking up the foundation with a jackhammer and laying new pipe or lining the existing pipe with epoxy. Consulting with a professional is the best way to figure out which method is right for you.

Common symptoms to detect slab leaks early are reduced water pressure or inexplicably high water bills. If you notice either of these occurring in your home, you may have a slab leak, so call a professional to get it checked out right away before it leads to much bigger problems.

To fix a slab leak quickly contact Brooks Plumbing Company.

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Things to Remember When Remodeling Your Bathroom

Monday, May 7th, 2012

Remodeling your bathroom in Olympia can be a great way to not only make it look better and more inviting, but also more hygienic, while giving the resale value of the whole house an upgrade.

As with any big home project, there are some caveats and tips to doing it right. Here are some of those tips to consider before diving right in

  • Before starting on your plumbing or any remodeling project, work out a budget first. Establish what you want it to look like and how much you have to spend, then choose the options that fit into that framework. There are few things worse than having a bathroom left unfinished because you ran out of money halfway through the job.
  • Remodeling is a great opportunity to assess the ventilation in your bathroom and upgrade it if necessary. Proper ventilation improves air quality and prevents mold growth and water damage, so an upgrade in equipment can be an investment that is well worth the expense.
  • As tempting as it may be to make wholesale, sweeping changes to everything in your existing bathroom, try to avoid moving any plumbing around. It’s costly, messy and can really extend the time it takes for the job to be done. Is it really worth an extra week of work to have the tub against another wall?
  • Finally, to save your budget, consider refinishing certain fixture versus replacing them. Refinished tubs and tiles can look just as shiny as new, but without the extra cost and labor.

Keep those tips in mind as you consider that bathroom remodeling job, and you are likely to have the whole experience work out much more pleasantly for you…and isn’t that the whole point?  If you have any questions about bathroom remodeling please call Brooks Plumbing.

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