Plumbing Problems in Florida: How to Dry a Slab?

Thanks for the replies. The insurance company had a geologists come out and he said that the water table was not the problem, and there is not a spring under the house. He seemed to feel that the original leak had gone on for some time before it had built up enough pressure to come up through the pipe penetration holes. The water table here is only at about 4' down, so I am hesitant about digging a 3' deep hole with a sump pump.

Yes the sump pump idea is to your best interest; just do it. And the concrete treatment you described creeps; meaning it should migrate under the cabinets etc..

I've had some through slab flooding problems when the water table rose significantly. We did what we could but since I've come across a few products that can be applied to the inside of the slab that leach into the concrete (led by the water coming from the other side) and plug up the capillaries. I can repost the names once I'm back at work on monday but for now the only one I remember is Xypex. It's used quite a bit on the inside of old foundations (with bad porosity or hairline cracks) that cannot be accessed from the outside.

Here's a link:

http://www.xypex.com/products/products.php

Disclaimer...I've got no association with them...just a mild humidity problem in the basement and this was recommended.

Thanks, it sounds alot like the product that I have heard about.

Former East Coast Fla Engineer ... "The objective of all dedicated employees is to thoroughly analyze all situations, anticipate all problems prior to their occurrence, have answers for these problems, and move swiftly to solve these problems when called upon. However, when you are up to your ass in alligators, it is difficult to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp."

Thanks, I like the idea about the hole next to the house being dug. I will give it a try. Venice, just south of Sarasota.

Venice. Remember back in the 70's (I know a LONG time ago) when the Venice public beach was the best for sharks teeth? I have cans and cans of them from when I was young!

My parents are in Nokomis, on Casey Key. Bought by my Grandfather back in the 70's when all these houses were less than 70K! Property values have sure changed.

I can't imagine that the saturation of the soil from your prior leak is still the problem. I would think about a combination of the previous posts. Perhaps try digging around the perimeter to lower the soil from the slab level by a few inches, and see if that helps with moisture migration out from under.

Also, as previously noted, are you sure you don't have another copper pipe in the slab that was not disconnected, and is possibly still feeding the leak?

Good luck, keep us posted. I always enjoy hearing about resolution of problems!

Dave

Watching the meter should eliminate or...

Are you personally 150% sure that the water mains are not still leaking.

I mean, have you actually followed the run of the pipe (intimately!) from the main outside to the new plumbing!! I am guessing of course, but I feel that a branch circuit has been forgotten and that is causing your problems!!!

The complete line from the main throughout the whole house was water pressure tested at 135psi for 30 min. without any drop in pressure. Thanks for the reply.

That still does not mean that there is a branch leaking water. You do not have to lose much over a year, per day to make the slab wet!!!

That test was for the cats as we say in Germany!!!!

You need to visual the pipe from the mains to the point where it goes up into your ceiling!!! Nothing more and nothing less. DIG IT UP!!!!

Many years ago my neighbour had such a problems, I cut down through the concrete and found a compression fitting that had never been tightened, it was leaking only a few drops, but a huge part of the ground floor was wet through. I actually just tightened it with my hand and the leak stopped. 20 years undiscovered.

It took over 2 years to dry out!! Or best said, to stop condensation in the house on anything cold or cool!!!

Hello

I am familiar with your problem and have solved it at least twice here in Florida. First, if you have mulch or any type of bedding materail around the foundation of your home pull it away from the house at least 3 feet, dig down around the parimeter of the foundation about 3 to 6 inches. this costs only a little time an labor, for the duration of the summer months do not use air conditioning, use only a fan with windows and select doors open (only when you are at home and safe). Usually with in two summer months your slab will will be bone dry (if it dose not rain).

The premis behind this is; the slab is never exposed to the sun, but by moving the mulch and allowing the hot Florida sun to penetrate the slab the radiated heat will dry the slab out completely. Also, check the old copper piping for water that was left over in the pipe. Somtimes the water is forced out of the pipe eventhough there is no pressure on the pipe causing a mysterious re-occuring leak in the same spot as the old leak.

Find where the copper piping came into the house, dig a hole around and under the old pipe then cut it. If water drains out you have solved 50% of your problem. Although using a fan in Florida has its discomforts, it has its advantages also. Being that you live in Florida and have had an internal water leak by allowing fresh outdoor air indoors and vs versa you eliminate any possibility of an upcomming mold infestation at the same time. Trust me on this mold remedation is very expensive in Florida.

copper pipe was cut off and capped at the point which it entered the house and all lines were blown out with air pressure. The new cpvc lines were tied into the water main outside the house and ran overhead through the attic area.

I agree that the french drain and sump are a darned good suggestion. I had a similar problem in Kansas where we already had a sump. We were getting water in our basement whenever it rained. What I ended up doing to fix our problem was digging a french drain around the foundation about 18" down and about 12" wide then lining the ditch with drainage cloth and filling in the bottom foot with pea gravel. I then put another layer of drainage cloth on top of the pea gravel and filled in the hole. I ran a drainage ditch with conduit away from the house on the 2 corners of the house that had enough slope to drain the french drain.

I had a secondary problem, I didn't enough grading on the sides and back of my house, only from the front of the house to the street. To make matters worse, we had the first house built on the block and when they built the houses on either side of us they built their foundations up and added grading that dumped their water to my yard. I hid my grading by making a serpentine path around both sides and behind the house that I'd dropped to the same depth as the french drain where they connected. It was graded from the back of the house to the street and I filled the bottom 6" with gravel. We then disguised it by making garden beds along the serpentine path. You would never have known it was really a drainage ditch. We ended up with the only dry basement on the block!

Just in case you are still monitoring the thread, there are compounds that can cause the soil to percolate better. Such as clay types which is essentially what you described.

Drilling several holes in the slab and applying salts or lime to permeate the solids may not be desirable but...