Don't think you are immune from a slab leak

7/10/2020 (Permalink)

Master bathroom water damage dry-out due to slab leak.

As the owner of SERVPRO of Ocala and SERVPRO of South Marion County I have seen thousands of water damages over our 46 years in business. From sprinkler heads popping off and flooding multi story buildings to small air conditioning leaks we have seen them all, so we think.  But it is a little different when it happens in your own home. 

As a professional restoration company owner and operator we encourage and expect our employees to be sympathetic even empathetic to our customers situations.  As much as I may think I can empathize with my customers I have recently learned I have not always been understanding as I should have been.  

I recently woke up early, one Ocala morning to the sound of water running but knowing everyone else was asleep in the house.  I walked toward the master bathroom when I felt that cold squish between my toes of wet carpet. After entering the master bathroom I checked all of the fixtures and shutoff's for a leak or broken supply line.  I then realized I, like so many of our Marion County customers, was the victim of a slab leak.  A slab leak is a water leak from pipes routed under a concrete slab.  When a pipe ruptures under a slab the water pressurizes the ground and will eventually follow the path of least resistance.  Unfortunately the water often follows the plumbing pipe through a protective sleeve into your home. 

After the initial shock wore off I was able to gather my thoughts and shut off the water to the house, wake the family and start the water mitigation process until my SERVPRO employees, my heroes were able to take over.

If you are ever faced with a water damage in Ocala or Marion County please check out our website for Do's and Don'ts and other helpful tips on what to do during a water damage and call the company that has done it thousands of times.  Don't let a small water damage turn into a larger mold problem.  I will keep you updated on our progress as we go through the restoration process.  When we tell you we understand what you are going through believe me, we know what you are going through from both ends.