Translating…
A house-or any kind of building-is a stately, solid structure that is meant to last for years. Well, considering how much time, effort and money was put into its construction, it should last for years.
For a few unlucky ones, however, houses or buildings fall short in their lifespan. Quite sad, actually, since some of those problems can be addressed easily. A number of problems that can seriously damage a house or building can come from, surprisingly, bad plumbing. One of the more serious ones is when the house sinks into the ground, making it a ticking time bomb that could topple or collapse unto itself at any time.
How Can Bad Plumbing Cause My House to Sink?
Believe it or not, all of the world supply of water comes from underground. That is where virgin water-water that had been untouched-comes from. Granted, pure virgin water is rare these days, and even tapped virgin water is routinely purified and treated for bacteria, but the fact remains that most of the water coming out of everyone’s tap comes from underground.
Small pipes connect each faucet, or shower, or hose, into bigger pipes that connect into larger and larger ones, which all connect into one giant reservoir of treated water. A similar structure is mapped for drains, sinks, toilets, and such for collecting dirty or used water into a separate holding facility that will take care of the series of filters and purifiers. After being treated, it will be fed back into the reservoir, where the network of pipes will deliver clean water into homes. It is a cycle very much like how blood circulates the human body.
When there is a leak in the plumbing of a house or building, though, some of that water can seep, dribble, or even gush through the soil layers-the very ground where the house or building sits on. If it was unnoticed, that leak could have been soaking the foundation for years-maybe even at the same time the building was constructed. Even a slow seepage could turn hard soil into a soft marsh if it was left oozing for many years.
What Can I Do About it?
Preventing a house from sinking is far easier than stopping it once it has started to sink. Prevention mainly means having the house or building’s plumbing system checked occasionally. For commercial districts, once every 2-3 years is advisable; for residential lots, once every 5-10 years is enough.