Foundation settling or shifting can be caused by many variables. Before any repairs can be made these variables have to be identified and accepted. In medical communities the proverb is "cure the disease, and then treat the symptoms". This applies to
home foundation repair also, we need to find out what is causing the difficulty, why is it causing an issue and then finding an answer to the problem.
The most common cause of foundation problems is moisture. Sometimes it is a lack of moisture and sometimes it is too much moisture. Problems with gutters, downspouts or drain tile are common. Blocking is mostly due to leaves, waste, or collapsing. In a few cases the block causes the sump pump to reuse water that erodes and saturates soils along the foundation. Rain water needs to be diverted away from the foundation to prevent hydrostatic pressure on the foundation and floors. In times of drought water might have to be applied near the foundation to maintain more consistent soil moisture content.
Many times foundation problems manifest themselves in the shape of serious cracking of slabs or basement floors. Basement floor slab cracking can occur for several reasons. They can be noticeably thinner than the blueprint called for or the sub base of stone may be noticeably thinner than originally called for. Heaving often ends cracking as well.
Binding or inoperable doors and windows, distorted glass panes and wedge shaped gaps at the top and bottom of doors and windows is a typical complaint of house owners, particularly settling homes. Sticking doors and windows are evidence of foundation issues. As the structure settles differentially, sticking doors and windows become a nuisance.
Most drywall cracks appear in the corner of doorframes or windows and result from differential movement between framing and the drywall. Some wood frame movement can be caused by normal processes like shrinkage or temperature expansion.
Houses with crawl spaces generally show repeated damage patterns. Regularly some vertical cracks in the crawl space open and close seasonally. Due to their shallow foundation nature these cracks grow significantly during extreme periods of drought or rain. Among several potential factors , these shallow footings may rest on expansive soil that experiences more acute cycles of shrink and swell, which is commonly worsened by landscaping.
Damage to exterior flatwork is also a common sign of foundation issues. Cracking of concrete can have a variety of causes including swelling soils, grade, concrete shrinkage, settling, frost heave, tree roots and poor quality of concrete or installation. Concrete that slopes toward the foundation and cracks channel water against foundation walls and footings causing cracks.
Repairing damaged foundations represents the best engineering challenge for a known problem. Improperly supported pilasters, concrete piers, random crack filling, misapplication of carbon fiber strips and the engineering conviction that wider footings forestall settlement are ? Examples of potential ill-conceived foundation fix methods.
The art of foundation fix starts with a complete foundation inquiry by a competent
foundation engineer. This engineer shall visit the symptoms and measure the settlement of the structure whilst reading the signs of damaged foundations. On completing his inquiry he will then give a written description of the problems with recommendations for a cure.
Potential cures can be steel resistance piers, helical anchors, tie-backs, plate anchors or waterproofing. With correct drainage, when these underpinning products are installed, per manufacturer's specs and under the guidance of the foundation engineer you may be warranted that your problem will be solved.
So, if you are having foundation problems, don't panic. There are solutions to help you, there are qualified engineers to help you and there are competent foundation fix contractors available to enact these solutions.
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