Foundation issues

Your home’s foundation is its backbone. If you ignore a little foundation issue, it could turn into a costly disaster. This is especially true when it comes to foundations.

Perhaps surprising, but… Water causes most foundation issues. Too much water makes soil inflate, while too little makes it shrink. Both can produce foundation concerns, especially if the swelling or shrinkage is localized. If the earth isn’t evenly wet or dry. Poor soil drainage can cause foundation difficulties. We’ll elaborate below.

Foundations fail for other reasons besides water. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built on unstable, 10-foot-deep earth. It’s common knowledge.

Before discussing the top three reasons for foundation problems, let’s discuss expansive soils.

1. Natural sinkholes

Sinkholes are caused by groundwater. No external drainage exit. This promotes subsurface soil erosion, which can lead to cave formation. Even minor sinkholes can damage your foundation. It’s vital to spot sinkholes early. Signs of sinkhole activity are…

trees, poles, and fence posts that are leaning
Can’t close doors and windows.
Water bills that are greater than usual may indicate a leak in subsurface pipes.
Soft, spongy land. Check around tipped items.
Roots don’t produce broken sidewalks or driveways.
Indented lawns or sunken pavers.
Fixing foundation leaks

2. The foundation dirt dries and shrinks.
In hot, dry weather, the foundation soil shrinks. Soil support moves away from the foundation, making it unstable and prone to shifting. Cracks in walls, ceilings, floors, and issues opening doors and windows appear as the foundation changes.

Tree roots can also cause soil to dry out. The shrinking earth pulls away from the foundation, causing structural damage.

If you live in Northern or Central Florida, you must water your lawn and trees during hot, dry weather. This prevents dry dirt from pushing away from the foundation. As you’ll see in the next section, you don’t want the soil to get too moist during rainy seasons.

3. Foundation soil absorbs too much water and swells
Your foundation might also be damaged by soggy soil. Soil swells and expands when wet with water, as we’ve seen. This pulls up the foundation and causes wall, floor, and ceiling fissures. Your floors may slant due to this uplift.

Too much moisture can compact or erode loose, granular soils (or cause them to settle), causing uneven support under the foundation. As we explained earlier, too much moisture will develop in the soil.

More on how too much rainfall causes soil erosion below. So, what happens? What’s with all this water? It comes from plumbing leaks, faulty sewer lines, strong rain, melting snow, or floods.

Surface water should flow away from foundations. Gutters and downspouts should be clean so water doesn’t pool near the foundation. French drains can be built if water pools by the foundation (more on this later).

4. Erosion from poor drainage
Insufficient drainage around your property can oversaturate the soil, causing soil erosion. Your home’s foundation can destabilize. Walls may buckle or tilt, etc. Soil erosion can create subsurface spaces.

Many things can create drainage difficulties, including…

Roof water collecting towards the foundation.
Likewise, clogged gutters and downspouts cause it. Downspouts must be angled so water doesn’t pool near the foundation and destabilize it. Extensions for downspouts prevent water from pooling near the foundation.
After heavy rains, low spots in your yard near the foundation gather water. This standing water can erode soil and limestone layers and generate sinkholes.
Avoid these difficulties by directing water away from your home. French drains and other water runoff devices can help with drainage.

5. Your foundation was badly built
The soil swells when it absorbs water and shrinks when it releases water. This is especially true of clay soil in the Midwest. Clay soil swells when wet and shrinks when dry. This excessive swelling and shrinking strains a foundation.

A residence built on multiple soil types might also cause problems. Your home may be built on two different soils, one of which holds water well and the other poorly. This causes differential settlement, which damages structures.

So what if there’s clay or other dirt where you want to build?

Injecting chemical grout into loose soil can help reinforce it. Install pre-construction helical piles/piers for deep foundations. The piers convey the building’s load to the ground. Finally, inadequate soil preparation and compaction by the foundation contractor might cause issues.

If you have questions concerning RLM Retrofit Foundation’s services, contact us right away. Call (800) 824-6699 or visit https://rlmretrofitfoundation.com for a free Foundation Inspection Westlake Village or foundation repair quotation.

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