What Should I Do If My House Is Shifting?

Foundation Repair Santa Monica is heavy, and when built on top of dirt, they compress it. This causes the soil to contract, causing the foundation to settle very little into the soil as a result. This is completely normal and causes no concern.

Without exception, all structures erected on the soil will undergo foundation settling. The degree of settling a foundation experiences is affected by both the type of soil and the kind of foundation.

The most frequent reasons for house shifting

Floods. Water is one of the most powerful forces in nature. Even slow-moving water can dislodge a house from its foundation. Flood water may readily displace piers under a foundation if they do not extend all the way down to the load-bearing strata.

Soil movement. The soil on a slope will gradually work its way downhill very slowly over time. This is caused by gravity. Differential settling due to soil creep is a very typical characteristic of hillside dwellings.

Weather variations. When a foundation is built on expansive soil during the dry season, the earth expands when the wet season approaches. When the dry season returns, the earth shrinks once more. Clay soils are especially prone to this type of expansion and contraction.

Drainage is inadequate. Poor drainage is most often the root cause of foundation issues. Excess water in the soil around a foundation softens it, causing foundation settlement. Yes, gutters are beneficial, but they must be placed appropriately and, if required, with extensions.

Extensive excavation. Consider someone sitting in a lawn chair on the grass someplace. It will ultimately fall into the hole if you dig too near to it. The same thing may happen to a foundation if you begin excavating a hole for a swimming pool, say, too near to your house. If you’re not careful, the hole might cause your foundation to collapse. When this occurs, you will get a differential settlement.

Earthquakes. We probably don’t need to describe how earthquakes might result in significant differential settling. However, even little earthquakes can produce unequal settling.

Prior to construction, the dirt was improperly compacted. Foundations must be built on compacted earth. However, once disturbed, the earth is no longer compacted and expands in volume. If you build a structure on top of it, you will have trouble in the future.

Soil is vast. Expansive soils are ones that expand when moist and contract when dry. This periodic swelling (some soils expand up to 10%) and shrinking causes soil movement, which puts a lot of stress on a foundation and can cause structural damage over time. When constructing foundations on top of expansive earth, special attention must be taken.

If you suspect that your foundation is having problems or if you notice indications of settling caused by the elements, an examination may be performed to determine what the underlying problem is and what would solve it. The RLM Retrofit Foundation can be of great help.

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