THE CAUSE
The first sign of a failing foundation is in your living space:
- Doors that will not open or close properly
- Gaps at the corner of fascia trim
- Diagonal cracks in the wall at corners of doors and windows
- Gaps between the garage door and the pavement at either side of the garage door
- Windows that are hard to open and close
- Floors that are not level
- Gaps above kitchen cabinets
- Cabinet doors that will not stay shut
- Curling and tearing of existing gyproc repairs
- Leaks and cracks in and around the fireplace
Go outside and look around at the exterior of your home, do you see:
- Cracks in the exposed foundation of the house
- Cracks in bricks and mortar
- Large cracks in the concrete slab
These signs are usually caused by the drying up of soil and/or fill around your foundation footings which allows water to flow into the area. As we know water will take the path of least resistance and if the soil is dry there is no resistance for it to flow into the area. If the soil is moist, then that will resist any new moisture from penetrating it.
These signs above could mean that a portion of the house foundation has dropped below the original foundation elevation in the form of settlement. This occurs due to a loss of soil bearing capacity caused by compaction of fill, loss of moisture in the supporting soil, or due to the erosion of the supporting soil. However there could be a plumbing leak under the slab causing upheaval. The most common leak is on the drain side of the plumbing system.
Water is the main enemy in expansive soils problems. There is either too much water, causing the soil to swell, or not enough, causing the soil to shrink. Here is what can cause water to migrate towards the foundation:
- plumbing leaks
- subsurface water like wet weather or a high water table, or surface water
- surface water is improper drainage of landscape water or rainwater
- poor drainage can be a major contributor to soil moisture gains
- roof runoff not adequately directed away from the house
- gutter downspouts allowed to discharge the water next to the foundation
- poor pre-construction compaction of the building pad
- vegetation too close to the foundation attracting water and/or requiring watering
- yard drainage
- poor installation of drain tile around the perimeter of the foundation
- general poor soil conditions
Inspect your foundation, and your home to see if any of these conditions are evident. If they are, then there are certain steps to follow in order to get an in-depth explanation of the cause. Once you have determined the cause, then correcting the cause, followed by remedial repairs, can allow you to make an informed decision. Follow these three steps:
- Call in a Geo Technical Engineer to assess your soil conditions.
- Call in a Structural Engineer to assess any structural damage.
- Call in Mainland Concrete Lifters Inc. to provide a complete turn key assessment of damage in conjunction with both engineers to find a repair solution.
If you need assistance in locating these engineers, please call our office 1-800-231-3132
~ FOUNDATIONS FOR LIFE ~
