How To Deal With Foundation Damage

Most people in the foundation repair business profit from the number of piers they sell. If they don’t sell piers they don’t eat. That, in and of its self, should make you give serious thought to the pier heavy repairs suggested by most foundation repair salespeople.

In areas of expansive soils such as North Texas, foundations are primarily affected by a combination of three things:

• The expansive soils.
• the extreme wet to dry periods.
• and the rolling hills.

For our purposes:

• Foundation Settlement is the product of a decrease of soil volume or support under areas of the foundation.
• Foundation Upheaval is the product of an increase in soil volume  or support under areas of the foundation.

Expansive clay soils increase in volume with the addition of moisture and contract with a loss of moisture.

Two things that you must know to start understanding foundation problems in areas of expansive soils:

• If a foundation is poured in a damp or moist soil, resultant foundation problems will likely be that of settlement.
• If a foundation is poured in dry compacted soil, resultant foundation problems will likely be upheaval.

Expanding soil causes upheaval and contracting soils cause settlement and foundation repair company elevations will not tell them apart. (for more information on elevations scams go to: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/why-elevations-should-used-determine-foundation-damage-richard-rash?trk=pulse_spock-articles

Since it is not recommended to pour concrete in moist soil, foundations are usually poured during our long dry periods, our frequent droughts. This means the soil is usually in a compacted, or reduced state of volume when the grades are established.

 When it does rain the water runs downhill and is often trapped on one side of the home and runs off on the downhill side. This can lead to “differential movement” where soil expands under some areas of the home and does not under other areas.

The soil swells on the high/wet side and does not swell on the lower/runoff side. This allows uneven soil expansion to twist the foundation, producing cracks in the rigid components of the structure.  The effects show up as what we refer to as foundation damage.

It may also cause erosion of support soil on the downside.

The results of early twisting of the foundation is usually nothing more than cosmetic damage, that may be repaired without applying force, such as piers to either lift, move or stabilize the home.

The problem, that exist at this point, is that of preventing additional movement which may cause more stress, which can undo the repairs or produce additional damage. 

In areas of expansive soils, what we refer to as foundation damage is also occasionally caused by soils eroding or compacting after the structure is constructed. This is usually the case where fill soil has been added.  In areas where the soil is sandy or rocky and lacks expansiveness foundations are more often affected by settlement. 

To the untrained eye, the cracks are the same.  To an experienced authority who is looking to cure the problem and not sell a specific tool, such as piers, the locations, and type of cracks can show the difference between settlement and upheaval. Recognizing and identifying those subtleties can mean the difference between correctly repairing a structure and setting it up for failed repairs and additional distress. 

 In North Texas and other areas of expansive soil, most foundation distress does not need piers to stop and reverse the movement.  When piers are required, before the piers are installed, the cause of the movement should be defined and stopped, and the piers then used to reposition and support walls as needed.

When piers are unnecessarily installed and used to lift an area or areas of a foundation that is not settling but sitting at or near original grade, attempting to lift one part of a foundation up to match an area of foundation that has heaved is a sure recipe for disaster.

 Bottom line.

The cause of the foundation movement must be correctly identified and properly addressed, with the correct tools, to reach a satisfying solution.

The problems must be identified:

• If upheaval is the cause of damage the water source must be addressed, corrected, and given time to dry before cosmetics are attempted.
• If settlement is the cause of damage, the reason for loss of soil support must be identified and corrected.  Then the correct remedial support such as type of pier (concrete, steel, pushed, drilled, helical) or other support (foam or pressure grouting) may be chosen and applied. Depending on support chosen, time should be allowed for repaired structure to adjust before cosmetic repairs are addressed.

Due to the extreme proliferation of inexperienced, untrained  foundation repair salesmen whose job it is to sell as many piers as possible, it Is highly recommended that consumers, particularly homeowners, seek the advice of an independent expert before contracting foundation repair. It can save you time, money and prevent a lot of stress.     

I will be glad to provide more information. Contact me at 817-308-8186.

My email is: [email protected].

Website:www.repairfoundations.com.

Blog: www.foundationmanspeaks.com.                                       

Best bet: See a consultant!

Remember: Be sure ....before you pier!

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