Texas Foundation Repair: Get a Second Opinion

Posted on 07/04/2009 by Jeff Lineberger, P. E.

…Unfortunately,  Foundation Repair can be very costly, so get a second opinion before you hire a repair contractor-if not by a Texas Licensed  Engineer, than by someone who does not stand to gain financially from repairing your foundation system…

What kind of foundation system does your home have? Is it a slab with steel or cable? Perhaps a pier & beam? Is it doing its job? How do you know? How do you repair it? Will it be safe? Can I rely on what my builder or “home” inspector tells me?

A building foundation system separates your home or building from the supporting ground. It prevents your floor, walls and roof from moving along with the soil it sits on, and helps protect you and your family from the outside elements.

Foundation design types vary geographically. Local soil conditions, climate, and material and labor availability influence foundation design styles. Many homes in the Midwest and northeastern part of the U. S. have basements, while southern and western U. S. homes tend to be built atop solid concrete slab-on-grade foundations systems. Both foundation types are functional and respond to the needs of the locality.

Foundation performance varies from house-to-house, and from building-to-building. Foundation failure does not appear to be related to geography or locality. Often, a residential area with expansive soils may be interpreted as an area with a higher than average risk of foundation failure, where the failure is attributed to the poor soil conditions. In reality, the failure is correctly placed upon novice level design, construction and foundation evaluation techniques.

Foundation and wall cracks may suggest impending problems such as abnormal water infiltration or other structural irregularities. If your foundation is too rigid or too flexible, you may see signs of distress like brittle material fractures on the inside or outside of your home. This does not necessarily mean your foundation is physically broken. It may be that your foundation performs poorly due to improper design and construction.

But how do you know if your foundation is “broken” and needs repair? What type of inspector should you hire to inspect and determine if your foundation system has problems? To find out, ask your prospective inspector the following questions:

  1. What is your educational background? (correct answer: I have an accredited engineering degree from a four year college or university);
  2. What type of foundation inspection training do you have? (correct answer: I have a professional engineering license within the state of ________ and I have inspected over 500 foundations;
  3. How long have you been designing and building foundations? (correct answer: I have over ten years foundation design and construction experience).

If your prospective foundation inspector does not answer these three questions correctly as noted above, then it’s likely that inspector is a novice. Do you really want to trust the most important (and likely most expensive) part of your house or building to a less skilled “home inspector”?

The bottom line is this: If you suspect you may have problems with your foundation, hire a licensed professional engineer to evaluate it. That way, you’ll get a state licensed professional with the best combination of education, training and experience to diagnose and properly repair your foundation. Your piece of mind and the health of your home or building foundation are well worth it.

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San Antonio, Helotes & Leon Springs-Dry Weather Can Crack Home Foundation

Posted on 07/03/2009 by Jeff Lineberger, P. E.

Mary Heidbrink, Express-News Staff Writer –

It appears like a route on a roadmap, a squiggly line inching from the corner of the door toward the ceiling. It gets wider, like an expanding thoroughfare.

Then, the door that had been a little stubborn won’t open at all.

Is it a sure sign of doom for a homeowner, the signal of foundation failure? Or is it just another sign of a long dry spell?

It all depends, and so does the action you take.

CONCRETE SLAB

•What’s under the slab? If it’s limestone, rest easy (unless you’re trying to dig a hole in the garden). If you’re not sitting on rock, investigate further.

•Clay soil is often the culprit in shifting foundations because of its plasticity. Think of a sponge that plumps up when it’s full of water and shrinks and curls when it dries. When this happens to the ground under your house, it can cause the foundation to heave or sink.

•Proper site preparation mitigates the effects of shifting soil. The builder should remove all soil and tree roots and replace it with nonexpansive fill material.

Signs of trouble

•Cracks that are 1/8 inch wide or wider.

•Floors that are out of level at least 1 inch per 10 feet.

•A crack in a wall or a sticky door indicates settling, not a cracked foundation. Of more concern: a combination of cracks inside and outside or cracks and jammed doors.

•If there are wide cracks in the walls or a door that won’t open, consult an engineer. An expert’s opinion will cost about $500.

To water or not to water?

•Watering around the perimeter of the foundation can help, but before hauling out the hose, use a carpenter’s level to check the floors inside the house.

•If the floor is fairly level, watering around the foundation can help keep it that way.

•To water, line the perimeter of the foundation with soaker hoses. The hose should touch the foundation. Turn water on a quarter turn and water two to three times a week for two to three hours, keeping soil consistently moist, not muddy.

•Water the side of the house that is lower than the rest.

•Monitor progress using a level on the floor, and be patient. It likely will take months to see results.

Repairs

•A foundation company will dig under the edge of the slab and install concrete piers 10 to 15 feet deep, leveling the foundation and isolating it from the problem soil near the surface. If work is needed under the middle of the foundation, workers will tunnel under the slab or install piers from inside the house.

•Leveling can cause additional cracks in drywall. Sometimes it can be patched; sometimes it will need to be replaced. New doors might be in order if existing ones had been modified to fit crooked openings.

•Foundation repairs average about $12,000, and typically have a lifetime guarantee.

PIER AND BEAM

Different underpinnings, same symptoms. Cracks and sticky doors still might indicate a faltering foundation.

Different care

•Standing water is the enemy, causing soil to expand or rotting cedar piers.

•Monitor the perimeter to make sure water drains away from the foundation.

•Pier and beam foundations don’t need to be watered because the crawl space under the house keeps moisture uniform.

Repairs

•Repairs, which usually consist of replacing piers, average about $8,000.

•Drywall can buckle in the leveling process. Doors might not fit, and windows might not open when the work is done.

•Repairs typically have a lifetime guarantee.

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San Antonio Schertz, Cibolo, & Universal City-Dry Weather Can Crack Home Foundation

Posted on 07/03/2009 by Jeff Lineberger, P. E.

Mary Heidbrink, Express-News Staff Writer –

It appears like a route on a roadmap, a squiggly line inching from the corner of the door toward the ceiling. It gets wider, like an expanding thoroughfare.

Then, the door that had been a little stubborn won’t open at all.

Is it a sure sign of doom for a homeowner, the signal of foundation failure? Or is it just another sign of a long dry spell?

It all depends, and so does the action you take.

CONCRETE SLAB

•What’s under the slab? If it’s limestone, rest easy (unless you’re trying to dig a hole in the garden). If you’re not sitting on rock, investigate further.

•Clay soil is often the culprit in shifting foundations because of its plasticity. Think of a sponge that plumps up when it’s full of water and shrinks and curls when it dries. When this happens to the ground under your house, it can cause the foundation to heave or sink.

•Proper site preparation mitigates the effects of shifting soil. The builder should remove all soil and tree roots and replace it with nonexpansive fill material.

Signs of trouble

•Cracks that are 1/8 inch wide or wider.

•Floors that are out of level at least 1 inch per 10 feet.

•A crack in a wall or a sticky door indicates settling, not a cracked foundation. Of more concern: a combination of cracks inside and outside or cracks and jammed doors.

•If there are wide cracks in the walls or a door that won’t open, consult an engineer. An expert’s opinion will cost about $500.

To water or not to water?

•Watering around the perimeter of the foundation can help, but before hauling out the hose, use a carpenter’s level to check the floors inside the house.

•If the floor is fairly level, watering around the foundation can help keep it that way.

•To water, line the perimeter of the foundation with soaker hoses. The hose should touch the foundation. Turn water on a quarter turn and water two to three times a week for two to three hours, keeping soil consistently moist, not muddy.

•Water the side of the house that is lower than the rest.

•Monitor progress using a level on the floor, and be patient. It likely will take months to see results.

Repairs

•A foundation company will dig under the edge of the slab and install concrete piers 10 to 15 feet deep, leveling the foundation and isolating it from the problem soil near the surface. If work is needed under the middle of the foundation, workers will tunnel under the slab or install piers from inside the house.

•Leveling can cause additional cracks in drywall. Sometimes it can be patched; sometimes it will need to be replaced. New doors might be in order if existing ones had been modified to fit crooked openings.

•Foundation repairs average about $12,000, and typically have a lifetime guarantee.

PIER AND BEAM

Different underpinnings, same symptoms. Cracks and sticky doors still might indicate a faltering foundation.

Different care

•Standing water is the enemy, causing soil to expand or rotting cedar piers.

•Monitor the perimeter to make sure water drains away from the foundation.

•Pier and beam foundations don’t need to be watered because the crawl space under the house keeps moisture uniform.

Repairs

•Repairs, which usually consist of replacing piers, average about $8,000.

•Drywall can buckle in the leveling process. Doors might not fit, and windows might not open when the work is done.

•Repairs typically have a lifetime guarantee.

[mappress]
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