There are many different reasons why a foundation may begin to sink. Some of the causes of sinking foundations include soft soil, erosion, and failing footings. When your foundation begins to fail, there are going to be some repairs that need to be done. Here are some of the sinking foundation problems that you may have and the repairs that will be needed:
1. Soft Soils and Sinking Foundations That Cause Structural Damage
Often homes are built over soft soils or backfill, which can lead to many problems. One of the common issues with soft soils is homes settling unevenly, which can cause cracks in foundations and serious structural damage. To deal with the soft soil problems, there are several options to consider for dealing with the problems, such as pier jacking, which is the process of installing piers beneath the foundation and jacking it up. In addition, there are solutions like using tension concrete systems to allow foundations to settle evenly.
2. Erosion Problems Causing Your Home Foundation to Sink
Erosion is another problem that happens with foundations in soft soils or anywhere backfill has been used. To prevent problems with erosion, it is important to have good drainage inside and outside of your home. Make sure that water has a place to go away from your home to prevent problems with erosion that can lead to failing foundations and serious structural damage. If you have a basement, you may want to consider talking with a contractor who provides concrete services about installing an interior drainage system to prevent problems with erosion.
3. Poor Footings That Fail and Cause Structural Problems
Another problem that you may have to deal with is poor footings that can fail and cause structural damage. There are many reasons why footings can fail, incluidng poor craftsmanship or bad concrete mixes. Usually, if the problem is a footing, you will want to have a concrete repair service correct the problem and install new footing beams that meet modern building standards. If you have failing footings, you will want to have them inspected and install new footing beams to stop settling and serious structural damage in your home. Contact a professional concrete service to help with repairs of footings to ensure the structure of your home is safe.
These are some of the sinking foundation problems that you may have and the types of repairs that they will need. Contact a foundation repair service to help with some of these improvements and repairs.