Why You Should Never Ignore Foundation Settlement

July 12, 2022 Melanie Chaney

In most of the country, summer means more than just warm weather. As the lush rains of spring give way to the hot, dry spells of late July and August, the clay soils beneath our browning lawns begin to dry up, shrink, and cause foundation settlement.

So, it’s not just the soil beneath our lawns that shrink. The soil beneath our homes shrink too — particularly during those dry periods that extend for months (or even years, in extreme cases) known as “droughts”. And when soil shrinks, it creates voids — empty spaces where a foundation can settle.

Signs of Foundation Settlement

You might expect a sinking foundation to be obvious to the eye, but this isn’t always the case. Because foundation tends to settle slowly, you may not notice it just by looking at your home from across the street.

However, when a foundation does settle, it typically doesn’t do so all at once. For instance, one corner of your home may sink deeper and faster than another. This uneven settlement can often throw off a house’s geometry, so its once true parallel frame becomes angled. And when that happens, symptoms may appear all over the structure, including:

So, the next time you struggle to open a window, know that it may not be the window that’s the problem. It could be something happening many feet down below.

The thing is that foundation problems don’t get better over time, and they definitely don’t get less expensive to repair either. But they can be fixed permanently. In many cases, the settling foundation can be raised back to its original position.

Solutions for Foundation Settlement

The best way to prevent a home’s foundation from sinking further is to physically connect it to bedrock or stable soil. And the best way to do that is to drive steel push piers deep into the ground until they reach bedrock or competent soil and connect them to the home with heavy-duty steel brackets. Once this is done, the foundation can be raised to its original level.

Piers are essentially sections of steel tubing that are mechanically pushed into the soil until they reach bedrock or stable soil. In certain situations, specialty piers with fins, known as helical piers, are driven (literally screwed) into the soil to achieve the same stability.

It goes without saying that piering is a major repair procedure that needs to be done by a company with a lot of experience.

What if I Don’t Fix It?

Since foundation settles slowly, it can be tempting to ignore it. After all, sticking doors and sagging floors can often be chalked up to a home’s “character,” especially if the home is over 50 years old. But as mentioned earlier, foundation problems only grow worse with time. And if left unaddressed, they can lead to catastrophic, or even in the worst cases, irreparable foundation failure — which, believe us, is something you don’t even want to contemplate.

So, why fix it? Well, because it’s your home, for one thing; it’s where you and your family live. It’s where your memories are made. And it’s also likely your single largest financial investment, so it just makes logical sense to protect it. Plus, if you ever decide to sell your home, you are obliged to disclose any foundation problems it has. There’s also the matter of cost. After all, because foundation problems only grow worse with time, they’ll never be less expensive to fix than they are today. And the cost of stabilizing your foundation is often much less than the financial loss you’ll take if you sell your home as-is.

The good news is, with modern piering technology, settling foundations can almost always be permanently fixed. But you need to have your home inspected by a reputable company with specific expertise and deep experience in this area — no “general contractors,” please!

What happens after your home’s foundation is stabilized and returned to its original level? You’ll be sleeping soundly — no matter how hot and dry it is outside.

 

At Baird Foundation Repair, we have the specific expertise and deep experience required to repair your settling foundation. To SCHEDULE YOUR FREE QUOTE, call or e-mail us today! We proudly serve San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston, Austin, and surrounding areas.

cracked walls , foundation repair , home maintenance , soil , soil conditions , steel piers
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