Why Is My Home’s Foundation Sinking?

September 17, 2022 Baird Foundation Repair

One of the most important components to making your house a home is making sure that it is built on a solid foundation. The foundation of a home is the load-bearing portion of your house that is below the ground, making sure that the house remains firmly in place during bad weather conditions and leveled out on uneven surfaces. If you’ve noticed that your dream home is beginning to sink into the dirt right before your eyes, you may be dealing with a sinking foundation. Not all is lost for your home, however, as there are plenty of ways to fix a home’s foundation.

The best way to fix your sinking house is to look into foundation repair. Having a professional look into the problems that your foundation is having will guarantee you much better results as well as take the stress off of yourself. Baird Foundation Repair has been faithfully serving families in South Texas since 1969 and offers plenty of financing and affordable options.

What Causes a Foundation to Sink?

There are a lot of different reasons why your foundation has started to sink, and it can be out of your hands. A sinking foundation isn’t usually caused by contracting issues or construction ailments, but rather by the gradual wear and tear of supporting a family and home daily. Three reasons that a house’s foundation may start to sink are:

Settling

One of the most common reasons to experience house sink is the settling of the foundation. Settling is any damage that is caused to the foundation due to the natural changes that take place underground over the years. Weather plays a huge part in what you should expect out of foundation repair. Homeowners in humid and rainy regions will probably have to check their foundations more often than those in arid areas. Areas that have experienced natural disasters in the past 10 years will also have a very high risk of settling depending on the amount of erosion.

Wall Cracks

Foundation problems and wall cracks have a bit of a dependent relationship. Wall cracks are a warning sign of a shifting and sinking foundation, and they indicate that the sheetrock holding the foundation is being ripped apart. They are a sign that you need to call a professional as soon as possible, as the foundation is reaching a point where further damage could result in more repairs having to be done on other parts of the house.

Compaction Issues

Similar to how a barista will “tamp” down coffee grinds before making a coffee, the same thing can happen to the bottom of your house. As the weight of the bottom of your house puts pressure on the soil around it, the soil gets compacted, and the foundation bends and lead to settling and cracking. This can contribute to the house sink in the middle and ends of the walls and can make the foundation much worse off over time. Foundation repair for poor compaction may mean digging around the foundation in extreme cases, so it is important to call early to prevent any further damage.

Sinking Foundation in Texas?

Our hot, humid climate can be tough on your home’s foundation. We’ve been serving homes all across Texas since 1969, so trust our experts at Baird to help get your home back in order! Call us today to get started on your foundation repair.