Avoiding Foundation Problems
The various types of soil and how water reacts to them are the main enemies of your concrete foundation. Too much water will cause the soil to swell and heave upwards while not enough water will cause it to shrink.
It is really this simple, if the soil beneath a foundation swells uniformly or shrinks uniformly it is unlikely to cause a problem. The problem comes when only part of the foundation heaves or settles while the rest stays the same. This differential movement causes cracks and other damage. In other words, the differential movement is caused by differences in soil moisture from one area of the slab to another; the soil beneath part of the foundation becomes wetter or drier than the rest of the soil.
Years ago, homes were built in areas where the soil conditions were perfect. A developer would select land for various reasons; availability, cost, proximity to offices or factories or an area where there was a strong demand for new homes. Today with limited availability of residential land on which to build, it comes down to the cost of development and a strong demand for new homes; excellent soil conditions probably would be very low on the priority list. Home builders today are business men first and construction experts second and many do not have a good understanding of the engineering of a concrete foundation including properly preparing the soil on which it is going to be built.
As a home owner, you will need to be aware of the signs of foundation problems and head them off. Look for cracks in the masonry and around windows or molding. On the interior look for cracks at the top corners of doors, windows, molding, etc. Even if you have a new home, don’t wait for the evidence to show up, either way take action.
Keep in mind that even a poorly designed and constructed foundation will be OK if you will follow a few simple procedures which also apply to well designed and constructed foundations. In the first paragraph I stated that the various types of soil and how water reacts to them are the main enemies of your concrete foundation. There is nothing you can do about the soil under your slab, however there is a lot you can do to prevent it from ruining the foundation of your home.
The first thing you want to do is to install an irrigation system around the perimeter of your home. Planting shrubbery helps to stabilize the soil and adds some architectural value as well. Make sure you have good drainage around your slab and by all means, make sure there is no trapped or standing water. If you have A/C condensate drains dripping in one area, figure out a way to divert this water away from the slab. Look for any other source of excessive moisture and address it immediately. By monitoring the moisture around your slab, you will not wake up this bad soil monster that is lurking under your house ready to swell and do it harm. Due maintenance will go a very long way to insure against house foundation problems.
Category: Home maintenance, Uncategorized
