If you have a foundation, or a basement, chances are you will need foundation repair at some point in the life of your home.
There are several things that can go wrong with your basement. The most common reason foundation walls crack, bow, or settle is due to the earth around them, not a poorly constructed foundation. The dynamics of the earth/soil around a home can change due to various weather conditions and time. These changes put a lot of pressure on the concrete and can cause cracks, bowed walls, settling, etc…. Moisture or lack of moisture is the # 1 reason soil conditions change.
On the day your home was built, it was probably backfilled with the same soil that was removed to build your home. At that given time in the construction process, your soil had a certain amount of water in it depending on the conditions of that period of time. Over the years, this moisture content can change and change the dirt that your home sits on and around.
Another factor is that it takes years for the backfilled dirt around your home to fully settle in to a compacted state. When it finally does settle in, you can sometimes get a negative slope towards the home.
The bottom line: Do everything you can to maintain the soil around your home so the dynamics of the soil do not change and cause stress to your concrete foundation.
Most people blame their faulty foundation on the type of concrete used, lack of re-bars, and just poor craftsmanship on the part of the foundation contractor. Some of this may be true, or partly true, but the soil your home sits on causes the most damage.
On the day a home is built, it typically does not have any cracks in the concrete. It typically looks pretty good.
When cracks form in your foundation walls and floor, it is caused by changes to the dirt that encompasses a home. This dirt will experience numerous weather related changes. Rain, snow, cold, and then dry. These various conditions cause dirt to expand and/or contract. This puts undo pressure on concrete walls and floor as the dirt changes. In a perfect situation, a homeonwer should watch for changing conditions in the moisture level of the dirt next to the home (see Repair Foundation). If the times are rainy, don\’t let this extra rain get next to the home. Proper grading is a good way to divert water away. When the times are in a drought, don\’t let the area next to the home stay dry. Watering around the foundation is a good way to do this. Just keep your dirt as stable as possible to keep your concrete happy.
The worst kind of soil for expansion and contraction is clay. If you live in an area with clay-like soil, you will more likely experience the fluctuations. Too much water in clay will cause it to expand. This expansive clay will push up against your foundation wall or basement floor. Not enough water in the clay will cause it to contract, or shrink. This contractive clay will not support the home, or cause it to settle. Another issue with shrinking soil are gaps next to the home. The gaps are not good when mother nature decides it is time to rain again.
The best way to reduce or eliminate foundation repair bills are to maintain your soil directly around the home. Here are some things to consider:
1. Make sure there is good grade or slope so that rain/snow can effectively drain away from the basement walls.
2. Bury your gutter downspouts and/or sump pump discharge so that this water can effectively drain away from the basement walls.
3. If it becomes dry, water the soils around the basement walls to keep them at a consistent moisture content. Don\’t let the soils dry out. A soaker hose works best to get the moisture down to where foundation sits on the footings.
4. If building a new home, have a soils test done. This will tell you how much potential there is for your to experience expansive soils.
5. If building a new home, don\’t backfill with the expansive soils.
If you are building a new home, try to avoid clay-like soil in the area next to your home. Contact a geotechnical engineer to do a soil test after the hole is dug for your foundation. If the soil has clay, there are steps you can take to reduce it. You can also opt to install piers to support the home versus letting the clay soil do it.
Another way to help is to backfill with gravel. These options cost more up front, but they can cost you a lot more later in foundation repair bills.
Todd Mitchell is the President of Gordon Energy & Drainage, a leading provider of basement waterproofing, yard drainage, sump pumps, erosion control, hydroseeding, egress windows and wells and Overland Park KS and Kansas City foundation repair.