6 Things That Can Lead to Concrete Slab Foundation Problems
Your home's entire structural integrity depends on its foundation. Despite their tremendous durability, however, even concrete slabs can develop issues over time.
Knowing more about the common causes behind problems with concrete foundations can help you either prevent problems from starting or recognize when something needs to be done. Here are some insights:
Soil Movement or Settlement
All houses "settle" over time, or sink a little under their own weight. That doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem with your foundation. However, soil movement or settlement that's caused by either environmental or geological factors can leave the ground under your concrete slab uneven. Uneven support can eventually create issues over time.
If, for example, you live in an area with a lot of clay soil, the dirt underneath your foundation may be prone to swelling and contracting every time it goes from rainy to dry again. This can lead to shifts in pressure on your foundation that causes cracks, sinking, or heaving. weather seasons. In South Central Texas, that means excess rain during the winter/spring season followed by extreme temperatures in the summer months.
Slab Upheaval
This is the opposite of a sinking foundation, but it's essentially caused by the same issues and more. Excess moisture under a poorly designed foundation can sometimes cause one area of a concrete slab to rise higher than the other, particularly after an abnormally high rainy season.
Far from being any sort of harmless "settling," however, slab upheaval is always going to put tremendous strain on your home's entire structure and should be addressed.
Water Leaks and Poor Drainage
Excessive moisture in the soil around your foundation can also be problematic. Heavy rains and flooding, improper grading of the soil around your home, and even drain line leaks can each place too much water in the soil around your foundation.
The excess moisture puts extra pressure on your foundation, which can eventually cause your entire concrete slab to buckle or shift. An active leak in a drain line running underneath your foundation can cause deflection similar to a bulge in the slab. These symptoms sometimes can go unnoticed without special measuring devices called altimeters.
Invasive Tree Roots
Everybody loves the look of a tree-shaded home, but if you want to avoid foundation problems, you should consider planting trees with shallow root systems or ornamentals, like Japanese maples or flowering dogwoods.
Trees with a heavy need for water, like weeping willows, white ash, or oaks, should never be planted close to a home, no matter what their aesthetic value. They often have aggressive root systems that can creep under your foundation and destroy it, one crack at a time.
Regardless of the arboretum you create or inherit from a previous owner, be sure to keep all plant life properly hydrated. Dry soil and cracked soil beds are a danger and warning sign for inadequate hydration.
Shifting and Failing Support Piers
If your home has an older foundation that's already been repaired or reinforced, you can run into new problems if the support piers shift. Other issues such as "critical area underpinning" can lead to unsupported areas losing elevation at different rates.
Poor Construction
Finally, even a brand-new home or an improperly supported addition can experience problems with a concrete slab foundation if the dirt underneath wasn't sufficiently compacted or the slab wasn't properly reinforced. Another problem that frequently crops up with concrete slab construction is when the slabs are not properly cured before the remaining construction resumes. This mistake often happens when construction crews were pressed for time.
Additionally, concrete slabs that are simply too thin (especially with additions) for the weight they're supposed to handle or concrete that was either poorly mixed or mixed with inferior additives can create foundation issues. These issues essentially make a foundation brittle, which means that it will almost certainly develop problems eventually.
If you're looking for the best-in-class concrete foundation repair service, look no further than Risen Foundation Solutions. Call us to discuss your foundation problem today. We'll help you understand your options and regain your peace of mind when foundation problems are troubling you.
