It’s All in the Soil
Over 90% of homes we inspect have poor or nonexistent rain gutters. When they do, most dump all the rain run-off directly onto the ground, next to your foundation. Great when it just sprinkles, but that old song rings too true in California.
“Seems it never rains in Southern California. Seems I’ve often heard that kind of talk before. It never rains in California, but girl, don’t they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours.”
Inadequate drainage of surface water, either from rain or irrigation, away from the home often contributes to sub-grade soil saturation. This is the number one cause for foundation problems in Southern California.
The No. 2 problem is our record drought conditions. Moisture content in soil is volume. When reduced due to dry conditions, soil settles, along with your foundation.
Is this your house? If it is, it’s wrong, and it may be the cause of your foundation woes. There are many reasons for foundation problems in your house but in most cases, the expansion or consolidation of the soil that supports your home’s foundation results in foundation movement. This, in turn, can make the entire structure sink gradually.
Why does that happen? In general, differential settlement (sinking) occurs when soil under a footing compresses. The cause of soil compression could be:
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Moistening of the subgrade soil by water infiltration.
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Drying of clay-like soils.
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Crumbling of decomposing organic material in a subterranean layer.
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Inadequate or non-uniform compaction of the soil prior to construction.
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Additional loading applied to an existing foundation through structural additions.
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Hillside slope creep due to an adjacent slope slowly shifting.
Soil Types Clay soil has a very high elasticity index, meaning that it can greatly shrink or swell with the amount of water present. The higher content of clay in the soil below your foundation will determine the potential for settlement and future foundation problems.
Why is my Foundation Failing? (Exterior Wall Cracks) Walls that are bulging or detaching from the building can indicate foundation problems. Why are my walls cracking? There could be many reasons:
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Shrinking or expanding soils.
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Drought conditions or overly wet soil.
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Leaking sewer pipes and supply lines.
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Poor compaction or fill techniques.
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Tree roots or erosion issues.
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Hillside slipping or downhill creep.
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Poor construction techniques.
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Material failure (footing failure) or termite infestation.