September 29, 2009 By

My house was built on an area of cut and fill. Is this why I have a foundation problem?

Cut and fill is a major problem due to the expansive clay soils in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas of North Texas.

Why does improper fill cause a foundation problem?

Clay soil that has not been properly compacted will consolidate over time.. and we are talking about decades.  As the soil consolidates, it drops, and the foundation above it is no longer properly supported.  A foundation that is not properly supported will fail as it too will drop.

What is required to achieve a proper fill?

To properly “fill” a building site, the expansive clay soil must be compacted in no more than 4 inch layers, and be at the proper moisture level during compaction.   Proper moisture means that the clay soil can neither be too wet or too dry.

Why can a site cut cause a foundation problem?

When a site is cut down to a uniform height, expansive clay soil that was covered with over burden is now exposed to the water.   Newly cut soil can be characterized as dry and compact.   The compacted soil is good, but as the expansive clay hydrates (gains moisture), it will expand.  If a foundation is built over a newly cut area, it may heave as the soil hydrates.

Cut and Fill is the worst case scenario for a foundation.

For all the reasons explained above, a foundation straddling a cut and fill is a disaster waiting to happen.  The foundation tends to heave in the cut area, while sagging in the fill area.

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September 29, 2009 By

My foundation is heaving because it is on a cut area. Why do I have a foundation problem?

During housing site development, some high areas of land are cut off, while the low areas are filled with the cut material.   This is called cut and fill.

Clay soil deep underground may be drier than the surface clay. When the clay is exposed to surface moisture after the cut, the soil hydrates.  The clay soil gains water content, and it expands.   The expansive soil swells, forcing the foundation upwards, and we say that the foundation has heaved.

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September 29, 2009 By

Why is expansive clay soil a problem for my foundation?

Expansive clay soil that is correctly compacted and maintained at a proper and consistent moisture level is not a problem for a foundation.

There are four changes in clay soil which cause problems for our foundations:

  • Clay soil expands when it gets wet, causing the foundation to heave.
  • Clay soil contracts as it dries, removing foundation support, and causing the foundation to sag.
  • When clay soil is supersaturated with water, it turns to slippery mud, and the foundation sags.
  • Clay soil that has not been properly compacted will consolidate (become more compact and dense) with time.

If the moisture level in the clay soil under a part of a foundation increases, that area of the foundation will rise or heave.  If the moisture level  continues to rise, turning the clay to mud, the soil will lose its ability to support a foundation, and that area of the foundation will drop or slump.

When the moisture level in clay soil under a part of a foundation decreases, that area of the foundation will drop or slump.

Clay soil that has not been properly compacted during site preparation will consolidate over time due to the weight of the house.  If the consolidation of the soil does not occur evenly under the foundation, some parts will be less supported than others.

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September 28, 2009 By

Can I transfer my foundation repair warranty?

Most reputable foundation repair companies offer a transferable warranty.

The ability to transfer should be stated in the contract.  Be wary if the contract does not have a provision for warranty transfer.

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September 28, 2009 By

Cracks in my outside brick wall.

Brick and mortar cracks in DallasCracks in a brick wall are an early sign of a foundation problem. Have your cracks and the  foundation looked at by a foundation repair specialist.

When a concrete slab bends, or curves downward along a brick wall, that brick wall will eventually break.

When a break or crack follows the mortar line, the damage from foundation failure is easily repaired with mortar touch up. When stress causes brick to fracture, bricks must be replaced.  Brick replacement may cost $100-$200 per linear foot.

Addendum: recently a reader who repairs foundations wrote in that most cracks can be closed with foundation underpinning.  In a lot of cases this is true.  But to raise customer expectations when it is not a sure thing is disingenuous. 

At Granite Foundation Repair, we advise our customers that cracks may close.  To say otherwise, to say that they will,  is promising the moon in order to close the sale.  We have seen brick cracks close almost completely on one side of a house, while cracks barely close up on another side of the same house.   This is why we always recommend that  foundation underpinning be performed early.   When a customer postpones foundation repair, it is not always possible to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.  

So if you think that you have a foundation problem, you can minimize your foundation repair cost by nipping the problem in the bud.   Cracks in mortar can be easily repaired/touched up.  And as we said earlier, cracks in brick are quite costly.

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September 27, 2009 By

Why is wooden trim separating at the top corner of my brick wall? Foundation is concrete slab.


Trim Separation

Trim separation suggests a foundation problem

Here is a photo of trim separation.  This problem was not caused by poor carpentry.

Corner trim separation is a tell-tale sign of a  foundation problem.

As the concrete slab drops on an outside  corner, the brick veneer walls in that area remain somewhat perpendicular to the slab, while the trim remains affixed to the roof system.  The result is that the brick veneer pushes outward on the trim.

One trick for hiding the foundation problem is to caulk and paint the trim.   A thick caulk joint at what should have been a perfectly aligned carpentry corner is a dead give-away of a foundation problem.

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September 22, 2009 By

Does an engineer’s report assure that the foundation is good?

The engineer’s report following a foundation repair assures that the foundation that has been repaired in accordance with the repair plan. If the engineer was told by the customer that the customer could only afford a limited repair plan, then the engineering report only attests to the limited repair plan.

When buying a house, pay attention to the condition of the structure and not just the final engineering letter. If you have any concerns, hire an independent foundation engineer to evaluate the integrity of the foundation.

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September 22, 2009 By

What is the benefit of a Professional Engineer’s approval of foundation repair? The city that I live in does not require a permit or engineer’s report.

When lenders hear that a foundation has been repaired, they want assurance that the work was performed properly.   They want an engineering report.  The absence of such a report can delay or kill the sale of a house.

A registered professional engineer is putting his reputation and credentials on the line when he reports on the suitability of a foundation repair plan. This is the pre-repair engineer’s letter.  After the repair, the engineer certifies that the repair is satisfactory and has been performed in accordance with the plan.

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September 22, 2009 By

Is it necessary for an engineer to sign off on a foundation repair plan in Plano?

Several years ago most Texas cities, including Plano, moved the responsibility for job site inspection out of the city inspector’s office.  To close out a permit, the city requires a Registered Professional Engineer’s seal on a letter attesting that the foundation has been repaired in accordance with the permitted repair plan.

It is possible to inspect a drilled concrete pier to verify steel cage and pier depth prior to pouring concrete.   The introduction of superior pier systems, notably pressed concrete pilings and pressed steel pilings,  eliminated any possibility of in-process inspection short of watching the whole installation process.

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September 22, 2009 By

Why do I have to pay for a building permit to fix my foundation?

To shave the bid price, or to save money, some foundation repair companies fail to include a building permit in the bid, and will not obtain a building permit to repair a foundation.

A few cities require no building permit, such as Rowlett Texas and Rockwall Texas.

In Fort Worth a building permit must be purchased and displayed prominently the day before any foundation repair work begins.

Permits aren’t cheap. In addition to the building permit price of $40 to $250, there is the cost of the foundation engineer’s pre repair and post repair reports, which adds another $500 to the cost of the foundation repair.

The problem with failing to get a permit when required is that each city has its own fine structure for the property owner and contractor.  And the city will stop a non-permitted foundation repair until all of the paper work is correct.

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September 22, 2009 By

How many piers are needed to support a fireplace chimney for a concrete slab house??

The Foundation Performance Organization has published a paper as a rule of thumb for a small to mid sized concrete slab house which recommends to use 4 piers . One pier at each corner of the chimney that is on an outside wall.

It may be possible to get by with 3 piers when a chimney is very light. Light chimneys typically have no external brick and/or may be but a story tall.    And there are cases where the chimney is so light that it is just treated as an extension of the slab.

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September 20, 2009 By

Why can’t I lock my door?

The strike plate is the part of the lock that attaches to the door frame. The latch goes through the strike plate to form the secure lock or positive closure to the door.  When the latch is misaligned with the strike plate the door will not lock.

When the latch is misaligned with the strike plate, either the hinges are loose, or the door frame is warped.

Use a carpenter’s square to check the inside of the door frame.  If it is out of square, there may be a foundation problem.   Give the guys at Granite Foundation Repair a call for a no cost evaluation to the home owner.

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