Originally posted 12/4/2018, updated 2/25/21
When you hear someone say, “my home’s foundation is sinking,” what comes to your mind? Do You can picture the house sinking into the sea like a ship. Or do you picture a sinkhole that suddenly opens up and swallows the house?
In reality, it’s a tiny bit of both. Shifting earth and water are possible causes, but they don’t create sudden dramatic shifts in your home.
Acculevel has been repairing foundations and waterproofing homes since their start in 1996. A family-owned and operated company, we proudly serve Indiana and parts of the surrounding states. We restore homes to their previously healthy and secure condition, providing peace of mind to homeowners and helping them regain their home’s investment value.
We’re going to demystify the concept of a sinking foundation for you. We’ll explain the common causes of sinking, review the warning signs, and discuss the best repair methods available.
What Makes a Foundation Sink?
I. Poor Compaction
When your foundation was initially built, the ground below it should have been compacted. This means it was tamped down (flattened) as much as possible, to create a dense and level surface. Depending upon the equipment, compaction can have an effect of 3-4 inches to as high as 2 feet, depending on how much. Compaction may be effective for a few inches, but there might still be air pockets in the soil.
Once your home is built and furnished, the weight of it presses against the ground. These tiny spaces in the dirt can cause your home to shift or collapse and sink.
II. Erosion
When water flows into the soil around your foundation, the dirt expands. The ground absorbs more water than it can hold, so the soil expands. This water pressure is called hydrostatic pressure, and it’s one of the leading causes of cracks and water leaks in your foundation.
Water can cause soil erosion around your home if it moves around the foundation. Water can either completely erode the soil beneath your home or soften it. But whether the soil is too soft to support the house, or washed out significantly, the result is the same: it won’t properly support the weight of the house.
III. Weather Extremes
Droughts, floods and extremely cold temperatures also create problems for your foundation’s stability.
Frost heaves and adfreezing can occur when damp soil freezes. These both involve ice forming and damaging your foundation. When water freezes, it forms ice that expands in the soil below your home; this can push the foundation up and out of position. The foundation is then lowered by the lack of pressure caused by the melting ice.
All this melting ice and snow, when combined with spring rains, can create floods. Flooding is a major source of damage, which we’ve already noted as a possible cause for your sinking foundation.
A drought can also cause foundation imbalances. The soil around your home begins to shrink when it dries out. This can pull dirt away from the foundation and undermine it, making it shift farther into the ground.
What Are the Warning Signs of a Sinking Foundation?
You need to look for small problems, that may seem like minor issues or a natural part of a home’s settling. These are symptoms that can be overlooked, if you don’t know their significance:
- Cracks in your foundation, especially on the outside of the home.
- Doors and windows that stick may be difficult to open or close. You may have to place a stick inside the window or a wedge on the door to prevent it from closing. These are warning signs.
- Cracks in the interior wall drywall, especially around windows or doors that stick.
These problems are caused by a foundation that is not level. If one side of your foundation sinks faster than the others, it can strain the home’s overall structure. Building materials like concrete, steel, and wood are not flexible. This is why the doorframes or window casings start to cause sticking; they can’t bend to accommodate the shifts in the structure, so they get pulled out of plumb. Likewise, the concrete and drywall start to separate or crack.
How Do You Repair a Sinking Foundation?
You will need to install piers in order to fix a sinking foundation. These steel posts are installed in the ground around your house and then attached to the foundation using a steel bracket. The piers keep your foundation in place and prevent it from moving lower. Some piers may lift your foundation back to its original place.
To make these repairs, some contractors use push piers. Acculevel believes that helical piers make the best choice for residential properties. Helical piers don’t require the weight of the structure to reach the required depth. Helical piers are powered by the torque (force) from the soil below the surface, which is measured using a pressure gauge.
What’s the Next Step?
We have a comprehensive guide to help you understand foundation repair in more detail. You can choose to only read the sections you are interested in, or the whole guide. You can also bookmark the page for future ..
If you believe your home’s foundation is sinking and you’re ready for a professional evaluation, find an experienced and reputable contractor. We strongly recommend that you check the Better Business Bureau before you make any decisions; the BBB will help you determine if the contractor is accredited and insured. To ensure you are choosing the right contractor for you, please take advantage of our checklist.
Acculevel is available to assist residents in the area. One of our experienced project managers will evaluate your foundation condition and recommend the best course of action for you, to keep your home strong and healthy for years to come.
