Foundation Problems
#1
07-11-14, 07:58 PM
Foundation Problems
We have foundation problems. Walls (sheet rock) cracking, door frames with 1+" space at the top & snug at the bottom, etc, etc...
We live in northern Louisiana & our subdivision was built on gumbo in a swamp in the 70's. Its a brick single story brick home about 1500 sq ft.
I think the problem is due to the gumbo true enough but I think some of the problem could be from the old clay sewage pipe that have either come apart or roots from nearby trees have damaged the clay pipes & over the past few years have collapsed or washed out or something...
I know next to nothing about foundation work. We are about to call a couple of foundation repair companies to come out & give us some estimates.
What advise do you have for me?
We live in northern Louisiana & our subdivision was built on gumbo in a swamp in the 70's. Its a brick single story brick home about 1500 sq ft.
I think the problem is due to the gumbo true enough but I think some of the problem could be from the old clay sewage pipe that have either come apart or roots from nearby trees have damaged the clay pipes & over the past few years have collapsed or washed out or something...
I know next to nothing about foundation work. We are about to call a couple of foundation repair companies to come out & give us some estimates.
What advise do you have for me?
#2
07-11-14, 08:08 PM
Member
It's not easy offering advice if we don't know what you're seeing. What type of foundation do you have? Continuous concrete footings and stemwalls, with crawlspace? Or is it a solid concrete slab? Or post and beam?
If you could include a few pix of specific areas of concern, they would be helpful for us to help you.
If you could include a few pix of specific areas of concern, they would be helpful for us to help you.
#3
07-11-14, 08:34 PM
Its just a solid concrete slab.
When they built the house, they just dug trenches, laid the plumbing in the soil, formed up for the slab around the perimeter & poured concrete.
No crawl space, no basement, no posts or beams etc.. Just a solid, one piece concrete slab sitting flat on the soil. Then, ofcouse, framing bolts & nails right onto the flat, solid, concrete slab.
I hope I answered your question. Somethings like "post & Beam" or "stemwalls" I am not familiar with so, I am sure it wouldnt apply here.
When they built the house, they just dug trenches, laid the plumbing in the soil, formed up for the slab around the perimeter & poured concrete.
No crawl space, no basement, no posts or beams etc.. Just a solid, one piece concrete slab sitting flat on the soil. Then, ofcouse, framing bolts & nails right onto the flat, solid, concrete slab.
I hope I answered your question. Somethings like "post & Beam" or "stemwalls" I am not familiar with so, I am sure it wouldnt apply here.
#4
07-12-14, 04:03 AM
Is it a monolithic slab? slab, foundation and footer all poured together
I've worked on some houses built in fla swamps that had to use a monolithic slab [with a lot of rebar] to make the house stable. An over simplification is the house would 'float' over the unstable ground. I remember 1 house where the engineer goofed and had said it didn't need a monolithic slab and the house started to sink. The builder had to buy the house back and have pilings poured under the slab to stabilize it. I then went in and painted the repairs so he could resell the house.
I've worked on some houses built in fla swamps that had to use a monolithic slab [with a lot of rebar] to make the house stable. An over simplification is the house would 'float' over the unstable ground. I remember 1 house where the engineer goofed and had said it didn't need a monolithic slab and the house started to sink. The builder had to buy the house back and have pilings poured under the slab to stabilize it. I then went in and painted the repairs so he could resell the house.
#5
07-12-14, 09:15 AM
To be honest I cant be sure but, I am assuming so.
The main reason for the thread was to get some advice, tips & tricks on what to be prepared for OR ask questions about... What to watch out for etc, when getting a contractor AND getting a quote to get this repaired.
The main reason for the thread was to get some advice, tips & tricks on what to be prepared for OR ask questions about... What to watch out for etc, when getting a contractor AND getting a quote to get this repaired.
#6
07-12-14, 09:20 AM
Whenever possible you want to get multiple quotes, talking to the contractors should enlighten you some. Always check their references before giving them the job!
I'm just a painter but BridgeMan and some of the others are pretty knowledgeable when it comes to concrete/foundation work - wait and see what they have to say.
I'm just a painter but BridgeMan and some of the others are pretty knowledgeable when it comes to concrete/foundation work - wait and see what they have to say.
#7
07-12-14, 07:16 PM
Member
It's hard to make recommendations without seeing what you're seeing. Is the slab out of level? Are there any visible cracks in the exposed edges of the slab, visible from outside of the house (below the brick)? Is the slab perimeter thickened, acting as a footing? Is there any significant interior slab cracking visible, possibly with differential settlement of adjacent portions? You may have to pull back carpeting or floor covering in a few areas to view the slab.
Cost and type of repairs will depend on the type and extent of settlement taking place. If you choose not to take a few pix and share them with us, then I suspect you'll just have to wait for the foundation repair people to show up, allowing them to explain to you the specifics of what is going on. It will be interesting to find out what they have to say.
Cost and type of repairs will depend on the type and extent of settlement taking place. If you choose not to take a few pix and share them with us, then I suspect you'll just have to wait for the foundation repair people to show up, allowing them to explain to you the specifics of what is going on. It will be interesting to find out what they have to say.
