Signs of Foundation Settlement

"Settlement" is a pretty scary term. In regards to your home, settlement is when your home starts shifting due to the soil beneath the home no longer being able to support the weight of the structure. Foundation and settlement issues can cause a multitude of issues, including affecting "curb appeal" with visible cracks inside an outside the house, sticking windows and doors, and are often a cause for water intrusion. Settlement issues are also dangerous. Foundations can collapse and crumble, causing obvious hazards for home inhabitants. These concerns, among others, are reasons why trying to sell a home with settlement issues is difficult, and significantly lowers the resale value of the home.

If you have noticed stair-stepping cracks outside the home, this may be a sign that the foundation wall is rotating outward. Other signs of settlement issues are chimneys that are pulling away from the foundation, doors and windows that are sticking, cracks on the interior of your home, and uneven floors. So, what causes settlement issues?

Settlement can be caused by dry, shrinking, loose soil, but it can also be caused by soil that is too wet. Another reason settlement may occur is when fill soil is not compacted well. In any case, a structure that is settling needs to be stabilized to protect the structure and the inhabitants.

MidAmerica Basement Systems offers a variety of solutions for settlement repair. One of these solutions is the steel push pier. The pier is driven below and against the foundation footing, into the deep soil bedrock beneath the home. It offers minimal disturbance and the best opportunity to lift the structure back to the original position. Helical piers are another option to lift and stabilize. They offer minimal disturbance, and it is a quick installation. The helical pier is driven below the footing, and heavy brackets support the home, transferring the weight of the home to deeper, stable soil.

If you are concerned about settlement, you want to get the problem taken care of as soon as possible. Settlement issues do not get better on their own; they only get worse. It is best for you, your family, and your home to get a free, no obligation estimate with one of our certified design specialist.