Soft soil and erosion can cause a lot of problems for the integrity of your home. You need to spot and tackle this issue before it’s too late. If your house is experiencing foundation issues, sagging, or basement leaks and cracks, it could be caused by soft soil or bedrock issues. Here are some of the ways that you can go about handling these issues to minimize damage.
Remove Erosion Opportunities
Soil that’s soft likely has the right composition to hold water and could result in your home sinking at a faster rate. Eliminating additional water being added to the base of your foundation can help to prevent the damage from occurring faster than it can be repaired. This means that you need to move your downspouts drain to the street and that you need to grade your yard away from your home. Taking these measures will help in the prevention of sinkhole formations but doesn’t solve your underlying issue.
Hit Bedrock
If the soil isn’t strong enough to support your foundation, you have to invest in a solution that will have it be supported by bedrock. This option involves drilling down underneath your home and installing new footings so that the main support structure can rest on solid ground. The point of this procedure is to prevent further damage to your home. There will still be other repairs that will need to be made in order to get things back to normal. By having a solid bedrock foundation, your house will be less likely to sink or experience shifting or leakages.
Install Structural Support
The load of your home may need to be rebalanced in order to account for the soil conditions in your area. House foundation repair specialists will be able to evaluate the situation when it comes to the redesign and implementation of these types of repairs. This could involve installing steel I-beams in order to shift the load and provide support. You may even need to completely replace your foundation depending on the extent of the damage. In cases like these, while it may be costly, installing support will help keep your house sturdy and standing for years to come.
Injection Solutions
When the soil is soft and there isn’t any bedrock near your home, you still have options to prevent further sinking. This involves the practice of injecting specialized concrete into the soil to provide a firm footing. All of these methods go back to the same idea in that you need to create a place for your home to transfer the load in order to prevent it from sinking further into the soil. This repairs the underlying issue but still doesn’t address the damage that may have occurred as a result. However, repairing damages will be useless if you don’t address the root problem causing them.
The soil that your home is resting on makes a difference to its longevity. Soft soil, silt, or even poor mining techniques in your hometown could cause your home to sink, threatening its structural integrity. A sinking house can suffer more leakages, cracks, and be more susceptible to further damage. If you realize this is affecting your house, make sure to check if it is a soil problem. In most cases, the changes will be subtle at first. Use these tips so that you can overcome your soft soil issues and get your house back on solid ground.
