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It's all about checks and balances.Use proper due diligence and contact a consultant.
Foundations Fail in North Texas
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Foundations problems in North Texas are legion. Structures go up, structures
go down and structures go sideways. That is because the soils that the foundations set on, or in, go up, down and sideways
Foundation problems begin with the land. Was your home built on non-compacted fill dirt? Is it over an old creek
or pond? Was the soil saturated when the foundation was poured? Was it extremely dry when the foundation was poured? Was part
of the foundation constructed on piers? Is the drainage adequate? Do areas of the house get too much sun? Is there a leak
in the sprinkler lines, in the neighbors pool?
The number of issues facing home owners or buyers is becoming immense.
Among them: Has this structure experienced foundation problems in the past? If so, have they been fixed or concealed? Does
the structure currently have foundation problems? Will foundation problems show up later? Can I prevent foundation problems?
Will insurance help? Can I sell without liability? Can I go back against the seller? Will insurance help? What about plumbing
leaks? What effect does the drainage have? Do I really need to spend this much money to achieve a stable foundation?
Foundations move because the soil moves them around! Why does the soil move? Primarily because water causes the soil to
shrink and swell! How does the water get into, and out of, the soil under the foundation? Let me count the ways.
It gets into the soil because of: soaked soil when foundation poured; bad drainage, yours or your neighbors; bad or no guttering,
yours or your neighbors; broken pipes, yours or your neighbors; sprinkler and pool leaks, yours or your neighbors; leaking
sewer or service water lines, yours, your neighbors or the city's; dripping hose bibs; underground springs; high water
tables. Also anytime construction takes place in your area, buildings, streets or utilities, the flow of both surface and
sub-surface waters are subject to change.
Water leaves soil by several methods: runoff and proper drainage, evaporation,
transpiration and capillary action.
Runoff is natural or man made and is pretty self explanatory.
Evaporation
is also pretty self explanatory, except, it might be mentioned that moisture trapped under a slab foundation or in most crawl
spaces, must rely on capillary action to wick the moisture from it's protected position. Evaporation under slabs and in
enclosed crawlspaces is minimal.
Transpiration is the process by which vegetation, grass, shrubs and trees pull
moisture, out of the soil, through their root system. This can account for massive amounts of moisture loss.
The
other main concern, within your ability to control, would be soil compacting or moving laterally under the foundation. Compaction
usually affects foundations when an area of the foundation was placed on un-compacted soil. The earth's soil has been
compacting for millions of years, when disturbed it does not re-compact rapidly. This is often a problem when uneven soil
is moved, to level an area for a foundation; or large trees are moved and the void of the trunk and root system are left un-compacted.
It is also a problem on lots with extreme elevation drops in proximity to the structure.
The point is that often,
re-leveling, or piering the structure is not the total, or even a desired solution to foundation problems. Moisture balance
and soil support are the keys. Around the structure, the moisture level should stay as constant as possible all year long.
When it's raining, water should not be allowed to pond next to the home. When it is hot and dry, the soil near the building
should not be allowed to dry to the point of pulling away from the structure. Retaining walls are also often required where
soil may have, or might, someday move.
There are relatively inexpensive methods of achieving this balance, and
I can help.
The field of foundation repair is now dominated by large multi-state operators who spend tens of thousands
of dollars per month to mass advertise, use celebrity endorsements, use untrained sales people who do not understand the dynamics
of our North Texas soil, and who use cookie cutter methods in an attempt to separate you from your money.
I want
to help you survive foundation and drainage problems. Spend a few dollars and let me help you evaluate your problems and guide
you to a positive resolution to your questions. Please call me:817-308-8186
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