Rainy Days and your Sinking Foundation

Causes
Sinking Foundations are usually due to bad drainage, ground movement, subsidence or poor construction. In an area like Seattle, Washington, we have our fair share of rainy days which result in high moisture content in our soils. Incomplete or failed waterproofing around and under basement walls and floors is a significant cause of foundation failure.

How to Spot a Sinking Foundation
While the obvious symptoms of a sinking foundation in need of repair - doors and windows becoming stuck, cracks in sheetrock, subtle slanting that develops in flooring, or baseboard showing gaps above the carpet - these can be a symptom of inadequate drainage causing your foundation to settle.

Upper level soils - those in the 6 to 8 feet from ground level and below - can go through wet and dry cycles due to annual weather cycles with their moisture and temperature changes. The occasional drastic change like a heavy rainfall immediately after a drought, causes water to move through the soil at greater-than-normal rates. This water looks for the path of least resistance. If this path is through, beside, or under your foundation, settlement and cracks may start to appear.

How rainy days can affect home foundations
When soils with have heavy concentrations of water, the pressure on your foundation or basement walls can double in weight. This can consolidate (compress) your soils by driving the oxygen out of it. This consolidation then in turn causes your foundation to start sinking due to the lack of support. The soil compresses and takes less space, and so leaves nothing under the foundation to support its weight and the home above it.

Foundation repair products, such as the Grip-Tite line we use, are designed to give new support to structures that have are in that particular situation. Like stilts these underpinning products will not only stabilize a sinking foundation but they also can lift and hold the structure at it's originally design elevation.

If you notice that your foundation is settling, it's important to bring in a foundation engineer to evaluate your scene and give you an estimate. Contact us today for your free consultation.