Moisture expands clay soils. Bad drainage will cause areas of houses to lift, twisting the structure, and causing signs of foundation distress. Make no mistake about it, these are foundation problems. However these are not foundation problems that should be addressed using piers.
Foundation companies sell piers. Piers are not the answer when a portion of you house or building heaves. If part of the building is temporarily above original grade, it does not make sense to lift the rest of it up to relieve the stress. Why? because the heaved section will come down eventually and the rest of the structure will be suspended on the piers.
Drainage correction is the answer. It is also, in most cases, a lot less expensive than piering.
It is also a bit tricky to get it done correctly. There are a lot of people doing drainage work that do not understand soils and foundation. Don't waste money on drainage that will be ineffective or in many situations more damaging to your foundation. Go to my website for more info on dealing with foundation problems. Lot of good information. You may also call me with questions. You may also scroll down to sign up for my monthly Newsletter. The next issue will deal in depth with drainage issues.
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Richard Rash
Foundation Repair and Drainage Consultant
817-308-8186
Website
Testing the comments section
ReplyDeleteIt is my experience that most of these water problems come from down spouts that drain to close to the house or gutters that are not working properly. Before you spend a lot of money hiring a water proofer or foundation contracter try unclogging your gutters and draining your down spouts as far away from your foundation as possible.
ReplyDeleteDerek