subject: Causes Of Foundation And Slabs Sinking [print this page] Water may be the source of life, and the lack of it may very well mean the end of every living creature. However, as often is the case, too much water can also be bad, most especially if you are dealing foundations and concrete slabs.
Water is the topmost reason why foundations tend to sink or tilt. Depending on the type of soil that can be found underneath the foundation, water can cause it to either expand or be packed together. When this happens, the movement of the soil can cause the concrete slab on your houses foundation to be subjected to an upheaval or a differential. Even worst, these movements in the houses foundation can cause your beams, walls and ceiling to have cracks and other damages.
Putting a foundation in an area where the soil is mainly made of clay is another reason for it to sink. Clay reacts easily when exposed, or kept from, water. This could get worst if the water does not occur uniformly across the entire slab. This could happen when there are different plant forms located around the foundation, when there is a leaking pipe, or when there is poor drainage.
Apart from soil stabilisation, improperly installed foundation can also cause structures to sink or tilt. This can happen when the contractors had not taken into consideration the climate of the area, the soil type, and the amount of traffic. The presence of burrowing animals can also cause a foundation to sink most especially if the soil has been greatly weakened in one area.
Oftentimes, when a foundation sinks dues to soil settlement, contractors do slab jacking or slab lifting. This involves injecting a gravel mixture between the soil and the concrete slab. The volume of the mixture causes the damaged or cracked concrete to rise and be at level with the other slabs. This method usually takes a few minutes allowing you to use the area quickly. However, you still have to take into consideration the extent of damage before you try this one.
If you are on the lookout for someone to help you with your soil settlement, you only have to go online and do word search. There are a number of sites dedicated to providing solutions for foundation sinking which you might want to visit.
