House Settling
After some time, the soil beneath a house slowly begins settling. This causes the phenomenon known as “house settling”. When this happens, the floorboards and joints of the home may begin cracking, squeaking or making other strange noises. This is a big indicator that your house is settling and it may be time to call a foundation settlement repair contractor.
House settling is a natural part of life. Given enough time, all houses will begin to settle. However, if things were done improperly when your home was being built, your home may start settling before it should. For instance, a common cause for house settling is improperly backfilled soil. This occurs when a contractor digs the hole for your basement too deep and has to fill some soil back in there to bring to the correct level. This soil is called non-virgin because it has been tampered with. It takes thousands of years of soil naturally compressing to become as compact as it was before it was dug into.
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Clay Soil
Also, some types of soil are more prone to settling than others. Clay soil is notoriously problematic in this department. It expands as it becomes saturated with water. This becomes problematic when moisture level changes in the soil. As the moisture levels change, the soil expands and contracts. As you can imagine, this can become quite disastrous if a house is built on the soil that all these changes are happening on.
Tree Roots And Water Problems
As you can see, water is very problematic for homes that are built on clay soil. However, water can also be problematic for all other types of soil. For example, tree roots can start growing close to your foundation in search of water. These roots can wreak havoc on your foundation. They also disrupt the natural soil compaction which ultimately leads to foundation settlement. Tree roots also help open up pathways which make it easier for water to get under the foundation.
Decomposition Of Items In The Soil
Decomposition of various items in the soil also causes house settling. Sometimes various construction junk like dry wall will be buried in the soil where a home will be built. These items begin decomposing over time which causes pockets of air in the soil. These air pockets cause the soil to start settling which, in turn, causes your house to settle.
It is not always easy to tell if your house is settling. Homes usually have a wood framing attached to the foundation. The wood framing is often more flexible than the concrete foundation. Even if your concrete foundation is sinking, it may take the wood framing some time to “catch up”. Due to this, you may not feel your house sinking until the damage gets severe. It also serves to minimize the damage you do see if you see any.
It is important to understand the underlying causes of house settling and treat them. The problem is often caused by a combination of causes listed above. Contact Weinstein Retrofitting Systems today to get a free inspection & estimate.
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