This client has a detached 3-story garage. She called us to fix her stone which was separating from the side of the garage. https://artofstonegardening.com/construction. It could be many things, including improper mortar, not using wire mesh, etc. But, when all the stone is coming off the side of a structure and not just pieces of stone, that means that the foundation is compromised.
The garage was built with natural stone veneer (term used for stone glued/mortared onto a structure.) The reason I mentioned natural stone vs. manufactured stone is that natural stone weighs considerably more. When this is added to the side of a structure, one needs to consider the weight of the material.
Jason dug around underneath the garage and found out that the whole structure (under the concrete base) had voids, or open spaces, with some concrete blocks supporting the side of the garage. The veneer was not on a concrete footing, only on top of dirt. Therefore, the dry stack stone veneer was not supported. Not good. If this problem is discovered after a structure is completed, one way to fix is to add Helical Piers – metal supports underneath the stone veneer to hold the weight.
This is from the website of the company that helped us repair the foundation: https://atlaspiers.com/foundation-repair/
SIGNS YOUR FOUNDATION NEEDS A REPAIR
As a homeowner, it is important to be on the lookout for early signs of foundation failure. Some indicators of foundation failure are:
- Uneven or sagging floors
- Uneven, warped, or sagging ceilings
- Windows or doors that do not fit correctly in their frames anymore
- Unlevel parts throughout your home
- Unexplained water damage or pooling water in your basement
- Cracked or crumbling outer foundation walls
- Long cracks on the inside of your basement or crawlspace walls
A foundation will settle naturally to a certain degree, as it adapts to the surrounding soil conditions and environment. However, at some point, the settling may be more than is safe to continue supporting the home structure.
If you see any of these issues, do not ignore them. In most cases, addressing residential foundation repairs in the early stages makes the process easier, faster, and more affordable than waiting. Foundation problems can threaten your home investment and may lead to structural damage, which can reduce your home’s value.
THE #1 CAUSE OF RESIDENTIAL FOUNDATION ISSUES
Foundation issues can be caused by several different culprits, but most of the time we see foundation repairs resulting from soil-related problems such as:
- Poor compaction generally means that the soil wasn’t compacted properly before building the foundation. As a result, the weight of the house has slowly compacted the soil over time, leading to damage to the foundation and a home that sinks into the ground.
- Overloading simply means that the soil is structurally overloaded. It just doesn’t have the strength to hold up the home. In these cases, you may want to opt for a solution such as a helical pier. That relies on axial arms or blades that extend beyond the existing foundation so that your home is actually supported by different, nearby soil that has better composition.
- With excessive organic materials, the solution can be to change the structure of the soil by adding certain elements. In other cases, adding underpinning or other supports can also help.
- Finally, with expansion and contraction, the water in the soil – along with the freeze-thaw cycles – has caused the home to shift. Again, in these situations, our experts can help you identify the best type of residential foundation repair for your needs.
