What Is Acceptable Foundation Variation?
Is Your West Texas Home Suffering
From Too Much Foundation Variation?
When It Comes To Foundation Settlement,
Just One-Quarter Inch Can Separate
“Acceptable” From “Disaster.”
For any home or business, the foundation is the “backbone” of the building. Without a strong foundation, your West Texas home or business is in danger of having issues. Even if your foundation is off by as little as ¼ inch, it could spell disaster.
Here’s what you need to know about how your foundation shifts, the acceptable level of shifting, and what to do when your foundation becomes a problem.
What Is Acceptable Variation In Foundations?
Is every home or business foundation completely level? While it may look completely level, in many cases, there is a slight variation on these foundations. If you were to measure the entire foundation, it is expected that there be no more than ½ inch difference.
The common rule of thumb that most contractors use is to ensure that there is no more than a ¼ inch difference for every 10 feet of a foundation. Any figure over this ¼ inch is considered too much and may cause problems for the building.
Even with the slight ¼ inch variation in the foundation, it is not considered to be unsafe. And often, people do not notice this when walking in the building. When this variation becomes larger, that is when problems start to arise.
What Causes Variation In Foundations?
Several factors can cause foundation variation. These factors include:
- Water damage around the building has weakened the foundation, often seen if you notice pooling water around the building when it rains.
- The soil is unstable, leading to the uneven settling of the building.
- The weight of the overall building is too heavy for the foundation that was placed; this often occurs when a building has additional rooms built onto it.
While other problems can cause foundation issues, these are the most common issues that require foundation repair solutions.
Foundation Repair Solutions for Foundation Variation
When foundation variation is so severe that you can SEE it — or even FEEL it when walking around — you need foundation repair. It’s just that simple. There are several ways in which the foundation can be repaired. But, soil stabilization companies will be needed to rectify these matters when the issue is the soil.
What Do Soil Stabilization Companies Do?
In the Texas Panhandle area, soil stabilization is a huge issue. Here, the issue tends to be that the soil hangs on to the moisture, resulting in this soil expanding. Due to the expansion of the soil, the foundation can shift, crack, and cause uneven floors throughout the structure.
When this is the case, a soil stabilization company is the best option for foundation repair. First things first, the soil is examined to ensure that the soil is the reason for the variation in the foundation that is being seen. If it is found that the soil is to blame for foundation issues, the next step is to treat this.
How Our Soil Stabilization Works For Foundation Repair
Treating soil stabilization can be done in many ways. Many companies offer a lime treatment or a potassium treatment in order to stabilize the soil. However, these methods often wash away and require yearly treatment only to work halfway. Meaning it is much like putting a bandage over the issue, rather than correcting the issue.
Other companies may want to put in walls or aprons around the home to prevent groundwater from being able to reach the foundation. This is a costly procedure and very time-consuming. Furthermore, this is also not really addressing the soil itself and is not going to stop soil from expanding around the foundation.
Instead, the method we offer is meant to treat the soil in a way that is not going to disrupt the home. We utilize EcSS 3000 system. This is a scientifically proven method that helps to stabilize the soil.
When soil becomes destabilized, the water is attracted to the clay molecules in the ground and absorbed, causing the soil to expand. This is what leads to a foundation shifting, weaving, or cracking.
The EcSS 3000 procedure is going to be introduced into the ground around the building. This solution is going to decrease the negative charge in the clay particles, ensuring that the water is no longer causing the soil to expand.
What makes this a great option to deal with foundation variation is that the machinery used to inject the EcSS 3000 into the ground is not invasive at all, and it is not as time-consuming to get done as the other methods. You won’t even be able to tell that it has been done. And it works for life in most cases. Meaning once you have this done, soil expanding will decrease and stop, ensuring your foundation is safe.
Foundation Repair Solutions: When To Call The Experts
When is it time to call the experts for foundation repair? For many people, treating the soil is done right when the home is built to prevent variation issues from arising. However, if this has never been performed, then there are certain signs to look for in the foundation that will lead you to know there is an issue.
- If you see cracks on the foundation from the exterior of a building
- If you feel like the floor is slanting when you walk across it
- If you notice cracks in the wall or ceiling
- Windows and doors getting stuck or not opening/closing properly
If you see any of these signs, it could mean that your foundation is at inadequate variation levels.
If you believe that the soil is compromised around your building, then it is time to call the experts and ensure this soil is examined and treated to help ensure no further damage to the foundation. If you are located in the Texas Panhandle area, nine times out of ten, the soil is the issue.
Our patented method will ensure foundation repair solutions that keep your building safe. Our foundation solutions will be the best option to ensure any foundation variation issue is stopped before it progresses too far.