Granite Foundation Repair has found that the need for concrete repairs and house leveling often arises from an accumulation of factors. The culprits of Texas drought, "gully washer" rains, expansive "Gumbo" soils, tree roots, and heat all combine to wreak havoc on our houses and foundations in the Dallas-Ft Worth area. Improper soil compaction and plumbing leaks may also be contributors.

Foundations can be stressed by soil slumping and/or by changes in foundation moisture. The early signs include cracks in brick, masonry, plaster and other hard surfaces. Left unchecked, it not uncommon for the problem to grow until there is as much as a 4-6 inch drop across the span of a medium sized house.

Moisture changes in the DFW Metroplex area may cause our clay soils, commonly called "Gumbo" (Montmorollinite) to swell and shrink by as much as 4 inches in a few weeks. Those kind of changes exert enough force to bend and even break a foundation. The moisture level in Gumbo has several stages:

Dry Gumbo shrinks and cracks

Moderately moist Gumbo provides adequate foundation support

Wet Gumbo swells.. leading to foundation upheaval- a swollen area of the house that may be as much as 3-5 inches above normal grade level.

Very wet, saturated Gumbo turns to mud, losing all strength, oozing out under the pressure of the foundation

Once another dry cycle arrives the remaining Gumbo that didn't ooze out shrinks to an even small volume, and the foundation settles lower.

After several wet/dry cycles, sufficient Gumbo has oozed out to cause the foundation to sag.. first the brick and dry-wall crack, and eventually the slab breaks.

Factors Influencing soil moisture

During a dry season, tree roots suck an inordinate amount of moisture from under a localized section of the house. The soil shrinks and that section of the house sags and eventually fails.

Improper drainage may cause localized moisture retention and soil upheaval. The moisture laden soil swells. To combat this we recommend that the land clearly slope away from the house, about 1 inch per foot.

Seasonal soil moisture during new house slab pouring has been shown to play a role in the need for foundation repairs. If the foundation was poured during a period of high rain, years later, as the area under the center of the house dries and the perimeter continues to receive appropriate moisture, the perimeter remains elevated, while the center sinks.

Our Gumbo soils resist traditional soil compaction techniques. If soil compaction is inadequate during construction, years later the house will slump downward in the area of the fill.

Leaking pipes pose a serious problem for residential foundations. Soil will expand in the vicinity of the leak, sometimes causing a discernable dome in the concrete floor. If the water is pressurized, it will quickly lead to massive soil erosion and the floor will drop. With time and the accumulation of moisture, even a slow sewer pipe leak will cause soil erosion.

Plant borders and bushes retain moisture, which leads to uneven drying around the perimeter, and eventually soil slumping and the need for foundation repairs.

Shade can play a role, delaying drying in one area, while the sunny areas bake in July and August.

Sometimes the culprit is a neighbor who likes to saturate his lawn.. and the area between his house and yours.

Foundation problems should be corrected by first identifying and solving the root cause of the problem, and then by implementing foundation repairs to fix the damage.