Shifting Soils And The Settling Damage That It Causes With The Foundation Of Your Home
If shifting soils are causing damage to your foundation, you are going to want to repair the damage and prevent problems that are the cause. These problems cause settling, cracks, and structural damage that can be costly to repair. The following tips will help you deal with the problems shifting soils cause to your foundation:
Soil Stabilization to Control the Problem and Stop the Foundation Damage
The first thing that needs to be done to stop damage to your foundation is soil stabilization, which can start by reinforcing loose soils using methods like soil grouting. You can also use plants and hardscaping to help keep soil in place and prevent it from shifting and causing damage to the foundation of your home.
Repairing the Settling and Damage to Different Areas of Your Foundation
As the soil around your foundation shifts, it can cause the structure to settle and cause unsightly damage to the exterior of your home. Once the soil has been stabilized, improvements can be done to correct the settling and repair the damage to exterior finishes using methods like pier-jacking, which is the process of driving pilings into the soil and jacking the structure back to the correct height.
Retaining Walls to Control Shifting Soils and Erosion Problems That Damage the Foundation
Retaining walls are another solution that can be used to control shifting soils. In the landscaping around your home, use retaining walls to help reduce the slopes of steep elevations that cause soils to shift and lead to severe foundation damage. The retaining walls can also include drainage systems that help reduce problems with erosion that can cause the soil to shift and damage your home's foundation.
Drainage Systems to Help Direct Runoff to Prevent Erosion and Foundation Damage
There are also options for drainage systems that can help prevent erosion and problems with shifting soils that cause foundation drainage. Consider adding drainage to the landscaping around your home, as well as to the foundation and areas like gutters, to control runoff and prevent foundation damage that can be costly to repair. Some of the drainage solutions can include rain collection, to add a useful water resource to your home for things like landscaping irrigation.
These are some tips to help deal with shifting soils that are causing damage to the foundation of your home. If you need help with repairs and improvements to prevent this type of foundation damage, contact a residential contractor. You can also reach out to companies like J. Forrest Development for more information.