3 Common Causes of Foundation Settlement
What exactly is settlement and what causes it? Simply put, settlement is the movement and shifting of your home when the soil it sits on can no longer support the weight of the home. Even though the soil below your home may be stable at first, the soil moves and shifts over time. There are three main changes in soil that can cause settlement to occur: drying and shrinking of the soil, wetting and softening of the soil, and fill soil that is poorly compacted.
Drying and Shrinking of Soil
During periods of dryness, clay soil dries out and shrinks. As the amount of soil around your home cracks and shrinks, it creates an empty space for your home to settle into. It also allows more water to flow down in the soil surrounding your home, creating a higher chance of basement leakage.
Another big issue with dry soil is the growth and maturing of trees near your home. The root system of a tree is often two times the size of the tree canopy, meaning a tree with branches that extend over your home most likely has roots that extend under your home. These roots draw valuable moisture from the soil, causing the soil to dry out and your home to shift and settle. The settlement of your foundation can cause cracks both inside and outside of the home.
Wetting and Softening of Soil
During times of heavy rain or flood, clay soil absorbs the water and becomes very soft. Soft soil can be extremely weak and unstable, causing your home to gradually “sink” down into it. Also, if your home has a poor drainage system, it can affect the soil below your home. If water is allowed to stand next to your home, the soil will absorb the water, become weak, and cause your home to settle.
Poorly Compacted Fill Soil
When building a new home, it is very common to remove the soil from hilltops and place it in valleys to create a flat and even plot of land. If this fill soil is not compacted well, it will begin to compress under the weight of the new home, and therefore cause settlement to occur. A recent study showed that 15% of new homes have structural problems for two reasons: poor construction or homes built on poorly compacted fill soil. It is possible that when your home was first constructed, the fill soil was not compacted properly, causing your foundation to shift and settle into the earth.
Foundation settlement can be a big issue to deal with, but Woods Basement Systems offers some very simple solutions to lifting your home back toward its original position.