Soil Content and Earthquake Activity Damages Foundations across the United States
Each state across the United States have different soil content. Some kinds of soil make it a higher risk for foundations under homes to settle. Settling foundations cause problems and enormous costs for the property owner. Every structure ever built in any state across the United States settles to some degree. However, when the structure is built upon certain soils or you live in a state prone to seismic activity the risk for foundation damage increases. This type of damage happens in moment frame structures, traditional structures, and soft story buildings. It is your soft story contractors, general contractors, and a soft story reinforcement contractor who can make your structure safe and comfortable.
The two things that keep homeowners safe and sound is the roof and the foundation of their home or business. If these two things are not kept in excellent condition everything and everyone in between the roof and foundation suffers. The foundation is in imminent danger and needs fixing at the first visible or nonviable signs of a problem.
Foundations require upkeep and repair and the homeowner can do minor foundation repair. However, when it comes to replacing a current foundation with a new one you need to contact a seasoned, quality general contractor in SoCal and any state you reside.
Know when to call your general contractor or soft story contractor to repair or replace your foundation. Property owners can keep a watchful eye on their foundation and know when the foundation repair is imminent.
General contractors and or a soft story reinforcement contractor, especially in the socal areas, knows how vital it is for owners to do foundation repair. Because California is at high risk for earthquake damage to foundations, these professionals can do seismic retrofitting on a multi-story building thus known as soft story buildings. These buildings are a higher risk of collapse due to their structural design, making them risky during an earthquake.
Foundations in need of repair, replacement, or retrofitting can also damage your wallet because your energy bills will skyrocket in the colder months. This also affects the function of your air conditioning unit and means higher energy bills during the hotter summer months. Faulty foundations give no one a break.
You need to be aware of a few warning signs that your foundation needs foundation repair, retrofitting, reinforcement your foundation through retrofit programs, seismic retrofitting, cantilever columns, brace, or sheer wall to make your foundation more stable, stronger, and earthquake ready.
Warning Signs Your Foundation Needs Help
- If your foundation’s floor is made of concrete or tile and you notice cracks across the floor you have a have an issue that needs fixing as soon as possible. If your floor is made of wood, these types of floors do not crack. Wood floors tend to separate which is a clear indication your foundation needs help.
- An interior wall is usually made of sheetrock. So if you notice cracks forming in your walls it may be a clear indication that your house is settling. It will take the expertise of a contractor to tell you if your foundation needs repair, replacement, or reinforcement.
- If you never had any trouble raising and lowering your windows or closing doors and now windows slide harder and doors cannot close and the problem is increasing this is a good indication that you may have a foundation issue.
- Foundations on many structures are made up of cinder blocks. If you notice any of these cinder blocks sliding off one another, pulling apart or cracking your foundation needs help. Many homes and businesses across Florida and certain other states do not have basements. These homes and business structures sit on cement slabs. Homes and businesses built where the water table is high must be built on cement slabs and these cement slabs tend to crack as the foundation settles.
- Windows that present small gaps between the window itself and the wall show you that you have a foundation issue even if foundation damage is not seen visibly. This issue causes utility bills to escalate.
- Did you know that your home’s walls can rotate? Envision a structure built from a deck of cards. Give one card a chance to turn and the whole structure collapses. Stand back and take a good look at your walls. See if you notice a curve in the wall. There are foundation issues if you notice a wall rotating.
- Do you notice your floors slanting? Is a room higher on one end than the other? Do you have to balance your furniture out with felt pads under legs of table or chairs because the floor is so uneven? These issues are a clear indication you have a problem with your foundation.
- Do you notice cracks in your foundation that are quite visible? There is no other visible issue then when your foundation shows cracks, especially if you can see outside or inside through the crack. Cracks need fixing as soon as possible because you also lose a lot of energy making your utility bills sore.
Call the Professionals for this Repair or Replacement
Major foundation repair or replacement is not a DIY project. This project can be a homeowner or business owner’s worst nightmare if they do not call a professional contractor for help. At the first suspected foundation issue, you need to call for assistance by licensed general contractors or soft story contractors. The homeowner does not have the expertise or tools to fix this problem.
Contractors are ready to help commercial building owners, property owners, and businessmen and women get foundations earthquake ready in SoCal. Not all states need to be earthquake ready but these states have other issues that affect foundations in other damaging ways such as soil content and flood zones.
You do not have to live in SoCal to worry about earthquake activity as every state across the United States have fault lines and every state is at risk for foundation damage due to this seismic activity. Some states such as California are at a higher risk for seismic activity and other states are at low risk.
Know what kind of soil your home was built on. Certain soils cause foundation damage quicker than others. Is the type of soil your home sits on causing your house to settle? You need to call in a contractor to take a look at your foundation before it is too late and the problems are not fixable. Homeowners who know they have a foundation problem but do not take the proper steps to fix the problem, end up paying more money. Your issues could require a minor fix that is relatively inexpensive, instead of major repairs or replacement costing thousands of dollars more.
