Why Do Foundations Sink?

By Shawn Kyles

When a foundation settles, it can cause considerable damage to a home, including uneven floors; bulging, leaning or bowed walls; a chimney that pulls away from the house, windows and doors that don’t close properly, wall cracks, ceiling cracks, baseboard gaps and other structural problems.  A foundation will sink when the soil it was built on has a high clay content that causes it to expand and contract, or it wasn’t properly compacted when the foundation was built. Because the settling is almost always uneven, it causes foundation problems and building damage.

Water, including rain and water from sprinklers, down spouts, condensation from an air conditioning unit and broken pipes, is the basis of most foundation damage. It causes soil to expand, which can quickly become a problem when it seeps beneath a foundation.  The amount of soil expansion will depend on the composition of the soil, and is rarely uniform. 

When the soil expands, it lifts the foundation; when it dries, it contracts and creates a void.  A concrete foundation will sink into the void created by the soil’s contraction.  Other causes of soil expansion that you should be wary of include overwatering and uneven watering.  Soil expansion and contraction can occur over and over again throughout the year, causing numerous foundation cracks and other damage. Eventually it will affect the structural integrity of the building, and may even lead to a collapse.

A foundation will also sink when the soil around and underneath it hasn’t been compacted correctly.  Excessive foundation settlement will usually occur when the soil is too loose, and can result in cracks and breaks. Settlement damage can also result from poorly planned landscaping.  The roots of large trees and dense foliage planted too close to a home will dry out the soil around and under a foundation.  When the roots absorb the water from the soil, the soil will contract, leaving empty space below the foundation that will cause settlement.

There are many ways to prevent foundation damage, beginning with an inspection by an experienced foundation repair expert. A foundation specialist will be able to determine if you have any water issues that need correcting, and can indentify other potential problems that could result in foundation settlement, cracks and breaks.  If your foundation is already damaged, it should be fixed as soon as possible. The longer you wait to repair a foundation issue, the worse it will get. 

Posted via email from Julian Construction's Posterous

Julian Construction Makes It Easy To Finance Your Foundation Repair

Southern California Company Offers 0% Interest Financing on Foundation Repair Projects

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction Inc. (http://www.julianconstruction.com), a foundation repair, foundation construction and general construction company located in Southern California, is now offering 0% financing and several other financing options to homeowners.

The company has long realized the need for ease of availability for foundation repair services. A few of the options offered by the company are:

• Julian Construction offers 0% in-house financing for up to 48 months
• No payments for a year through the Home Project Card
• Pay Through Escrow: On home purchase projects, the company can be paid for all work through escrow, with no deposit needed
• 30 Year Amortization: On larger projects the company offers long-term, secured, low interest financing
• Pay from Cash Flow: Apartment owners and property managers can upgrade their property, then pay off out of cash flow

  Julian De La Torre, founder of the company, stated: “We want to make it as easy as possible for the average home owner to handle and correct problems with their home foundation, so that their home is truly safe, and will be as safe and secure as possible in the event of a major earthquake.”

  Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.typepad.com.

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Julian Construction Offers Roof Solar Electric Systems

Julian Construction Inc. Can Set Up Solar Electric Systems When Refitting A Roof

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction Inc. (http://www.julianconstruction.com), a foundation repair and construction company in Southern California, is encouraging Southern California residents to install solar power systems for their roofs. These systems can be installed during the repair or refitting of a roof, or at any time one wishes to increase the cost efficiency of one’s electrical use.

Solar electrical systems began in 1954 with the development of the first practical silicon-based solar cell. Since then efficiency of solar energy has made great strides, now nearing 15% efficiency rates. Julian Construction, Inc. has been offering solar electrical system installation in an effort to help residents go green. Benefits include long term energy savings that accrue from solar electrical systems, as well as tax benefits and rebates by state and federal agencies.

Julian Construction Inc. founder, Julian De La Torre, was available for comment, “We want to assist people to go green so that we can all decrease our impact on the environment, but also because the person benefits long-term by saving on energy costs. When replacing your roof it’s a good thing to consider installing a solar electrical system on the new roof.”

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.typepad.com.

 

Posted via email from Julian Construction's Posterous