Foundation Failure

Foundation Failure

Foundation failure can be caused by many different factors. Below, we will explain what some of the warming signs to be wary of and the main caused that cause your foundation to fail.

Exterior Warning Signs

• Wall Rotation
• Separation around garage door, windows and walls
• Cracked bricks or fine cracks in foundation
• Broken, chipped or cracked foundation
• Softness of soil surrounding foundation

Fortunately, most towns and cities now have strict building codes and ordinances that require soil testing and engineer certification before and during the building process, so that the original build is not the root cause of foundation failure. Before building codes were required fill material may not be compacted enough to support the weight of the structure above it, which in return, would be a cause of future foundation problems. The problem can be from the mix of odd fill materials, and from poorly compacted fill, or both. 

Six Main Causes Of Foundation Failure

1. Soil type – especially expansive clay soil
2. Poorly compacted fill material
3. Slope failure, mass wasting
4. Erosion
5. Poor original construction
6. Transpiration

If you start to see examples of foundation failure, it would be best to have it checked by a foundation repair specialist before the foundation gets worse. If early stage foundation failure can be spotted and addressed quick enough, it will not only keep your home safe, but can also be less expensive to fix.

source: http://www.brackettfoundation.com/blog/six-causes-of-foundation-failure