Sinking Foundation

Do You Have a Sinking Foundation?

New England home foundations have been built with different materials over the years. Older homes were built with field stones, brick and cut stones and newer foundations with concrete blocks or poured concrete.

As we know the weather pattern over the years have fluctuated from hot and cold to very dry or wet conditions, and this has had a big influence on the integrity of the soil that surrounds your foundation.

Unless you built your home from scratch, you don’t typically know what kind of soil your house is built on.  Even though the older houses were built to last, their foundations can still be compromised due to the soil it sits on.  Most homes tend to settle over time, and some may settle more than what’s expected which can cause structural damage and that’s when it can be a concern.

The signs to look for would be cracks in the foundation, doors and windows that are hard to open, cracks in your walls, slanted floors or a chimney that is pulling away from the house. Pay attention to these signs and if you feel uncertain about the severity of the settlement, contact a structural engineer who can assess the damage and recommend the proper solution.  Our qualified foundation repair contractor can also suggest a proper solution and/or recommend a structural engineer.

More often than not, helical pile underpinning is a reputable solution to a settling foundation.

Contact Solid Earth Technologies if you notice the signs of a sinking foundation. We are an experienced helical pile contracting company in New England whom structural engineers would refer to do this type of work.