I purchased a new house 1 year ago in a somewhat wet area. The foundation seems ok a few small vertical cracks one larger than the others but Ithink it is ok. But my slab floor has sunk in spots up to 3 – 4 inches and has large cracks. Large enough to put a pencil through. My columns sank right with it and had to be dug up and re poored and the main beam leveled. My question is I think the actual foundatin is stable just the floating slab needs work. How would someone typically fix that.? Do you have to dig up the whole floor or can they cut and fix areas.??
Thanks
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Wow. What did your home inspector write in his report about it?
Well he wasn't very good and the basement was full of moving crates and all wall to wall so in his defense it was very hard to tell. We did notice it had dropped in spots but did not realize the extent of the cracking.
Lally columns just set on a 'floating' basement floor slab does not sound so good. You are probably better off that the slab subsided and you have to put proper support under the columns.
The fact that the basement slab is subsiding is less-than reassuring. Usually that means one of two things. Either there is bad fill (tree stumps, limbs, etc.) decomposing in the fill, or there's water moving under the slab. Neither are very good. Water will be a tad worse, overall, though.
Is there any evidence of an interla drain system? Sump pit or the like?
The house has no sump pump and the NE just had the worst rain and flooding in 10 years here and no water in my basement at all. But my lot is very wet if you dig anywhere at all in my yard down 1 foot you hit water. The basement lally columns were not on the slab they were in 4 (or close) foot holes but they sank with the slab. The house was built in 1962 so I think most of the settling was years and years ago. and like I said most of the foundation walls seem fine.
I would say poor soil and build prep and it just settled with all the water. How do you fix something like this.?? Its a great lot on a private dead end road that I am more than happy to live with some minor issues but I would like to have them fixed correctly (and hopefully inexpesive.)
Well, It is possible to fix it...
I had a house in California that I have to lift cause it sunk in front, but not the back.
Took the contractor $25K (8 years ago) and a month and he had it straight. Had to jack up the footings every 6 feet or so, and pour a new foundation under the old. Fortunately , it was a slab, no basement. Afterwards, he mudjacked up the interior concrete floors until they were level.
But the rest of the story took another $500K to get looking new.
These type of projects have no end. They find some way of affecting everything, I mean, EVERYTHING, in the house. But if you got the right location (and money), it can be worth it.
Just buy the specialty cements for repairing slabs and sidewalk. This cement will be placed on top without cracking much.
Since its just the floating slab, it means the dirt under the slab was not compacted.
For typical slabs on grade, I have unbolted the mudsill, level the sill and poured cement over the sunken portion.
If the house was 5 years old, I would say that 90% of the settlement was done. I water enters, it will settle more.
Pouring a slab on top and leveling 3 times will still be cheaper than digging it all out and redoing it.