Los Angeles Foundation Contractor

Causes of Foundation Failure

Foundation settling and shifting can occur anywhere in the world, but the exact causes and recommended solutions are dependent on the location. For instance, heavy rainfall can cause expansive soil varieties in areas prone to soil erosion, landslides, and uncontrolled water damage to shift, resulting in geotechnical issues that compromise the foundation of your home. In other words, foundation issues are likely to occur when you build a structure on:

• Improperly compacted fill soils
• Expanding or contracting soil
• Poorly maintained earth around the foundation
• A sinkhole

Regardless of the cause, foundation failure can ruin the value of the building and possibly render it unsafe and uninhabitable. Detecting the problem early and contacting our professional foundation repair team promptly can save you from more serious consequences and expensive foundation repairs later.

Signs of a Foundation Issue

Sometimes, small problems around the home that can be quickly fixed, like cracks in the plaster, gaps around doors and windows, or a door that jams may actually be signs of a more serious foundation issue that needs professional inspection and repair.

Other more obvious signs of foundation problems include:

• Bowing and bending basement walls – As the soil surrounding your home absorbs more moisture, it becomes increasingly heavy and exerts pressure on the basement walls. Conversely, during hot and dry weather, the soil dries up, contracts, and pulls away from the wall. The repeated pushing and pulling on the wall may cause to bend, become distorted, or even cracked. Simple fixes to repair cracked basement walls only mask the problem, and increase the risk of serious damage and costly repairs down the line.
• Cracks in exterior bricks – When the soil under your home begins to settle, the exterior walls tend to settle and rotate, applying stress on the bricks and joints of the construction. The resulting cracks gradually develop into larger cracks if no action is taken to repair them.
• Cracks in interior walls – Interior wall cracks can occur in any building when the foundation begins to settle. Well-built homes are more tolerant to compression stress, soil expansion and contraction, and concrete shrinkage. But when the soil around your home begins to settle, foundation settling is inevitable.
• Leaning brick chimney – The massive weight of a brick chimney makes it the most likely section of the home to start sinking due to moisture in the surrounding soil, causing it to arc away from the rest of the house. A leaning chimney could be an indicator of a serious foundation problem, and should be fixed promptly to maintain the value of your home.

Fidelity Builders & Design Foundation Services in San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles

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If you notice any of the above signs of damage to the foundation of your house, our specialists can help by identifying the underlying problem and recommending the most appropriate solution within your budget to maintain the structural integrity of your home.

Our services include:

• Foundation repair, restoration, piering
• Pressure grouting
• Basement waterproofing – interior and exterior
• Repairs and upgrades – house leveling, basement and crawlspace conversions, crawlspace encapsulation

Contact us today for professional foundation services backed by material, design, and workmanship warranty.