Foundation Problems Near Duluth, Superior, Bemidji

Bowing, Buckling Foundation Walls

Foundation walls begin to bow and buckle when outside pressure on the wall become greater than the wall's strength. As the wall begins to fail under the pressure, cracks will form, and the wall will either buckle inwards in the middle, tilt inwards at the top, or slide in at the bottom.

The answer to bowing foundation walls is to add counterpressure to the walls from the inside. By installing foundation wall anchors on the inside of the walls, you can prevent their inward movement and potentially straighten the walls back to a level position.

Sagging Floors Over Crawl Spaces

The floor over a crawl space can sink or sag due to one of three factors: improperly spaced supports, sinking supports, or due to mold and rot damage.

When crawl spaces experience structural damage, the symptoms are evident through the entire house. Cracks form in drywall, floors sink, and interior doors jam.

These problems can be corrected by installing sturdier, more stable crawl space jacks, replacing deteriorated framing, and by removing the moisture that causes mold and wood rot.

Uneven Floors

Uneven floors can create a number of problems for a homeowner, including jamming doors, nonfunctional door locks, and cracks forming in drywall. However, there is potentially a much more serious issue.

If the uneven floor is above a crawl space, there may be rotted framing in the floor, or a problem with the post-and-beam framework that supports the floor joists. An uneven floor slab could be caused by sinking or heaving of the foundation floor because of settling or expansive soils. Over time, these problems can significantly damage your home.

Heaving Foundations And Slabs

Foundations, slab floors, and concrete exterior stairs heave when the soil underneath them expands. Sometimes frost heaving is the cause, causing wet soil to expand as it freezes. Other times, soil rich in silt and clay expands as it becomes saturated with moisture. Heaving foundations typically lead to cracks on drywall and on the slab floor of a home .Exterior walls may also show cracks.

Foundation heave is a potentially serious problem that should be inspected by a professional -- before any repairs to the floors are made.

Sticking Windows And Doors

If a foundation issue is causing your home's windows and doors to stick or jam, then it's a safe bet to say the problem is some form of settlement.

Foundation contractors will often install piers to correct settlement problems, stabilizing the structure and often even restoring it to its original position.

If your windows and doors are sticking above a crawl space, the fault may lie in the central post-and-beam support system rather than in the perimeter walls. This calls for a different repair strategy involving new posts and footings.

Tilting, Leaning Chimneys

One of the most alarming foundation issues a homeowner faces is a chimney that begins to tilt or lean away from the house.

The footing or foundation for a chimney is sometimes built separately from the house foundation. This smaller foundation is susceptible to shifting if it's built on soil with poor load-bearing capacity. Shifting and leaning can also occur if the chimney foundation is too small or too close to the surface.

Foundation helical piers can provide an effective repair solution -- without the need to rebuild the structure.