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Question for any structural engineers out there; My house appears to be sinking :(
Topic Started: Dec 8 2010, 11:39 AM (875 Views)
PattyP
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Senior Carp
What a scary position to be in. Here's hoping that the problem can be rectified without too much hassle or expense.

I've been told that the reason people water their lawns so frequently here in north Texas during the summer is not so much for the grass, but to keep the ground hydrated. If it gets too dry, the clay will pull away from the foundation of the house and cause major issues.

God bless Texas! Posted Image

A tired dog is a good dog.

"Dogs' lives are too short...their only fault, really."
A.S. Turnbull
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brenda
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..............
jon-nyc
Dec 10 2010, 03:04 AM
Cathy - I have nothing to add in the way of advice, but just want to give you my best wishes that this can be resolved easily and without too much expense.
+1
We've never had to face this type of problem, so I don't have any experience to share with you. Best wishes to you to find a good solution.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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KlavierBauer
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HOLY CARP!!!
Cathy: I just want to thank you for completely freaking me out!
I hope this resolves itself quickly for you - I look forward to finding out what your "peeps" tell you.
"I realize you want him to touch you all over and give you babies, but his handling of the PR side really did screw the pooch." - Ivory Thumper
"He said sleepily: "Don't worry mom, my dick is like hot logs in the morning." - Apple

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Cathys
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Thanks Everyone! Patty that is exactly what the neighbor said to my husband; if water wasn't so darn expensive, he'd of just let it soak the ground. In Colorado it's just the opposite, you're told to keep all water away from the foundation.

KB - I'm sorry for freaking you out :hair: :(blue:( I hope you just have some minor settling issues there. Every house I had in Colorado had some minor cracks but these here are better than a 1/4"and I think in some spots they might even be close to 1/2" not like anything I've seen before.
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Cathys
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BTW - It is becoming surprisingly difficult to find someone not affiliated with actually doing foundation work to provide a second opinion. Spoke with a friend, who is a commercial structural engineer, and he recommended just getting with another foundation company. I hate to get into a situation where two companies start contradicting each other because they both want our business..... but that might be my only alternative. :confused: I am feeling pretty good about this first company after doing some research on them, talking to the neighbor and others that have done business with them.
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Qaanaaq-Liaaq
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Cathys:

Ordinances concerning preconstruction underground earth analysis and sampling vary from county to county and from state to state.

I asked someone I know who works for a county’s building dept. This is what she said: If it’s a single family house being built in a built-up urban area, a drilling sample will probably NOT be done. If it’s a s.f. house in a rural area with septic tanks, a drilling will be done. If it’s a large structure with input from a structural engineer, it’ll be done. If it’s in an area that’s a flood plain or there are any known environmental issues or it’s clay/peat earth, a drilling will be done. If it’s a large planned residential development, a drilling will be done but maybe not under each house, just certain spots. She didn’t know what an earth sample analysis costs. She said she’d have ask to someone else there but he was off that day. A few thousand probably.

As you can see, a preconstruction earth analysis basically depends on the type of structure, location, and environmental issues.

When my sister’s house was built, it was in a rural area but now encroaching suburbanization has crept up on her area. She also lives near where there’s some open pit aggregate mining going on. Aggregate is pebbles that’s used for making concrete. She says she has only her house’s blue prints.

If it was done where your house is, it was well over 20 years ago. If you’re in southern Virginia, then who knows? There could be an abandoned coal mine tunnel under your house.

What a nightmare it must be for you. Good luck.
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