What Happens to a Foundation as it Ages?

Aging Foundations in the Kansas City Area

Foundation problems due to aging concrete are often the result of poor construction during the original laying of the foundation, or changes in the soil condition around the foundation. Keeping these foundation problems from causing structural damage throughout the rest of your home takes constant maintenance and may also require you to invest in foundation repair services for your home. You should look over your foundation regularly to find out which parts are more likely to suffer from age damage and figure out a viable solution.

Whether the aged foundation problems in your home have to do with poor construction or deteriorating soil conditions:

• Poor Soil Compaction: Before the foundation of your home was laid down, the builders had to excavate the soil in the area and prepare the site. This means that the soil under your home was packed down to support the concrete, and once the foundation was laid, the soil around it was filled in again.  If either of these steps was done incorrectly, the soil under and around the foundation will settle over time, taking the foundation with it.
• Deteriorating Building Materials: After so many years, the materials used to support the foundation of your building may weaken and give out under the pressure of so much weight. This can create cracks in your foundation, which may eventually widen, resulting in severe foundation problems such as gaps and spaces, and even water leakage. If the cracks become large enough, they could even lead to pieces of the foundation breaking off.
• Too Moist Soils: When the ground around your foundation soaks in excess amounts of moisture, it will cause the soil to expand, and the pressure in the ground will increase. This will push on the foundation, causing it to shift and crack. Water buildup in the soil around your foundation can also wear against the concrete, causing it to crumble and flake. Erosion is also a factor in aging foundation failure; as water wears away soil under your foundation, it creates voids which lead to foundation settlement.
• Too Dry Soils: During drought periods, the soil will shrink, as it is not able to absorb as much moisture as usual. This causes the soil to shift, and settle, forming voids and spaces beneath the foundation. These voids do not offer enough support, and as a result, the foundation will settle.

Repairing Foundation Problems Resulting from Aging Concrete

To keep these issues in your home from causing too much structural damage, it is important to invest in foundation repair services as soon as possible. Here at Pro Foundation Tech, we offer a range of different services that can be used to repair settling foundations, shifting foundations, foundation cracks, and crumbling foundations. These repair solutions include:

• Helical Piers
• Steel Push Piers
• Helical Tiebacks
• Polyjacking

These are just a few of the common repair solutions that we offer. If you notice your foundation starting to age and develop problems such as cracks, crumbling, or shifting, contact the experts at Pro Foundation Tech today.