Garage Foundation Problems

Just as your home can suffer from foundation problems, your garage can also suffer. It is not uncommon for homeowners to require foundation repair services for their garage instead of their home. Because they are normally built on concrete slab foundations, garages are prone to foundation settlement and foundation cracks. If you have an attached garage, this could mean that foundation problems in the garage could affect your home as well.

As is the case with foundation failure in any structure, there are several telltale signs that your garage needs professional foundation repair. Some of these signs are blatantly obvious, while others are much more subtle. The most common signs include:

• Floor cracks and wall cracks: Cracks in the floor or walls of your garage, especially above doors and windows, are a good indication that the foundation has started to shift or settle. They are formed from stress as the soil under the foundation shifts, causing the foundation to heave upward or sink.
• Gaps and spaces: Gaps and spaces between the walls and floor, or between the walls and the doors or windows are another sign that the garage’s foundation may be under stress.
• Uneven or sloped floors: If the floor in your garage has become sloped or uneven, it could mean that your foundation is settling or sinking. This can be caused by voids opening beneath the foundation or even by tree roots pushing against the foundation from the bottom.
• Bowed, leaning, or rotating walls: If your garage walls begin to bow or lean outwards, or even to rotate outwards, it means that the foundation is probably settling unevenly. The moisture content in the soil and the compaction at the time of construction play a big role in how evenly your foundation settles.
• Misaligned windows: When the windows in your garage become misaligned, they will start to stick and become difficult to open and close.

Solutions for Garage Foundations

The cause of foundation problems is usually the shifting or varying moisture content of the soil beneath the foundation. This can happen when there is an especially large amount of rain, causing the soil to absorb more water and expand, pushing on the foundation. Excessive water can also lead to erosion, washing away soil and forming voids beneath the foundation. Although too much water is often the cause, drought-like conditions can also cause voids to form.

Whatever the cause of the foundation problems in your garage, Pro Foundation Technology offers a wide variety of foundation repair solutions to restore strength and stability to your garage: steel push piers, helical anchors, and new construction piers are just a few of our services. We also offer concrete leveling using polyjacking to raise your slab and fill voids. If your garage is suffering from a foundation problem, contact us today. We serve Kansas City, Overland Park, Raytown, Columbia, and the surrounding cities.