My house is 42 years old and the foundation walls are failing, the basement floors are cracking, the living room is sloping. I definitely need to find a solution fast. I would like to know if pre-cast concrete foundation walls can be used to repair or replace an old foundation that is failing. Is this possible?
2007-03-12 05:20:44 · 6 answers · asked by singlewhitemalekc70 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
As far as fixing the foundation goes they would jack up the house & build a new foundation & walls. I don't think that they would be able to put in pre-cast walls. A lot of room is need to do that.
But first you need to know why the building is sinking.
Is this happening to any other homes close to yours?
Some times the water table goes down & the land sinks.
2007-03-20 02:07:44 · answer #1 · answered by Floyd B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like you really need to talk to a structural engineer. I'd recommend going to an architectural company. They should have a structural engineer or should know how to contact one that could look at the problem and determine a correct solution.
Something like that might be able to work, but it would have to definitely be set on level compacted ground. If the ground isn't compact your house could still continue to sink.
You definitely need to consult a structural engineer though. By the foundation starting to give way, it may have weakened the rest of your house. There is no way of telling what all other problems you may have if you don't have it professionally looked at.
2007-03-12 12:50:32 · answer #2 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if the house is 42 years old and is sinking only now you may have a serious problem.
if it sunk after was built but it is not sinking
now, that is most likely a result of settling and you do not have to panic, as long it is made of wood frame.
If it is sinking in the middle, you probably have a failing supporting column.Or if it is
sinking by one of the side walls, assuming is only a small portion you may have a foundation problem.
In either case you need to jack it up to proper level and replace the colum or the bad piece of foundation.
Try to match the type of foundation you have
it will look better in the end
good luck
2007-03-16 14:46:48 · answer #3 · answered by argus 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think your best bet at this point is to call in a professional and have him do whatever needs to be done. The house may need to be jacked up a little bit or some concrete may need to be poured for a footing. Trying to fix it with a band aid will probably be more expensive in the long run.
2007-03-18 22:22:07 · answer #4 · answered by don n 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well before u do anything else u need to under pin the foundation as this will stop further movement then u will need to screed the floor level as to trying to replace the existing with a precast foundation sorry but that would mean alot more work than u would want under pinning is the solution to your problem
2007-03-18 12:05:06 · answer #5 · answered by zoomer2001uk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is not amateur hour!!!!
This is not for the Saturday afternoon engineer. You need to get a really good contractor to evaluate the situation.
Like Don n says it might need to be raised and pour some concrete.
2007-03-19 19:18:12 · answer #6 · answered by dVille 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋