Common Causes of Foundation Issues Leading to House Levelling

Welcome to the House Lifters blog! We often see homeowners facing foundation issues that can lead to the need for house levelling. A stable foundation is crucial for the safety and longevity of your home, but various factors can cause problems that threaten this stability. Understanding these common causes can help you take preventive measures and address issues early on.

In this blog, we’ll explore the most common reasons for foundation problems and explain why keeping an eye on your home’s foundation is so important.

Soil Conditions

Soil conditions play a significant role in the stability of your home’s foundation. Different soil types have unique characteristics that can affect how well your foundation holds up over time. For example, expansive clay soils, common in some areas, can cause major issues. These soils swell when they get wet and shrink when they dry out. This constant movement can lead to your foundation shifting or settling unevenly.

If the soil under your house is prone to these changes, you might notice cracks in walls, floors, doors, and windows that don’t close properly. Understanding the type of soil your home is built on can help you take steps to prevent these problems and protect your foundation.

Water and Drainage Problems

Water and drainage problems are a common cause of foundation issues that can lead to house levelling. Poor drainage around the foundation, such as water pooling or improper grading, can significantly impact it. When water doesn’t drain away from your home, it can seep into the soil and cause water damage. Excessive moisture from poor drainage can lead to soil erosion, weakening the ground that supports your foundation. Over time, this water intrusion can cause the foundation to settle unevenly or crack.

A well-maintained drainage system is crucial to prevent these issues, ensuring that water flows away from the foundation and water accumulation does not happen around your home. Proper drainage helps protect your foundation from water damage and the costly repairs that come with foundation settlement.

Poor Construction Practices

Poor construction practices can lead to serious foundation issues that may eventually require house levelling. One common defect is inadequate reinforcement of the foundation. The concrete can become weak and more prone to cracking without the proper amount of steel rebar or other reinforcement materials. This can lead to structural issues over time, as the foundation won’t be strong enough to support the weight of the house.

Improper concrete curing – If the concrete can’t cure for the correct amount of time, it won’t reach its full strength, making it more susceptible to damage. Incorrect curing times can result in a brittle foundation, which is more likely to develop cracks and other problems.

Poor soil preparation before laying the foundation – If the soil is not compacted correctly or the ground is inherently weak, it can lead to an uneven foundation. Building on weak ground can cause the foundation to shift or settle unevenly, leading to cracks in walls, floors, doors and windows that don’t operate smoothly. These issues are compounded when the soil is not adequately prepared to support the structure.

Proper soil preparation involves ensuring the ground is stable and suitable for construction, which is crucial for the long-term stability of the foundation. Addressing these construction defects from the start is essential to avoid costly repairs and the need for house levelling in the future.

Tree Roots

Tree roots can be a major cause of foundation issues that might require house levelling. Nearby trees and their roots absorb moisture from the soil, causing the soil to shrink. When the soil shrinks, it can lead to foundation settlement, where the foundation sinks unevenly. This uneven sinking can result in foundation damage and structural damage to your home, such as floor and wall cracks. To prevent these problems, it’s important to maintain proper distances between trees and the foundation. Planting trees too close to the house can increase the risk of root-related issues, so keeping them safe helps protect the foundation from potential damage.

Natural Events

Seismic activity can cause a particularly concerning issue known as soil liquefaction. Certain soil types can lose their solidity during intense shaking and behave like a liquid. This can cause a sudden and dramatic foundation movement, leading to severe cracks and structural issues. These natural disasters highlight the importance of building foundations to withstand such events. In areas prone to earthquakes or floods, it’s crucial to have regular inspections and reinforce the foundation as needed to prevent costly repairs and ensure the home’s safety.

Plumbing Leaks

Plumbing leaks under or near the foundation can cause serious problems for your home’s stability. Water leaking from pipes can seep into the soil, leading to soil erosion and settling. This weakens the ground that supports the foundation, causing it to shift or sink unevenly. Over time, this can result in foundation cracks and other structural issues.

To prevent these problems, it’s important to have regular plumbing inspections. Catching and fixing leaks early can help maintain the integrity of your foundation and avoid costly repairs down the road. Regular inspections ensure that potential issues are addressed before they become major problems.

Age of the Structure

The age of a structure can significantly impact its foundation’s stability and susceptibility to issues that may require house levelling. Over time, older homes experience wear and tear, which can weaken the foundation. Settlement, cracks, and uneven floors are common signs of foundation issues in older houses. To mitigate these problems, proactive maintenance and periodic inspections are essential. Regular inspections allow homeowners to detect early signs of foundation issues and address them promptly. Investing in routine maintenance is crucial for older homes to avoid costly repairs and ensure the property’s longevity.

Professional Evaluation And Repair For Foundation Issues –

When signs of foundation issues such as cracks in walls, uneven floors, or sticking doors and windows appear, it’s crucial to consult a professional foundation contractor promptly. Experienced professionals can conduct a thorough foundation inspection to accurately assess the extent of the damage and identify the underlying causes. They have the expertise to recognise warning signs indicating foundation problems and recommend appropriate solutions.

House levelling is a standard method foundation repair specialists use to stabilise and restore a foundation that has settled unevenly. This process involves carefully lifting the foundation to its original level and providing additional support to prevent future settlement.

Other repair techniques may include installing piers or underpinnings to strengthen the foundation and distribute the weight more evenly. Professional foundation contractors use specialised equipment and techniques to ensure the repair is done effectively and safely, addressing the root cause of the foundation damage to prevent further deterioration.

Consulting with experienced professionals such as House Lifters Auckland ensures that your home’s foundation is properly repaired, restoring its stability and protecting the structural integrity of your property for years to come.

Customer Feedback

On all occasions House Lifters went about their work with enthusiasm, and a high degree of success. Rod and Wei had a knack of finding very suitable properties at extremely competitive prices. They are a pleasure to deal with and I would have no hesitation recommending House Lifters to anyone that requires such services.

Sir Rt Honourable

John Key GNZM AC

House Lifters has provided Inovo Projects with service above and beyond the norm. Their health and safety is impeccable, quality of work is superb, and they’re always endeavouring to come up with ways to complete tasks in a more efficient, safer, and cost-savvy manner.

Matt Cain

Building Estimator/Project Manager, Inovo

When Rod and Wei saw the house and looked at the plans, he knew what needed to be done and was enthusiastic about the challenge. But the other contractors I got quotes from – the lift was so complex they didn’t want to do it or their methodology of how they were going to do it didn’t give me confidence.

Matt Russell

House Lifters run their jobs in a professional manner using high-performing equipment with good quality systems. From our experience, we have not seen any other contractor consistently achieve the finished floor levels that House Lifters do.

Sam Richards,

Managing Director Richards Consulting Engineers

The team at House Lifters carried out our small but technically complex heritage building move off, repile, and move back without even cracking a window, which in a 135 year old building was quite an impressive feat ! We initially wanted to use a local building contractor to help, but very glad to have had Jerico and crew do the whole subfloor and associated work - it needed to land back within millimetres of the original siting, and I’m dubious a collection of contractors could have achieved this without a re-work or at least some issues. I absolutely recommend them, House Lifters saved us a world of potential compliance and safety issues, but most importantly kept a fragile building in one piece.

Mt Eden / Awhitu,

Guy Quarterman

Google Reviews

We approached House Lifters Ltd for help to lower our house onto its new piles after another Christchurch-based house removal company had dealt with us in bad faith and refused to remedy their breach of contract. Stuart, the Managing Director, was only too happy to help and, incredibly, his team had our house down within the week. They did exactly what they represented they were going to do, and they did it efficiently, professionally, and with great care for our house.Thank you Stuart for giving us control of our lives back - we are now able to finally move forward as a family and start enjoying our home. You took a stressful situation off our plates and reassured us that everything was in your very capable hands. We will be encouraging anyone who seeks house removal services to get in touch with House Lifters Ltd for a job done with care. A total credit to the house removal industry.

Shanelle Lovegrove

10:17 10 Aug 23

Houselifters showed absolute commitment to the whare and the correct and required repair to the new insurance repair standard of when new. Houselifters were also clean and tidy in their work.

Dean Lester

02:18 24 May 23

Parthenon Construction has had extensive experience in engaging with Stuart and the team at House Lifters.We have successfully completed over 250 projects with House Lifters since the Canterbury Earthquake and can not recommend them highly enough. They are specialist is there profession, provide accurate quotes, deliver to program and stand by there work.Relationships in the construction industry are extremally important and we are proud to say we have one with House Lifters that is formed on integrity and trust.

Daniel Fridd

09:02 20 Apr 23

Stu and the team at House Lifters are great to deal with. I've had several projects with them in my role as a structural engineer and Stu has always helped to bridge the gap between design and construction in order to provide practical & cost effective repairs.On site, the team get on with the job and in my experience do what they say they will, when they say they will which is a great help to myself and clients.

Matt Pfahlert

23:22 28 Mar 23

A very seccessful relevel carried out by Stuart and his team!Prompt to schedule us in and great communication throughout the job.After getting the run around for 2 months from smartlift and then being told they couldnt do the job House lifters stepped up and made it all happen!Relevel of an 8 units, 3 storey, tilt panel apartments across 2 foundations..Going above the scope without complaint and the price was very fair.If your thinking about relevelling this is that company you want to use!!

Jericho Forest

10:26 26 Mar 23

We at FeutzandGoldsmith Builders have worked intimately with Stuart Moore and the House Lifters team since the inception of the Canterbury Earthquake recovery. House Lifters are considered an expert in the field of re-levelling, referred to us by Southern Response, House Lifters have undertaken a range of small- and large-scale re-levels and foundation/slab replacements, from modern homes to homes built in the early 19th Century, all with optimum success. The success of this organisation begins at the top, Stuart Moore is a master of the trade, evident from dealings with all sectors of this organization, House Lifters excel in design, communication, and delivery. When thinking re-levelling, there’s only one name, House Lifters.

Blair Langton

04:40 22 Mar 23

They respond promptly and in detail. The team is easy to deal with.

edsel

01:55 17 Mar 23

As a structural engineer, I have worked with house lifters on a number of successful relevelling jobs and I recommend them to anyone wanted relevelling of there house carried out.

mark patterson

01:12 17 Mar 23

The team at Houselifters have completed a number of project for our building company as a sub contractor. Their team have been on time and professional in all dealings i have had with them. They have worked on numerous difficult projects also and have been very helpful in troubleshooting with us if changes have been required. They have strong construction knowledge and experience and I have no problem recommending the Houselifters team for any work you may require.

Thomas Johnston

22:51 15 Mar 23

Fil Engineers have been working with House Lifter for about 10 years now. Great company, practical solutions and top-notch workmanship. Highly recommended.

Andre Boiser

00:46 13 Mar 23

Great fella,, help full on time and fair pricesAnd chch original

Jason Hodgson

08:39 08 Dec 21

These guys are very professional.

Paul Carter

01:08 09 Oct 21

Recently house lifter relocated my house. The team worked very efficiently and always provided good communication for progress. The project finished within agreed timeframe and budget. Highly recommend!

Angela Jia

22:10 28 Oct 20

Great work by the team. Very helpful, made sure everything was done right. Re-aligned doors, replaced piles, etc, when the front of the house was lifted,. Easy to contact, very responsive. Friendly, hard-working team. Really happy with their work. Will definitely use them again.

Allen Rodrigo

20:10 24 Sep 20

Rod and his team were absolutely fantastic on our tricky house-lift which required trying to level the house while minimising remedial work on renovated areas. The scoping stage was very very thorough and the team were the only lifters who actually came and did a full house level measure as part of the quoting process. During the work Rod and the team were very open to feedback and really took the time to listen to our feedback and leave no stone unturned to address all items. The team were pretty patient with our needs and especially towards the end when there was some easing of doors etc. needed to complete the job and meet our high expectation bar :) I would HIGHLY recommend the team based on my experience - you will not be disappointed!

Kunal Bhargava

09:48 01 Sep 20

Rod, Mayo and their team not only held our old bungalow up while we excavated underneath, but they also solved some tricky problems to allow our builders work to more effectively as the job progressed. As a result we managed to complete the whole of the basement floor slab in a single pour….. something that we did not expect to be possible. They willingly made changes at short notice and nothing seemed to be too much of a problem. They were really pleasant to deal with, always responded quickly to our requests, and had a great “can do” attitude. We have no reservations in recommending the Houselifters team for this kind of work.

John Hunt

06:54 14 May 20

Great staff. Brent was really helpful and knowledgeable

Amy Burton

04:36 01 Sep 19

Professional, cost effective and fast from quoting to actual work

mohammad ayat

01:56 13 Sep 17

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