Expert Foundation Repair Services In San Diego, CA

Foundation movement is an ever-present risk for structures in San Diego. However, that doesn’t make a living in America’s Finest City unsafe in any way. Government and other regulators have specific guidelines that regulate construction projects. They aim to minimize the risk of foundation movement and guarantee the safety of occupants. Under these guidelines, foundations must meet minimum requirements to reduce the effects of changing soil conditions and extreme weather conditions.

But even with the stringent measures, sometimes forces of nature supersede human caution, resulting in foundation damage. In San Diego, foundation movement manifests as uniform settlement, where the whole foundation shifts uniformly. The movement could also result in tipping settlement, which, as the name suggests, causes the foundation to lean on one side. Differential settlement is the third type of movement that could occur. This is common on foundations overlying soils with different grain structures. In this case, a part of the foundation shifts while the other remains intact.

Tipping and differential movements often result in cracks on the foundation, walls, floors, basement leaks, etc., while uniform movement rarely causes cracks on the structure.

Several factors are responsible for the foundation problems in San Diego. From extreme weather conditions to invasive tree roots, soil conditions, and hydrostatic pressure, causes of foundation failure are numerous.

Extreme Weather Conditions

Earthquakes are pretty common in San Diego. They pose significant risks, especially to buildings that have developing foundation issues. With most structures vulnerable to possible effects of soil expansion, the earthquakes can drastically deteriorate their structural integrity leading to foundation movement.

Also, the region experiences extreme winters and summers. Freezing weather during winter and melting temperatures in summer affect the active soil layer, causing soil movements. These cause the soil to expand and contract in response to the harsh weather can trigger shifts in the foundation and cause structural damage.

Changing Soil Conditions 

Clay is the most predominant soil in San Diego. It’s a nonporous soil type that soaks up water and expands, hindering free flow. As such, it’s highly expansive soil and is responsible for most foundation movements in San Diego. If the drainage around a structure is poor, water seeps under the foundation causing the underlying soil to expand. As the soil keeps expanding, it compromises the foundation’s structural integrity, leading to shifts and cracks.

Soil subsidence is another common cause of foundation damage. It results from a lack of uniformity in the soil structure. When laying the foundation, sometimes grounds are leveled by filling up with soil from other areas. If the soil’s structure is different from the native soil, the risk of foundation movement increases significantly.

For instance, if the porosity level of the introduced soil is higher, the native soil could seep water and expand while the former lets the water through and remains intact. This can result in differential movement, whereby a part of the foundation gets affected while the other doesn’t.

Hydrostatic Pressure

Poor drainage can lead to water accumulation under the foundation. Given the high water-retention rate of San Diego soils, foundations are usually at the risk of damage from hydrostatic pressure.

Hydrostatic pressure refers to the pressure exerted by standing water to its surroundings. This pressure increases with the depth of the foundation. Also, as the soil soaks in more water, it exerts more pressure on the foundation. Consequently, cracks occur on the foundation, leading to water leakage.

Invasive Tree Roots

Trees enhance the aesthetic appeal of our landscapes and provide loads of other benefits. However, sometimes your structures might not appreciate their proximity. For instance, if your building’s foundation happens to have cracks, tree roots can encroach and aggravate the problem. Even though it’s unlikely for roots to burst out your foundation, if they happen to find a crack on the foundation as they spread out, they grow in and wreak havoc on the foundation.

A damaged foundation is a safety hazard. Given the frequency of earthquakes and strong winds in San Diego, the risk of a structure crumbling is ever-present. However, there are always tell-tale signs that you can watch out for and arrange for repair before it’s too late. While some are pretty obvious, others would require scrutiny. Common signs include:

• Foundation Settling – The first sign of a damaged foundation is a noticeable sinking. This could either be uniform, a lean on one side, or differential settling.
• Foundation Cracks – When the underlying soil shifts causing a movement in the foundation, cracks may result. A leaky basement could be a sure sign of cracks in the foundation.
• Floor Issues – Foundation movement may also result in cracks on the floors. Severe movements may result in separation on the floor-wall joints. You should also take note of depressions on your floors, as this could indicate underlying foundation damage.
• Wall Defects – Foundation movement may shake up your walls, leading to cracks. In extreme cases, the damage may cause bowing or depressions on the walls.
• Ceiling Cracks – Cracks on your ceilings could represent worse damage than a mere slab issue. They can be a sign of foundation failure. Since the structure stands as a single unit, any force from the foundation as it shifts may also affect the ceiling. If you notice cracks on your floors and walls in addition to ceiling cracks, then you need to have a professional inspect your foundation.
• Sticking Windows and Doors – An unstable foundation may cause the movement of the entire structure. This can result in the sticking of doors and windows or failure to close completely. If this happens in addition to other signs discussed above, then your foundation could be compromised.

If the above signs are present and you suspect movement on your foundation, it’s crucial to hire a structural engineer like ours to inspect the building. There are different types of foundation movements – sinking, bowing, shifting, cracking, etc. – and they all require specific interventions. Our structural engineer can make informed observations and give appropriate recommendations.

Once our engineer confirms damage, they may propose repairs such as pier installation, slab jacking, reinforcing walls, installing gutters, filling cracks, etc. Each of these methods has unique requirements, and our dedicated team of professionals can handle all of them. For instance, pier installations come with varying strengths, and each would be ideal depending on the extent of the repair required. Having our professionals inspect the structure helps because they know which intervention is best for every situation.

Generally, the cost of foundation repair will vary depending on the extent of the damage. The type of damage (shifting, bowing, sinking, cracking, etc.) is another cost factor, as different foundation movements require unique interventions. Again, the equipment used would depend on the type of repair needed, and each costs differently. Not forgetting that labor intensity will vary from one job to another.

That said, according to our past jobs, foundation repairs may range between $200 – $20,000 in the area, with the average cost being around $4600. The nature of the damage will also determine how much you pay. For instance, shifting, bowing, and sinking would cost roughly the same amount, about $1000-$15,000, while cracks would cost relatively lower, about $200-$4000.

The cost of materials and labor will vary depending on the region and significantly impact the final cost. On average, you could spend between $3,351 and $5,724 on material and labor costs. Other costs like inspection, permits, taxes, contractor fee, etc., would cost you about $500-$1000. But note that these are rough estimates for guidance purposes. The actual cost will vary from one job to the other, but, in most cases, they will fall within that range.

Soil is an essential component in a foundation’s strength or lack of it. For instance, areas with high porosity soils may have fewer foundation movement issues compared to those with expansive soils. An excellent example of highly porous soil is sand. Its large grains allow water to flow freely through it. In regions with sandy or loamy soil composition, issues of soil expansion and hydrostatic pressure may not occur. This translates to reduced cases of foundation movement.

However, San Diego is not lucky on this front. Its foundation problems can be attributed mainly to the nature of its soil. The major soil type here is clay, which by virtue of its structure, absorbs water, leading to expansion. As much as construction is highly regulated to guarantee stable foundations and safe facilities, issues of foundation movement do arise.

Among other regulations, drainage design is an area of primary focus and one where preventive measures are tightened. Special care is taken to ensure waters from surrounding grounds empty away from structures. However, sometimes these guidelines are compromised by property owners when they disregard safety measures during landscape maintenance.

For instance, frequent yard irrigation may result in water accumulation, some of which may find its way into the foundation. Failure to use gutters to drain rainwater away from the house may also introduce more runoffs into the foundation. Ignoring soggy spots in the yard can also lead to problems as more water seeps under the building.

Over-saturating the underground soil with water would eventually result in soil expansion, thereby exposing the foundation to damage from sinking. If the sinking causes cracks, the structure may be prone to other risks such as encroachment by tree roots, earthquakes, water leakage, etc.