Expert Foundation Repair Services In Fort Lauderdale, FL

It’s not unusual for Fort Lauderdale and homeowners across the state of Florida to notice cracks in the foundation of their home from weather, erosion, and rainfall over time. The coastal city may be beloved for beach views, boating canals, and being an amazing place to vacation and an even better place to live, but it still has its obstacles to face when it comes to foundation movement.

Land in Fort Lauderdale is made up of loose, sandy soil, and shallow water tables that make it a prime location for foundation damage. Due to being such a wet area with shallow surface soils, it’s easy and common for tropical storms, hurricanes, and flooding to cause shifting in the soil. This can quickly lead to foundation movement and leave you vulnerable to foundation issues and hazards.

So, if you’re questioning whether you may or may not have a foundation problem, let’s find out what you should be watching out for when it comes to potential issues.

Excessive amounts of moisture in the soil aren’t the only cause of foundation issues here in Fort Lauderdale. They play a big role, but being embraced by the Atlantic Ocean there are a lot of key factors that come into play. While tropical storms and hurricanes are a common and yearly experience in the beautiful city, there are more common and less stressful reasons you may begin to notice cracks on the interior or exterior of your property.

These causes can create moisture-bearing issues as well as damage the foundation of your property in many ways.

Sinkholes

With limestone bedrock beneath the city, acidic rainwater has been known to corrode the layers of limestone, which can cause a drastic shift when the slightest amount of pressure is applied. This pressure can sometimes cause a shift in the soil and limestone beneath your foundation which can cause an unexpected sinkhole. Not only is this dangerous and scary, but it can be a devastating experience and destroy part or all of your home.

Failing Seawalls and Erosion

Storms coming in on the coast often cause erosion in Fort Lauderdale by washing away seawalls and sand that act as a preventative measure for your foundation. For beachfront properties, a steady seawall can prevent water damage from the natural tide.

For properties that aren’t directly on the coast, as sand and soil surrounding your coastal property is washed away, water can begin to seep and linger around your business or home. Over time, this can cause cracks, crumbling, assist in the growth of mold and bacteria, and allow your foundation to slowly deteriorate.

Other common causes of foundation issues include:

• Faulty foundation construction
• Improper drainage
• Poorly installed or old plumbing that causes leaks
• Low-density or poor soil

If at any time you notice cracks forming in the interior or exterior of your home, sagging floors, or uneven and sloping fencing, you may have a foundation problem on your hands.

A common myth is that new homes are spared of issues with the foundation, but that’s simply not true. This misconception often leads homeowners away from addressing or noticing the signs of foundation damage. Whenever you purchase a home in Fort Lauderdale, even if you’re planning to use it for a rental property, and regardless of how new or old it is, you should routinely monitor it for damages to the foundation.

If you’re uncertain about what to look for when it comes to potential foundation damages, we’ve got you covered. Cracks often go undetected for extended periods of time and may leave you panicking when you do notice them. Fortunately, there’s a pretty short list of noticeable things you can watch out for on the chance you run into a foundation issue.

• Sloped or uneven floors
• Gaps in walls, ceilings and floors
• Sticking doors or windows
• Sagging floors
• Bowing or shearing walls
• Standing water inside or outside

It never hurts to get our professional opinion on your foundation if you’re feeling uncertain. In fact, it’s better to have our specialists come out and look from time to time to verify that there aren’t any potential issues you should be concerned about. This can save you time, money, and heartache should an unexpected issue arise in the future.

We get it, sometimes asking for help seems like a lot when the problem appears to be minimal and something that you feel like you could fix. If you’re certain, and you have the right tools to fix a minor issue, then we understand wanting to try and handle it yourself. However, hiring our structural engineers can ensure things are done safely, timely, and correctly the first time around.

The point is that our structural engineers aren’t your standard day-to-day engineers. We’re specifically trained to identify foundation issues and damages, recognize a compromised roof, spot masonry issues, pick out pest damage, and more. When it comes to evaluating the needs for foundation issues, we examine the infrastructure’s interior and exterior walls, joists, crawlspace, landscape, and a ton of other factors that impact the foundation of your property.

We understand that finding out there’s any form of issue or damage to your basement foundation can be stressful and scary, which is why we want to help you tackle the problem before it becomes a major problem.

Every job is different, and depending on the exact repairs needed at your property each quote will vary.

Simple repairs in the city could cost under or around $500 while large-scale basement foundation repairs could cost you more than just a little pocket change. Major foundation repairs in Fort Lauderdale can easily cost over $20,000 depending on the size of your foundation and what exactly you need done. Luckily, most repairs in the city typically fall somewhere in the middle of small and large-scale jobs, averaging homeowners under $5,000 for repairs.

Fort Lauderdale has 34.7 square miles, which means the soil properties can drastically vary from one side of the city to the next. Some areas are prone to more moisture than others and some are more shallow and susceptible to foundation issues. Regardless of what area in Florida you’re in, coastal cities are prone to foundation issues and have a knack for having sandy soil that’s not necessarily consistent in

In a publicly released soil survey from 1984, the soil throughout Fort Lauderdale was surveyed and analyzed to determine the types of soil in the area, their consistency and conditions, and how each location could best be used whether it be in agriculture, building a structure, or otherwise.

Through this survey and present-day changes, it’s easy to correlate how soil in the area directly impacts the foundation of structures. Due to the inconsistency in weather, the inconsistency in loose soil, and frequently high moisture ratings, it’s common to see noticeable foundation damages to property. However, if the proper care and maintenance are put in place, you can prevent the overall risk of foundation issues from arising.

With routine checks, soil tests when purchasing a home, and calling in our professionals when you’re not sure if you should be concerned – you can save yourself a lot of time and worry when it comes to foundation risks.