Expert Foundation Repair Services In Lake Charles, LA

Yes, there are some common reasons that foundation movement affects Lake Charles. Like many cities in the U.S., climate and soil lead to foundation movement in Lake Charles.

However, there are other less common reasons residents in Lake Charles suffer from foundation damage. Hurricanes have devastated the citymultiple times, destroying some homes and leaving others severely damaged. Local homes suffer millions of dollars of damage and the cost of months or years of repairs. Additionally, it’s common for heavy debris to move along with floodwater. Floodwater can weaken your home’s foundation, separate your home from your foundation, and break foundation pilings.

Additionally, floodwater works deep into the ground beneath homes in Lake Charles. When the clay-like soil absorbs massive amounts of floodwater, it expands, shifting foundations and causing further damage.

Technically, both weather and soil type cause foundation problems in Lake Charles. However, the weather is the biggest culprit. Water from frequent rains, floods, and hurricanes can have devastating effects on homes, businesses, and all types of structures.

Excessive Rain

Weather in Lake Charles can be classified as warm and wet. Like many cities that experience a lot of rain, the weather is a major factor in foundation issues that occur in Lake Charles. Excessive amounts of rain lead to flash flooding, which, as described above, can cause significant damage to your home’s foundation.

Sudden Bouts of Dry Weather

Unfortunately, due to the clay-like structure of the soil in Lake Charles, dry weather can cause foundation issues as well. When clay-like soil dries out the ground contracts quickly. This can lead to sinking soil under the foundation slab of your home. As the soil beneath your foundation dries and settles unevenly, your foundation slab can crack.

Hurricane Damage

Hurricanes cause damage to the foundations of homes and businesses in a variety of ways. Often, when homes aren’t torn apart by high winds and driving rain during a hurricane, they’re subject to foundation issues from flood damage. Floodwater from hurricanes or rising water from excessive rain moves rapidly, causing homes to shift on their foundation upon impact. When floodwater remains in place around your home’s foundation, the soil beneath the foundation can erode, and pilings and piers can suffer from water damage.

Soil Shifting

There are many reasons soil beneath foundations can shift. When the composition of the soil is uneven, it can be easily displaced by flooding, climate changes, and poor foundation preparation practices when the home is being built. The soil in Lake Charles is mostly clay-like or loamy. Unfortunately, both of these types of soil are subject to shifting under certain circumstances. Clay soils expand with water absorption, which can cause foundation heaving and cracks. Loamy soil often erodes when exposed to flooding.

Foundation problems in Lake Charles may include cracked slabs, basement damage, foundation sinking, and resulting effects that can be seen indoors and on your home’s exterior. While it can be difficult to discover if the slab beneath your Lake Charles home is cracked, there are signs of foundation issues that can alert you to a problem. Consult our professional foundation repair experts if you see these signs:

• Sagging floors or soft spots
• Uneven floors or tiles cracking
• Gaps in windows and doors
• Walls that bow in or bulge out
• Foundation sinking
• Doors that stick or fail to close
• Cracks in the walls or ceilings
• Chimneys that tilt or pull away from the house
• Unexplained puddles or pooling water near or under the house
• Cracks in basement walls, concrete, or bricks

Whether foundation damage is caused by hurricanes, flash floods, or shifting ground, there are certain signs that will be recognizable in your home or basement. If you have suffered from a flood, your home should be inspected by our professionals to determine whether it’s safe for habitation. If you suspect foundation damage, look for these signs in and around your basement:

• Floor cracks: Cracks in your basement floor or foundation slab are almost always caused by movement in your foundation. Whether the ground has slowly settled over time or impact from floodwater occurred, cracks often show up suddenly.
• Uneven floors: While the floors might not be perfectly level in your basement and your home, they should be generally even. Floors with high spots or waves are a sign of foundation issues.
• Sagging crawl space: The space beneath your home is one of the best vantage points to observe foundation damage. Due to minimum foundation requirements designed to avoid flooding damage, there is often ample space beneath your Lake Charles home to inspect potential damage. Sagging floor joists or deteriorating joists are a sign that the floor has become uneven due to foundation damage or settling.
• Cracks on inside or outside basement walls: Cracks in brick or concrete basement walls that grow bigger over time or form stair steps are an indicator of foundation damage. Often, the soil beneath your home’s foundation settles at different rates, causing foundation cracks to appear and grow over time.
• Bowing or buckling basement walls: As with cracked walls, basement walls that bow or sag are an indication of expanding or settling soil beneath the foundation.
• Sinking foundation: When vast amounts of water are introduced to the backfilled dirt that lies beneath your home’s foundation, the weight of your home will cause the foundation to sink and settle. Often, this isn’t immediately visible as settling occurs gradually over time.

The foundation damage of homes and buildings in Lake Charles can be caused by multiple factors and include more than one issue that needs to be repaired. Without the assistance of our structural engineers, it’s possible to only address part of the problem. Our licensed structural engineers are required to receive a degree, pass an engineer-in-training exam, and complete four years of training under a licensed engineer. This training provides our engineers with the necessary education to understand the causes of damage and repairs needed for your foundation. Our structural engineers will also create a detailed report of structural damage and recommended repairs, which is often required when homeowner’s insurance or flood insurance is involved with payment.

The cost of foundation repair in Lake Charles can vary quite a bit. Sometimes, foundation damage is simply due to age or damage that isn’t related to a structural issue. Repairs of cracks or minor basement damage unrelated to your home’s foundation are typically moderately priced with averages between $200 and $800. While you may be tempted to repair this damage yourself, it’s not completely superficial. Improperly repaired cracks in basement walls and floors can lead to leaks in the future.

The cost of foundation repair depends heavily on the type of damage that exists and the complexity of the repair. The condition of your foundation affects your entire home. A professional inspection by our engineers may be necessary to assess the damage and determine the scope of repairs. The average cost of foundation repairs in Lake Charles is $4,500, with most jobs falling between $300 and $18,000. While these averages take labor and material costs into consideration, potential costs like permits or add-on services aren’t included.

The major factor in how much your foundation repair will cost depends on the type of work you need to be done. Since Lake Charles is extremely susceptible to foundation damage due to flooding, repairs that elevate your house are often recommended. Our experts recommend different foundation repairs in flood-prone areas based on a variety of factors about your inpidual home. Reasons your home may benefit from different foundation repair methods include the age of your home, extent of the damage, amount of elevation necessary, and compliance with zone elevation requirements.

Most likely. The soil in Lake Charles varies in type but generally ranges from clay-like to loamy. This can spell trouble for foundations. Even homes that aren’t heavily damaged by flooding can suffer from foundation damage, due to the way soil reacts to the excessive moisture in Lake Charles. While soils that hold moisture can be beneficial, soil that maintains too much moisture or reacts strongly to hydration can cause your home’s foundation to shift.

Clay soils are often referred to as expansive soil because the soil expands greatly when water is introduced. As water leaves the area, expansive clay soil quickly shrinks. As expansive clay expands, slab foundations often heave or shift, resulting in homes that become displaced on the foundation or cracks in slab foundations. Expansive soil often dries at different rates, causing the ground to sink faster in some areas than others. Since your foundation is designed to remain on level ground, this uneven settling often causes foundation damage that results in wall cracks, uneven floors, and warped door and window frames.

In many areas, loamy soil provides a stable soil that resists change from temperature swings and moisture. However, loamy soil can be prone to erosion which is amplified by the effects of periodic flooding. Additionally, loamy soil can vary in consistency depending on your location and proximity to poor soils in the area. Loamy soils are composed of sand, silt, and clay. When these components are distributed evenly, the soil is stable. However, loamy soil with a high clay content is prone to expansion, and loam with a high sand content can shift easily. Loamy soil with a high sand content or in flood-prone areas should be compacted properly before the foundation of any building structure is created.

Homes and businesses in Lake Charles suffer from a variety of foundation issues and damage. That’s why it’s best to have an expert evaluation done by our team to determine the cause of the damage and the best method of permanent repairs.