Expert Foundation Repair Services In Grand Rapids, MI

In a word, yes. Property owners in Grand Rapids and the surrounding suburbs have to deal with foundation movement for a couple of reasons–soil type and climate. In this article, we’ll discuss how both can cause your foundation to weaken over time, the signs that you may have some damage, and some cost estimates.

There are several layers of soil surrounding your home’s foundation, from the lightweight organic top layer of leaves and bugs all the way down the bedrock, which is really densely packed with different types of soil and rocks. The soil layers are more stable the deeper you dig, but the area that matters here is the “active zone”, which the depth of where your foundation lies and where foundation problems originate.

Moisture and temperature changes affect the soil in the active zone, causing the soil to expand and contract. When the soil moves around, the foundation gets weaker, ultimately leading to the above-mentioned cracks. Other problems are bowed walls, sagging floors, and overall compromised stability to your whole house. The active zone is anywhere between a few feet below grade to a depth of 30 feet.

We’ve already covered how the soil can cause foundation problems. Now we’ll focus on the climate and other causes.

The Grand River threads through Grand Rapids, then a few miles west where it flows into Lake Michigan. This proximity to so much water means the area is wetter than other parts of the state, and there’s a lot of snow and ice every winter. Homes along waterfronts are most susceptible to foundation problems–sunlight is in limited supply and temperatures are colder. These are some of the weather-related issues that you may find in your foundation now that spring is finally here.

Frost Heave

Believe it or not, this is exactly what it sounds like. When it’s super cold outside and the ground freezes, the soil swells and expands upwards, causing stress to the foundation. Your foundation is basically a concrete-filled hole in the ground, snug against the soil. When the soil freezes, it gets harder and expands around the concrete. This makes the soil more or less tighten its grip on the concrete, and the deeper the freeze goes, the tighter the soil hugs the foundation. At some point, the soil lifts the foundation (sort of a heave) away from the hole that was originally dug for the foundation. As if that’s not enough, now there’s a gap between the soil and the foundation that will allow moisture and loose soil to work their way into the gap.

When the spring thaw comes and the ice in the soil melts, the foundation settles back into place, except it doesn’t. The soil and water trapped underneath make it impossible for the foundation to go back where it was, so the structure is weakened. Frost heave is what causes roads to crack in the winter, so imagine what it can do to your house.

Ice Lensing

You might hear this called “needle ice”. Vertical ice fibers form in the top layer of soil when moisture in the soil is wicked up from lower layers. As long as it’s cold and wet, these icicles continue to get longer and wider. Ice needles can grow to 4 inches long. The weight of the soil above the needles pushes back against the growth, creating a lens shape beneath the dirt. These moisture events rarely happen in isolation, so a frost heave will usually accompany ice lensing.

Winter isn’t the only time of year your foundation is at risk. Heavy rains any time of year can cause problems, as can flooding. Drought is also problematic. If the soil is mostly clay, as it is here, then the soil contracting away from the house during excessively dry weather can cause cracks in the walls or basement floor.

You may have noticed that water is the common denominator for foundation damage. Burst or leaky pipes and poor drainage around the house can also damage your foundation.

Weather is not the only culprit here when there’s damage to your foundation; there are more factors that can cause problems.

Tree Roots

Big beautiful trees have equally big root systems, and the conventional wisdom holds that it’s the roots that cause foundation problems. Not so–those big greedy roots are actually draining so much water from the soil that it dries up and contracts, and the foundation eventually cracks. Occasionally, the roots can push through your foundation wall and cause it to crack.

Soil Compaction

Western Michigan has specific construction codes for soil that builders must meet for new construction. Before they pour the foundation, the soil must be compressed based on each lot’s specifications. The depth of the foundation and the exact soil composition are the two primary considerations, but compliance is critical for the home’s long-term stability. Meeting the code for ground soil does not guarantee the foundation won’t respond to the elements.

Older homes are more at risk of foundation problems that are the result of improper soil compaction as the codes have become more targeted and sophisticated.

If you’re not sure if your home has real foundation issues or is simply settling, look for these signs:

Moisture – When water and moisture seep in through foundation cracks, you’ll notice a musty smell and possible mold growth in the basement and sagging floors upstairs.

Bugs – Bugs are drawn to moisture, so if you notice any of these critters: silverfish, earwigs, carpenter ants, roaches, pill bugs, or centipedes, they’ve probably come in through cracks in the foundation.

Cracked walls and crooked doors – Bowed or cracked walls and doors that don’t close are usually a sign of a foundation problem. There are three possibilities here: unstable soil underneath, hydrostatic pressure, and insufficient drainage that cause moisture in the basement.

Even a cracked chimney can be a sign of foundation damage in the basement. A cracked or settling foundation can send the chimney off-kilter, but it can be reinforced and straightened with pilings underneath.

Pooling water – if rainwater isn’t perted away from the house via gutters and downspouts or another drainage system, the water pools under the house and doesn’t drain away fast enough to avoid problems.

Again, the answer is yes, but it’s good to understand why you should seek professional advice for your foundation repair. Good engineers like the ones on our team are your foundation contractor’s right hand, as they can assess the cause of the problem, which helps the contractor determine the best solution.

A licensed structural engineer like outs has the skills and knowledge to find the underlying cause of the foundation problem. They’ll inspect the foundation and deliver a written report to our repair team, ensuring that the problem is addressed properly the first time. Our engineer also does not have any interest in the scope of work, so you can count on an unbiased report that does nothing more than inspect and assess the state of your foundation. Then there’s the peace of mind component. When we have a complete report in hand, you can be sure that all the issues have been identified and the correct repairs are made, and there won’t be any unpleasant surprises later.

It’s impossible to estimate the cost of a basement foundation in the Grand Rapids area because every situation is different. A rough average would be around $5,000, but your cost can vary anywhere from $200 to $15,000. Here are some very rough estimates:

Reinforcement – When walls are bowing and doors and windows are sticking but the foundation is not sinking, a reinforcement may do the trick. Repairing the windows, doors, and walls is usually done all at once and costs between $1,000 to $5,000 per section.

Foundation sealing and waterproofing – A vapor barrier or waterproofing may be all that’s needed to keep water from seeping into the natural cracks in the foundation. A fully-sealed system can cost as much as $10,000, but just sealing is a lot less expensive ($2,000-$3,000).

Foundation underpinning – The cost here varies widely, from around a thousand dollars up to $15,000 depending on the scope of work. A settling or sinking house needs piers sunk below the foundation to shore it up, but how many piers determines the cost. Your contractor should price out the estimate based on how many and what type of pier you need.

The soil in the Grand Rapids area is predominantly clay, so cracked and leaking basement and foundation walls are not all that uncommon. Sandy or loamy soil is also present in the area, and many neighborhoods are built on a combination of the two.

Sandy soil is more permeable, so water passes through quickly and does not hang around long enough to cause the soil to expand and cause problems with the foundation. Clay soil is a lot more absorbent, so the water sticks around longer and can create more havoc for homeowners–the clay does expand, and the resulting pressure can crack foundation floors and walls. Clay soil also shrinks in hotter and drier weather, as it loses moisture it contracts and creates a gap between it and the foundation wall.

As we have discussed, the soil surrounding your home’s foundation is pretty much always on the move, expanding and contracting depending on a number of factors. This constant movement puts both lateral and horizontal pressure on the walls and floors, which respond by bowing, buckling, and cracking. If the cracks are left alone, water will seep into your home’s interior, causing further damage.