Expert Foundation Repair Services In Marysville, OH

Unfortunately, ground movement is a prevalent problem throughout much of Ohio, as are the expensive home damages that often occur in response. Homeowners in Marysville, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and other nearby cities experience foundation problems at an alarming rate.

The geology and climate in Ohio are primarily to blame for the widespread foundation problems in Marysville. We’ll discuss the underlying causes of these issues in-depth below.

Expansive Soil

Like many other areas throughout Union County, Marysville sits on expansive soil. The city is situated in the Nappanee-Paulding-St. Clair soil association, which is characterized by poor drainage and a high ratio of clay to sand and silt. The tiny clay particles that are abundant in the ground present three unique issues for concrete foundations.

The first problem stems from clay’s absorbent qualities. Water is naturally attracted to the small gaps between the particles via capillary action, meaning that runoff from precipitation easily gets suspended in the soil, causing it to grow in volume.

When the earth around your foundation swells, it pushes against the concrete with intense force, called hydrostatic pressure.

This stress can crack your concrete slab or basement walls, causing structural damage if the pressure becomes too much for the concrete to resist.

The second problem with Marysville’s clay-rich soil occurs when the soil dries. The volume gained during rainfall can dissipate once the runoff drains or evaporates from the soil’s upper layer.

In a process called differential settling, the ground can shrink away from certain areas of the concrete under your home, potentially leaving sizable voids under or around the foundation.

Significant damage can occur when the earth dries unevenly beneath your foundation, which is commonly the case.

Sections of the foundation lose support and collapse into the ground under the weight of your house. Large structural cracks often result, and foundation failure is possible.

The last problem with expansive soil in Marysville is its absorbent qualities. Water not only wicks readily into the gaps between the clay particles but also remains suspended there for longer than it would in sandy or silty soil.

This means the ground holds moisture against your foundation for extended periods, increasing the likelihood of water leaking through foundation cracks or wicking through the pores in the concrete and causing under-home complications.

Above-Average Rainfall

Expansive soil is most dangerous when it’s saturated and when fluctuations in the moisture content occur rapidly or frequently. Unfortunately, the weather in Marysville makes the dirt more problematic.

The city receives over 42 inches of rain annually, with an average of over two days of significant rainfall every week throughout the year. The above-average precipitation keeps the ground saturated for long periods, causing it to place substantial and constant hydrostatic pressure on your foundation.

The regularly moist earth also leaves your home prone to water problems and moisture accumulation.

Mining and Land Subsidence

Ohio is perhaps best known for its many mining opportunities for coal and a variety of minerals. Over time, mining reduces the ground’s stability and creates land subsidence, a gradual sinking of the earth, typically causing downward movement at the surface.

Unfortunately, the prevalence of mining throughout Ohio makes land subsidence a widespread issue.

If your home is built above or near where land subsidence can occur, your foundation will be highly prone to differential settling.

Structural problems abound in these areas and can lead to foundation failure and total collapse of your home.

Limestone Presence

Lastly, the bedrock underlying much of Ohio is limestone, which is a sedimentary rock that dissolves in the presence of water. Draining runoff and groundwater both contribute to underground erosion of the bedrock in Marysville, gradually creating caverns deep below the surface.

Eventually, these voids can collapse or settle, often creating sinkholes above. This rapid settling of the soil poses a severe risk for your home’s foundation. It can cause massive differential settling and necessitate structural repair if it occurs under or near your home.

The different underlying causes of foundation problems in Ohio can elicit various symptoms throughout your property. We’ll discuss the typical warning signs you’ll see in the Marysville area and how each likely forms.

Foundation Cracks

Fissures develop in the concrete under most homes, but a cracked foundation doesn’t necessarily indicate structural problems.

The easiest way to tell the difference between a harmless crack and a severe one is to look at where the crack forms and how large it gets.

Basement Floor or Slab Cracks

Nearly every concrete slab will develop some type of fissure over time. Most have hairline cracks that span across the surface of your slab foundation or your crawlspace or basement floor.

These can pose a problem in that they may allow water and moisture inside. However, they seldom suggest structural problems and rarely need any sort of major repair. Simple wall repair in the form of crack sealing will usually suffice.

If the gaps in your slab’s surface widen beyond ⅛” or one side of the crack pushes above the other, you’re more likely dealing with differential settling. Unlike thinner, level cracks, these do require some type of stabilization to prevent further settling and foundation failure.

Vertical Wall Cracks

Many homeowners discover vertical cracks on the outside edge of their slab foundation or running up and down their concrete block walls. If these fissures widen significantly, they may need some minor stabilization.

However, they generally just require a polyurethane or epoxy sealant to keep water and moisture from leaking through them.

Horizontal Wall Cracks

Cracks traveling along the length of your wall are more dangerous and almost always indicate a loss of structural integrity.

These gaps develop when the soil around your foundation swells in the presence of runoff and the resulting hydrostatic pressure becomes too intense. Immediate stabilization is required to keep the wall upright and prevent it from collapsing.

Stair-Step Cracks

Foundation cracks can also form in the shape of stair steps, developing in the mortar joints between your concrete blocks. These fissures generally indicate structural damage as a cause of differential settling.

The repair process for this damage is extensive and costly, and unfortunately, these cracks are common in Marysville because of the expansive soil and risk of land subsidence and sinkholes.

Bowing Foundation Walls

Most homes in Marysville with a crawlspace or basement will, at some point, become affected by the hydrostatic pressure from the expansive soil. If the poor drainage around the concrete isn’t corrected, horizontal cracks eventually occur.

Before these fissures form, however, you may notice inward bulging of the foundation walls. Bowing walls indicate that a crack will form at some point in the future, so they are reasonable predictors of structural damage and should be addressed immediately.

Moist or Wet Basement

Water intrusion and under-home moisture build-up are both widespread problems in Marysville because of the clay-rich soil and above-average rainfall.

The symptoms of liquid water seeping into your crawlspace or basement include water damage to construction materials or belongings in storage, standing water, puddles on the floor after rainfall, and visibly wet concrete following rainfall.

If water soaks through solid concrete and evaporates into the air, it’s significantly more challenging to identify.

Signs of a water vapor problem include efflorescence or mold growth on the walls, musty odors under your home, damp air, and frequent issues with insects or rodents taking up residence in the space.

Poor Indoor Air Quality

Humidity and mold spores can make their way from your under-home area to your living space, which can decrease your indoor air quality. Moisture makes temperatures feel more extreme, so uncomfortably hot or cold air or above-average utility bills can both indicate a water or water vapor problem below.

Mold spores can trigger allergy symptoms inside, so abnormal itchy eyes, sneezing, or trouble breathing are reasonable indicators of a moisture problem under your home.

Identifying the symptoms of foundation damage can be tricky because they tend to develop very slowly and go unnoticed.

The best way to keep tabs on potentially dangerous changes to your foundation and throughout your house is to carry out a dedicated foundation inspection every three months. We’ll explain what to look for in each area of your home below.

Begin with Your Foundation

First, walk the perimeter of your house and look for damage to the concrete underneath. Cracks and signs of sinking or uneven concrete can signify that you have a problem, especially if they appear around the corners of your structure.

If you have a basement or crawlspace, head there next to continue. Look for interior cracks here and keep a written log of their length and width for comparison during your next inspection.

Keep an eye out for standing or pooling water, puddles, wet concrete, efflorescence, mold, dank smells, and pest infestation.

Check Your Living Space

Next, examine the interior of your home, as foundation movement often results in changes to your framing or floor joists.

Symptoms of damages below include cracks in the sheetrock around wall openings, multiple doors and windows that get stuck, nails pushing through the drywall of your exterior walls, and buckling or sloping floors.

Increases in heating and cooling bills can go unnoticed if they occur gradually, so compare your recent statements to those from previous years for unexplained jumps.

You may also want to ask your family members if they have experienced unusual allergic reactions indoors, suggesting mold growth under your home.

Examine Your Home’s Exterior

Finally, go back outside and get a broader look at your home’s exterior. Look for cracked or leaning chimneys, fissures developing in your siding, and irregularities in the roofline, all of which indicate foundation movement and instability below.

Throughout your landscaping, look for dips or pots in the lawn, leaning or crumbling retaining walls, and soggy or wet portions of your property during or following significant rainfall.

Foundation repair services in Marysville can range from around $250 to well over $20,000, so estimating your home improvement cost can be challenging. To help you get a rough estimate of what your home repair solution will cost, we’ll break down some average pricing for specific projects below.

Cost to Seal Non-Structural Foundation Cracks

Foundation cracks that aren’t structural and only need to be sealed are the most affordable wall repair. Most foundation contractors in Marysville charge between $250 and $750 for this service.

Cost to Repair a Horizontal Crack or Bowing Foundation Wall

Excess hydrostatic pressure can often be reduced with a French drain or another exterior drainage system. Foundation repair companies in Marysville charge an average of $2,000 for this installation.

Significant inward bulging, especially if it causes horizontal cracking, often requires earth anchors to help resist further movement. Most foundation repair contractors charge between $3,000 and $5,000 for this basement or crawlspace repair.

Cost to Repair a Stair-Step Crack or Sinking Foundation

Differential settling is generally the most complicated problem to solve. Underpinning, which is a form of concrete lifting, is the best solution. It uses supportive push piers placed under your foundation to displace your home’s weight to a safe depth.

This crawlspace or basement repair costs between $5,000 and $20,000 on average, depending on how many pilings are needed, the warranty included, and whether cheaper steel piers or more costly helical piers are recommended for your situation.

Cost for Sinkhole Repair

If a sinkhole forms under or around your property and poses a threat to your foundation, you may need to have it filled.

The cost of this process depends on the size and accessibility. It can fall anywhere between $5,000 and $100,000, but the average price is approximately $12,000.

Cost to Fix Ongoing Water Intrusion

Water intrusion and moisture accumulation under your home are typically remedied with a basement waterproofing system. Your setup can include an exterior drainage system, sump pumps, vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, crawlspace encapsulation, and more.

Most homeowners in Marysville pay around $5,000 for their basement system, but yours may fall anywhere between $2,000 and $10,000.