Expert Foundation Repair Services In Williamsburg, VA

Foundation movement is a severe risk in the Hampton Roads area. Residential and commercial foundation repair in Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Yorktown, Richmond, and many other nearby cities is required more often than many parts of the United States.

There are several factors that contribute to foundation issues in the History Triangle. We’ll discuss these below, along with the specific type of foundation movement they create.

Expansive Soil

Virginia is known for its state soil, Pamunkey soil, in part because it’s excellent for agriculture but also because it can be problematic for construction. Dirt is made of three primary constituents – sand, silt, and clay – and Pamunkey has an abundance of clay. The heavy clay soil in Williamsburg is detrimental to your home’s foundation for several reasons.

Clay expands when it gets wet, which means the ground in Williamsburg swells during rainfall. As the earth around your foundation expands, it creates lateral stress on your foundation walls and upward stress on your concrete slab. This force is called hydrostatic pressure, and it can severely damage your rigid concrete if it becomes too intense.

Hydrostatic pressure can create structural cracks in your foundation, compromising the integrity of your entire home.

The volume clay gains when it gets wet is lost when it dries, and this means an additional problem for your foundation. As runoff drains into the earth and the soil around your home loses volume, it can leave your foundation without the support it needs to bear your house. This settling process can occur uniformly, in which case your entire home can sink slightly into the ground.

However, differential settling can occur if the ground dries unevenly around your house. Sections of your foundation can crack away from your structure and sink more quickly. This type of movement regularly leads to structural problems.

Lastly, clay particles absorb more water than sandy or silty soil and retain it for longer periods. The ground throughout Williamsburg can hold moisture against your concrete for around two weeks. These long exposure times following rainfall give runoff ample opportunity to seep into your house through cracks or pores in the concrete and cause water damage and hazardous moisture build-up.

Low Elevation & Flooding

Williamsburg is located near the coast, and the average elevation throughout the city is just 82 feet above sea level. The low elevation means the groundwater is relatively shallow, sometimes just a few feet. The shallow groundwater means there is little room for runoff to drain.

As such, heavy rainfall can sit very close to the surface and your foundation for extended periods, contributing to problems with expanding soil and water intrusion.

Flooding is a problem for Williamsburg during and following precipitation. Clay-rich soil tends to have poor drainage that contributes to flooding, and the low elevation of the city compounds this problem by limiting drainage even further. Flooding puts your home at severe risk of mounting hydrostatic pressure and the resulting structural issues.

Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

Lastly, coastal Virginia is prone to hurricanes and tropical storms during hurricane season. Although Williamsburg isn’t directly on the coast, residents experience more abundant rainfall and heavy winds from June through November. During these months, the average monthly rainfall is about 30-40% higher than the rest of the year.

Precipitation contributes to issues with expansive soil, but the concentrated rain during hurricane season in Williamsburg is particularly hazardous. It saturates the ground for longer periods, causing it to swell and put pressure on your concrete, and it is held in contact with your foundation for weeks at a time, leading to water and moisture problems under your home.

The underlying causes of foundation damage each typically present unique symptoms in your foundation and the rest of your home. As such, you can often identify the problem by assessing the damage. We’ll discuss the most prevalent symptoms in Williamsburg below, as well as the likely cause.

Foundation Cracks

Cracks form in most foundations, and they can mean a variety of things. The most appropriate way to diagnose them is by their size and location on your concrete.

Vertical Cracks or Floor Cracks

All foundations settle in the first few years following new construction, and the settling typically creates small fissures in your concrete. If you have a crawlspace or basement, you may find hairline cracks on your foundation wall in a vertical orientation. Similarly, thin floor cracks can often be seen on crawlspace or basement floors that have settled naturally.

Slabs are more common in Williamsburg due to the shallow groundwater, so you may find thin gaps on your concrete slab under the flooring in your home. These are mostly harmless, but they should be sealed to prevent water intrusion.

Wider floor cracks or those where one side has risen above the other can indicate differential settling and should be inspected by a foundation repair expert.

Horizontal Wall Cracks

Full basements, crawlspaces, and walk-out basements are subject to hydrostatic pressure from the expansive soil in Williamsburg. Many homeowners notice cracks running along the length of the concrete block walls. These typically require immediate structural repair, as they can lead to foundation failure and collapse.

Stair-Step Wall Cracks

Cracks that form in the shape of stair steps on your crawlspace or basement wall result from differential settling when the soil under your home dries at varying rates. This type of crack typically signifies structural damage and requires immediate attention.

Water Damage or Moisture Build-Up

Lastly, water intrusion is a severe risk for properties in Williamsburg due to the clay-rich soil, low elevation, risk of flooding, and concentrated rainfall during hurricane season. As water interacts with your concrete for extended periods, it naturally wicks in through the pores or leaks through cracks. All foundation types are at risk of water intrusion and moisture issues.

If you have a basement or crawlspace, you may notice standing water under your home, wet spots on the concrete, mold growth on the walls, heavy or damp air, musty odors, efflorescence on the concrete walls, water damage to the concrete or other construction materials, or signs of a pest infestation.

Slab foundations are also prone to water intrusion, but the incoming moisture gets trapped between the concrete and the other building materials, making it more challenging to identify.

You may notice uncomfortable temperatures in your living space from the resulting humidity, moldy smells in your home, and above-average utility bills. These symptoms can also be seen in homes with crawlspaces and basements.

Foundations are relatively resilient to minor ground movement and water infiltration, so damages occur and develop over time rather than in an isolated incidence. As a small issue worsens, it typically becomes more costly to repair and more dangerous.

The best way to limit the resulting damages and repair costs is to identify it early before it becomes severe. Below, we’ll detail an inspection process you can carry out every few months to monitor developing problems.

Inspect Your Foundation

Your inspection should begin with the most likely location for damages: the concrete under your home. If you have a slab foundation, you can look for cracking or signs of sinking on the exterior of your house. Damages are most likely to occur around the corners of your structure, but it’s best to inspect the entirety of your foundation thoroughly to be safe.

If you have a basement or crawlspace, your inspection can be a bit more extensive. Look for cracks in your concrete walls and floor, and record length and width measurements of each gap you find so that you can compare on your next inspection. Report cracks that lengthen, widen, or occur horizontally or in a step pattern to a foundation repair contractor immediately.

While you’re under your home, take note of moist or heavy air, musty smells, visible mold growth, efflorescence, signs of insects or rodents taking up residence in the area, puddles on the floor, wet spots on the concrete, and water damage to framing, sheetrock, flooring, and insulation you may have in the space.

Inspect Your Home’s Interior

Foundation movement affects your entire house, so symptoms of hydrostatic pressure and differential settling typically appear on your home’s interior as well. Walkthrough your living space and look for signs of shifted framing, including doors and windows that are hard to open or close, sheetrock cracks around wall openings or room corners, walls that aren’t plumb, nails bulging out of the drywall, and cabinets separating or leaning away from the wall.

You should also inspect your flooring for signs of buckling, sagging, or sloping, as your floor joists can dip or warp if the concrete underneath shifts.

Lastly, take a few minutes to review your utility bills for increases, as you and your family may unknowingly turn up the heat or air conditioning to compensate for the humidity caused by water intrusion.

Mold spores from under your home can enter your living space as well, so ask your family members if they’ve experienced unusual allergy symptoms, which are a common reaction to mold in the air.

Inspect Your Home’s Exterior

Lastly, there are several symptoms that can appear outside that can indicate and even predict foundation issues.

Sagging roofing, leaning chimneys, and fissures in brick, stone, or stucco siding can all result from foundation movement and should be reported to a concrete repair specialist.

Dips in your lawn, puddling on your property following rainfall, and leaning retaining walls or raised garden bed walls can all be signs of differential settling, poor drainage, or expanding soil on your property. These problems can often predict if your foundation is at risk of damage.

Foundation repair costs depend primarily on the underlying problem and how extensive the damage is. The average price in Williamsburg is $5,000, but your cost can be just a few hundred dollars or over $20,000. We’ll offer pricing for inpidual repair solutions below to give you a better idea of what you can expect to pay.

Cost to Seal Vertical Wall or Concrete Floor Cracks

Thin cracks in your slab or concrete walls that aren’t structural can usually be sealed for between $250 and $750. Most foundation repair contractors charge an average of $400, but the size of the crack can influence the price a bit.

Cost to Repair a Horizontal Crack

Horizontal cracks in your concrete block wall usually require earth anchors to pull the walls back to their original vertical position and help resist hydrostatic pressure going forward.

Earth anchors are set in the ground and attached to your wall with a tension rod. When the rod is tightened, it pulls your wall outward to restore structural integrity. The crack is then sealed to prevent water from getting through it.

Earth anchors cost around $1,000 each for parts and labor. Most walls need between three and five anchors for a total cost between $3,000 and $5,000.

Some foundation contractors opt to use carbon fiber supports to stabilize foundation walls. These supports cost around $2,500 total, but they’re generally not as effective as earth anchors and don’t include as appealing of a warranty.

Cost to Repair a Sinking Foundation

Differential settling that causes stair-step cracks on your concrete wall or uneven floor cracks is typically corrected with underpinning. Underpinning involves placing supportive push piers under your foundation to distribute weight evenly and bring the concrete back to level. Steel piers and helical piers are the most common types of pilings used. Steel piers cost around $1,000 each, while helical piles are about $3,000 each.

Your total repair cost for this basement or crawlspace repair can fall anywhere between $3,000 and $20,000 depending on the style and number of piers required to support your structure adequately.

The damages related to a sinking foundation can be evident inside your home, sometimes necessitating other costly home improvements.

Cost to Fix Water or Moisture Issues

Water intrusion and moisture build-up are among the most common foundation issues requiring repair in Williamsburg.

Basement waterproofing systems are the best solution, as they can be customized for your house and do an excellent job of relocating water to a safe disposal area if installed properly.

Your best option for an effective system is to choose a reputable foundation repair company accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), as they will be most likely to install a comprehensive waterproofing solution.

These systems typically include French drains, sump pumps, vapor barriers, crawlspace encapsulation, dehumidifiers, and interior drainage systems.

Your cost for a basement system will depend on your foundation style and how severe the leaking is. Most homeowners in Williamsburg pay around $5,000 to waterproof a basement or crawlspace, or an average of $3,000 to waterproof a concrete slab foundation.