Expert Foundation Repair Services In Woodbridge, VA

One thing you’ll learn when buying a home in Woodbridge is, no matter how well you build the house, it can still develop foundation damage. Foundation movement usually happens when you get too much moisture in the soil under your home. In turn, this causes the foundation to gradually sink, creating noticeable indicators under, in, and around your house.

When foundation movement occurs, it can move your entire house in subtle or dramatic ways. Not taking care of the issue will only make things worse, often leading to structural failure.

One of the biggest causes of foundation problems is simply expanding and shrinking soil. That’s at the heart of the issue, even if it depends on what type of soil you have in the area.

The soil in Woodbridge is known for being varied. Northern Virginia Soil and Conservation District studied the soil there and noted how some soils lend themselves to the threats of foundation movement in homes.

A good examples is marine clay, a particularly problematic soil in the area.

Marine clay is known for swelling when it gets wet and shrinking when it becomes too dry. Because both extremes can quickly happen in Woodbridge each spring and summer, it sets everything up for foundation issues.

With the soil being the direct cause of foundation problems, be sure to do soil checks around your Woodbridge property if moving there for the first time. Virginia Tech does studies on soil fertility to let you know how safe your soil is.

Two other causes of foundation problems you may not initially know:

• Tree roots can sometimes absorb all the moisture from the soil, leading to a dry foundation and likely cracking. Roots can also exert enough pressure on your concrete to crack it and leave it unstable.
• Low-quality construction materials or building techniques when first building your foundation can also lead to cracks. Be sure to test your soil before deciding what type of foundation material you use.

Physical signs of foundation damage are going to manifest in sometimes unusual ways. You’ll discover many of them in your basement or outdoors, but also many indoors as well.

Take a look at some of the most common signs:

Cracks in Walls

One of the most typical signs is cracks, which can be variably small or large. Check your basement walls first. Do you see cracks there that are going either diagonal or horizontally? These can be a clear indication of damage.

Either way, the bigger the crack, the more severe foundation problems you have. Cracks can also show up outside your home if your foundation is visible out there.

Another occurrence of cracking can occur indoors. You might notice walls in your home have small cracks. In this scenario, more severe foundation damage is starting to emerge. Worse is if you see your chimney shifting, potentially causing your chimney to collapse if you ignore repair too long.

Doors and Windows That Don’t Shut Properly

It’s always an odd sight to see a door or window not shut right in your home. Doors and windows not closing might be occurring in your main living area or your basement. All of these are definite signs foundation damage occurred. Your house is essentially starting to sink, causing the place to be off-level, hence doors and windows not closing securely as they should.

Sagging Floors or Ceilings

Do you notice your floor appearing to sag lately? Sometimes this is so subtle; you might not immediately see until it gets worse.

Perhaps you’ll notice these issues more in your basement, where evidence of foundation damage often shows up first.

Bowed Walls

Check out those walls in your basement a little more closely. Are any of them looking bowed as if ready to burst? It means your foundation is giving way, causing the wall to bulge out. Ignoring this could mean the wall bursting open, creating a need for further repair.

Don’t let a bowing wall keep protruding. It needs to be stabilized right away by our professionals.

Signs of Mold and Mildew

When you see mold and mildew in your basement, it means you’re getting water coming in somewhere. In turn, that’s going to deteriorate your foundation faster than you think.

The musty scent of mildew should alert you to this, even if you can’t readily see anything. Hiring our professionals to inspect is essential, primarily since mold can hide away where you can’t readily see.

You should always hire a structural engineer like the ones at Regional Foundation Repair to do a thorough inspection of your foundation. Doing your own foundation repair can be very dangerous and is most often unsuccessful. Call our professionals instead.

An inspection by our experienced engineer is the only way to get a proper diagnosis and a fix you know will last.

It’s also a good idea to bring in a structural engineer if you live in an older house in Woodbridge. Numerous old homes exist in the city, with many going back 100 years or more. Considering Woodbridge is over 200 years old, the chances of you acquiring an older home are pretty good.

Those older homes may have many foundation issues hidden from you before the sale. Hire our foundation experts to inspect and confirm there is no damage.

What you pay to get your foundation fixed in Woodbridge will vary based on what caused the issue in the first place. The average cost will run you about $4,078. On the lowest end, it could cost $240, with $19,402 on the highest end.

Soil can affect the health of your foundation in Woodbridge or anywhere you live. The truth is, some soils are perfect for foundations, and others not so good. Much of this depends on the soil’s texture and how much moisture it’s getting.

When Prince William County did a soil assessment back in 1985, there were some interesting findings. Woodbridge’s particular soil type is called Dumfries-Lunt-Marr, known to be deep and well-drained. Its subsoil is loamy and filled with clay.

Clay is more vulnerable to moisture, causing expansion and shrinkage based on wet or dry conditions. Loamy soil is also known to be susceptible to erosion if exposed to too much water.