I could just barf!!

[jinx]

I have a question for the homeowners out there that may have had the same kind of basement issues.

My house is in an area that is known to have shifting land so basements are prone to heaving walls.

I was told that it was going to cost me $125,000 to fix my basement. The backend of my house has sunk a little and it's going to tear the back end right off if I don't do something about it. I was thinking telepost and beam as well as another wall poured in beside it might do the trick. Unfortunately there are just not enough trades people around that are not busy and the only one that returned my call is going to rape my savings.

Any advice?

Cheers,

Jacqueline

:popcorn:

[Akula69]

In Louisiana, especially over in New Orleans, we have problems with subsidence (earth moving away from the structure) becasue most areas are made up of 200 years of frog crap covered with 4 foot of topsoil. Almost all houses are on some sort of piling driven into the ground. Most of the time when the pile is first hit it goes down about 20 feet all at once - comical to watch.

 

Where I live you can't drive a piling more then 10 feet before it stops, but even so we have some foundation problems.

 

I have seen several solutions to what you describe, some not so pretty, some ok, and all labor intensive. I'll list them below. I have also seen a "This Old House" (Bob Vila) segment on repairing basement wall heaving, you'll have to search for that one as I can't find it with google right now.

 

1) Concrete support beams. This is acomplished by boring or tunneling down the affected side of the structure and creating a series of beams that vertically protect and support the structure wall. They extend below the frost line and are sufficent in diameter to withstand the push of the soil/rock around them. in severe cases they can also have a pre-cast concrete outrigger suppporting them at a 45 degree angle that extends into the direction of force. (pressure at the top creates opposite pressure in the middle). the inside wall is then braced horizontially across these beams and then rebuilt. Unfortunately, the tops of the beams are visible on the outside of the structure, and are unsightly.

 

2) Remote bulkhead. This is a sacrificial structure that is built 25 - 50 feet from the building that absords the land shift movement before it reaches the building. Of course, you'd still need to repair the existing walls, but with proper construction (including screw anchors that extend from the wall into the direction of the movement) you will release the pressure on the affected wall in the building. Think of a large rock sitting in the middle of the river - the current flows around it on either side with a completely still area behind it. This is used frequently here for erosion control and works best when the structure is downhill from the shifting forces.

 

3) Sand and/or concrete pumping. Where water is used to blast a channel to the slumping side of a structure and a concrete ledge is formed under it. After setting, the ledge is used to raise that side be forcing concrete slurry or sand under it. Works OK to restore origional elevation but would not stop the origional pressure / shifting problems, and you still need to repair the walls.

 

As far as costs go, it will be expensive. One friend of mine hired a compontent foreman and then saved money by using illegals for the crew. He said they worked very hard and inexpensively. Depending on where you live that may not be an option for you.

 

Perhaps you could see if one of the less expensive crews could stabilize the structure (outside braces) that wouls hold it until they can fit you into thier schedule?

 

Good luck!

[Eagle]

When you say "basement," are you referring to a real basement, that you can walk into down a stair and stand up in? Or are you referring to a slab-on-ground foundation?

 

I'd have to see a graphic representation of what you mean by a telepost and beam. If a part of the foundation is shearing off from the rest of the house, I don't think that's likely to correct anything. It might even make things worse. I'm a part-time building inspector and we had a new house a few years ago that DID break off and start downhill. It was before my time so I wasn;t involved, but I have heard the boss mention it.

 

The real solution might by to pump grout in under the foundations. Without knowing more about the specifics of your particular situation I won't try to be any more specific than that. For background, try Google for "mud jacking."

[jinx]

Thanks Akula69,

I'm not sure how well those can be implemented on my house as it's in the middle of the city with about 3 feet between me and my neighbours on both sides. Option 3 might work the best for less disturbance to them. I'm thinking that the work is going to have to be done from the inside.

 

Hey Eagle,

Yah it's a full but undeveloped basement. Just concrete floors and rock walls (which I thought were concrete until the thin layer of concrete plastering started to flake off). I'm thinking that the teleposts (every 6feet across the end) will jack up and support the end that is sinking and the beam (6X6) will help keep an even pressure across. I'll fill the approximate 2+ inches difference with 2X4's between house and basement, stuff in some insulation because the Canadian winter is a comin', and smear on some foam insulation over top to keep the mice out.

 

Will this hold me through the winter and into spring so I can buy the comanche I've been eyeing up? How lame does this really sound? :nuts:

 

What do you guys think?

 

All comments are welcome......

[Pete M]

Foam insulation won't keep mice out. At least not the ones around me. If they want in, they'll get in. :(

[jinx]

Well Pete, I have a tenant with eight kids living in there.....I could arm the kids with bb guns....

[Akula69]

Thanks Akula69,

I'm not sure how well those can be implemented on my house as it's in the middle of the city with about 3 feet between me and my neighbours on both sides. Option 3 might work the best for less disturbance to them. I'm thinking that the work is going to have to be done from the inside.

 

Hey Eagle,

Yah it's a full but undeveloped basement. Just concrete floors and rock walls (which I thought were concrete until the thin layer of concrete plastering started to flake off). I'm thinking that the teleposts (every 6feet across the end) will jack up and support the end that is sinking and the beam (6X6) will help keep an even pressure across. I'll fill the approximate 2+ inches difference with 2X4's between house and basement, stuff in some insulation because the Canadian winter is a comin', and smear on some foam insulation over top to keep the mice out.

 

Will this hold me through the winter and into spring so I can buy the comanche I've been eyeing up? How lame does this really sound? :nuts:

 

What do you guys think?

 

All comments are welcome......

 

I am assuming that the side that is 'slumping' is on the 3 foot clearance side? :cry:

 

You could have a person who owns a bobcat with the auger bit drill holes (from the outside) diagonally under the wall down to bedrock or supportive clay and then pump them full of concrete. Then, locate the poured beams inside the basement and place wooden beams vertically over them, using jacks to force those beams against the floor joists above. This will lift the sagging structure, and allow rebuilding of the wall in question. Depending on your local codes the vertical wooden beams could remain in place for support.

 

Otherwise, if bobcat won't fit, you could drill them from the inside...but what a mess!

[jinx]

"You could have a person who owns a bobcat with the auger bit drill holes (from the outside) diagonally under the wall down to bedrock or supportive clay and then pump them full of concrete. Then, locate the poured beams inside the basement and place wooden beams vertically over them, using jacks to force those beams against the floor joists above. This will lift the sagging structure, and allow rebuilding of the wall in question. Depending on your local codes the vertical wooden beams could remain in place for support."

 

Diagonally beside the basement or towards the basement.....I may need a stickman kind of drawing on this.

 

To clear it up a bit, the heaving is between mine and my neighbour's house (all of three feet between) on the north wall. It's heaving out not in only on that wall. The west wall is the one sinking. It happened fast too. Kinda scary!

[Akula69]

Diagonally beside the basement or towards the basement.....I may need a stickman kind of drawing on this.

 

To clear it up a bit, the heaving is between mine and my neighbour's house (all of three feet between) on the north wall. It's heaving out not in only on that wall. The west wall is the one sinking. It happened fast too. Kinda scary!

 

If you have autocad 2004 or later, I can send you drawings of a metal warehouse with the support tubes drawn in.

 

But, if you only have three feet....you'd best develop support on the inside (braced and jacked up against the ceiling/floor joists) and then rebuild the wall from there.

[jinx]

Phhhht Autocad?! That's for smart end users.....that's not me.

 

I'm starting to think I'm looking at an inside job only, or at least until the summer and then lift the house. Uhhhg!

 

Thanks for the input Akula69, Eagle and Pete M!