The Situation
The structural engineers at Crosstown Engineering recently produced an engineering report and foundation repair plan for a home in Garland, TX. We noticed cracks in the brick and on the exterior facade, along with ceiling cracks and wall cracks on the interior drywall that were correlated with “low” elevation data.
Analysis
As seen on the drawing, we have pre-repair elevations and post-repair elevations. The elevations are displayed in 1/10ths of an inch with the base point (reference point) being where the triangle is displayed. Soils in Garland are known to shrink and swell. Active clays shrink when moisture is removed and swell when moisture is added. Keeping a consistent moisture content beneath the soil is important.
Solution
Soaker hoses and sprinkler systems, gutter systems with downspouts that direct moisture away from the home are all part of a successful foundation maintenance plan. As you can see in the accompanying engineering report, the repairs improved the elevations in the areas of the settled foundation.