At Weinstein Construction, we do a lot of work helping our clients check, repair, or replace the foundation of their homes and commercial properties. Oftentimes, such projects start with a simple phone call from a client to our offices, as they are curious about the health of their foundation after a severe rainfall or a natural disaster such as an earthquake. When we have such conversations with our clients, they usually ask us, what are the causes of foundation problems in Los Angeles?
And so, we thought a blog that answers that question would be useful to the public at large, because foundation problems are real, and many foundations in Los Angeles need attention. Let’s start with, what is a foundation?
What is the purpose of a foundation?
Simply put, a building’s foundation supports the structure above it, and keeps it steady. This is especially important when a natural disaster hits the building, be it an earthquake, a landslide, or flooding due to excessive rains. Without a foundation, the structure would shift and break apart, causing untold damage to property and life.
Why Foundation Issues are so Common in Los Angeles?
If you are wondering why foundation issues are so common in Los Angeles, the reason is that so many buildings in the LA region were constructed in the 1950s or 60s, and possibly even earlier. The foundations that these early homes and commercial properties were built on, were made from bricks or simple river rocks, often held together by simple hand-mixed mortar, which was made without adding any steel for reinforcement!
In comparison, modern foundations are made out of precisely-measured and mixed batches of concrete and steel reinforcing bars (called “rebar”) which provide a foundation with incredible structural strength. Old foundations that are 60, 80, or even 100 years old simply cannot withstand the same type of pressures that newer foundations can! Add to that the many natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, water intrusion, wildfires and landslides) that attack LA foundations, and you start to understand why foundation issues are so common in our region!
Top Causes of Foundation Damage in Residential Homes
As you are reading this blog, you are almost certainly asking yourself, what are the most common causes of home foundations issues in our region? The answer is that foundation issues are typically caused by the way they were originally built, the type of soil that they were built on, and also Mother Nature’s impact on this construction. Let’s take these one at a time!
From a construction perspective, we already touched on the fact that many old foundations were built from bricks or river rocks held together with mortar. These are not optimal materials from which to build a foundation! Moreover, the vast majority of older structures were never anchored to their foundations, and this means that in many cases, even a moderate earthquake or mudslide can literally shake an older home off its foundation!
Add to all that the shoddy construction practices used during LA’s home construction boom of the 1950s and 60s, as well as what some would call the inadequate municipal building codes of the time, and what you have is a “Perfect Storm” of unreliable and failing foundations!
Finally, one must take environmental conditions into consideration. Over many years, our old foundations, which were built on top of clay soil, were subjected to rainwater saturation during the Rainy Season (which expanded the clay) and then bone-dry conditions (which condensed and settled the clay). All this back-and-forth movement, season after season, decade after decade, is what causes foundations to become brittle, crack, and break!
Early Signs Your Foundation May Be Failing!
As a homeowner, you undoubtedly want to know if your home’s foundation is damaged. We think this is something that most homeowners should be concerned about! The good news is that there are definitely many early warning signs (for both homes and commercial properties) that can help you understand if your aged and brittle foundation has potentially gotten to a state where it is too weak to support your home during the next earthquake or severe weather event. To examine whether or not your home displays foundation issues warning signs, walk around your home and ask yourself the following questions:
- Do my floors squeak or move?
- Are my doors and windows sticking?
- Is my interior ceiling cracked?
- Are any of my plaster walls cracked?
- If I put a marble on my floor, will it stay put or roll away?
- Am I experiencing any plumbing issues?
- Is my roof leaking?
- Is the stucco finish outside my home cracking?
- Does rainwater collect around my home?
Common Foundation Problems in Commercial Buildings
If you are the owner of a commercial property in Los Angeles, you do not get a pass from this discussion! You must also be concerned about the health of your building’s foundation! If you are asking yourself, what causes commercial building foundations to sink, you should know that older commercial properties are also subject to many of the same issues that afflict homes. Such properties, for example multi-family apartment buildings, will show the same signs of foundation trouble, including foundation cracks, buckling and uneven flooring, sticking windows and doors, as well as complete structural failure during (even a mild) natural disaster. If your commercial property was built in the 1950s or 1960s, you must also treat its foundation with suspicion at this point!
What to Do if You Notice a Problem?
If you have gone through the early warning signs above and answered “yes” to any one of the above “warning sign” questions, you really should have a foundation specialist come and evaluate the condition of your foundation.
If you are a homeowner and you call Weinstein Construction, your home’s evaluations will be provided free-of-charge! Get your home’s foundation evaluated! It just makes sense!
The professionals at Weinstein Construction are foundation experts so call us today at (818) 855-5752 for a free inspection and review of all your foundation needs! Our professionals will assess the condition of your foundation and in the event that your foundation needs some help, we will provide you with a variety of appropriate and cost-effective solutions for the situation!
