Should I contact a structural consultant?

Question

Our house (Age 10 years) first level is has a crack on the floor that starts in my garage and runs across my powder room ( 2 tiles cracked) and my formal living ( loosened wooden floor). We did not have any when we bought the house. We also have a stuck entrance door.A friend in our area looked at it and mentioned currently we have a 2 year long draught in Houston area and the water below the slab has dried up. He told me to observe for a few weeks and water the perimeter so that the soil gets wet and swells.

I am worried and want to know if should approach a structural foundation consultant. People tell me that these guys could be expensive. Any suggestions please?

Answer 1

Yes, have it checked out. It may save you allot of money in the long run....

Answer 2

I would contact your local building inspector for advice. He may be able to guide you to an affordable solution. It sounds like you have a serious problem. Watering will do no good at all. These conditions are sometimes resolved by pumping concrete under the building and forcing it back to original position. I would get it done before it becomes a bigger problem.

Answer 3

I would have it checked, it is my understanding that it is common practice in the Houston area to water around the foundations to combat this sort of thing.  Check with a local expert to find out for sure.  I believe they make self waterers just for this problem.

Answer 4

This most definitely sounds like subsidence, you must get this looked at by a professional to find out the extent of the damage. I don't know about costs in America, but in the UK they are expensive. The cost is well worth it as the problem will almost certainly get worse. They will dig around the foundations of your house and underpin it with concrete to stabilise your home. You should be able to claim on your buildings insurance for this inspection and work to be done. Don't let it go on any longer as no matter how much you water around the house, the water won't get far enough down into the ground.