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"Don't forget to draw the curtains!"
"aemeijers" wrote in message
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Bill Skype wrote:
A part of my foundation has been in need of repair for quite some time.
I now have the opportunity to do this, but after looking at it today, I'm
not sure I can handle the task. I really want to try it, but not sure
how to proceed.

The damage I'm seeing isn't like the web info I keep coming across, so
that's the reason for my uncertainty as to a repair course. I've decided
to take some pictures and will explain each below.

The first damage I describe as a "foundation gap" of around 2-3" deep by
nearly 36" long.
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/3...ndationgap.jpg
To make matters worse, parts of the gap are quite deep and I can fit at
least half of the yard stick in spots:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/138...ongapdepth.jpg
I can easily chisel and break parts of I guess what would be the
cinderblock within the deep depth. Very easy to break and crumble.
There is also some foam filler someone attempted to inject, but I have
removed most of that. Lots of dirt and debris around this area. The big
question is how do I repair this gap? Can I just fill in with cement and
what type and how would I go about cleaning the entire area?

Lastly, there is a crack just beyond the gap:
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/171...ationcrack.jpg
I assume this could be filled in with hydraulic cement patching that I
keep reading about.

There you have it. I can't find anything on repairing this type of
foundation separation/ decay damage and all I keep running across are
cracks or small to moderate sized holes, so any advice would be greatly
appreciated. Just to note, the separation only occurs at one end of my
house and is about 36" long as I said. The rest of the foundation in
other areas seems intact and not separated, plus there are no cracks.
Any idea of the cause of this would be appreciated also so, if I can
repair it, it doesn't happen again.

Thanks in advance,
Bill Skype

Good closeups, but we need some wider shots to understand what sort of
foundation you have. Is it just concrete/stone sleepers on packed dirt?

Here are some additonal shots. First, the interior of the "gap":

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/9...apinterior.jpg

And then, a zoomed out view of a normal part of the foundation. It is about
8" high:

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7...utfoundati.jpg

Are there piers that actually hold the house up, and the visible blocks
are just skirting? What is holding up the visible blocks? What year was
house built? Unless there is a slab floor inside, you have some sort of
crawlspace, even if it is less than a foot tall. (Yeah, I've seen houses
like that.) As to what causes the damage- some combination of settling of
fill material, water flow, frost heave, and maybe animals digging.

I'd recommend calling a foundation repair/house leveling company for a
site survey and an estimate. A cosmetic repair is pointless, and a real
repair is likely to require equipment and skill sets well beyond DIY.

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aem sends...