A sunken or settling garage foundation can lead to other problems for your garage or even your home. Changes in the garage slab can show itself in different ways around your garage.
Signs of Garage Foundation Issues
There are some things you can look for around your garage that could be signs of foundation problems. Look for gaps around the garage doors. You may notice light coming in through the door in areas you hadn’t seen before. Also, keep an eye out for cracks in the garage floor or garage columns.
These signs could be showing you that there is a problem with a sinking garage floor. You will need to support or raise the slab to keep more damage from occurring to your garage.
Causes of Garage Foundation Problems
Some of the same things that cause problems for home foundations can impact your garage’s. Usually, a settling or sinking garage floor is caused by poorly compacted soil under the slab. When building a garage, the soil beneath the garage and driveway needs to be excavated above the perimeter of the foundation. Unfortunately, the soil below most driveways and garage floors is only leveled, not excavated.
Along with this situation, downspouts and waterproofing systems that don’t drain correctly can erode the soil beneath the slabs. This can lead to sinking and settling.
Garage Foundation Repair
There are a few ways to repair a sinking garage foundation, but the best method we’ve found is through the use of helical piers. A helical pier is a strong metal shaft that is drilled or screwed into the ground, using a hydraulic torque motor. The pier is driven into the ground until it reaches stable soil. Once the pier reaches the strong earth, the foundation is placed onto the pier and raised or leveled as needed.
Helical piers are stable and reliable, providing your foundation the strength it needs for years to come. Reliable Waterproofing & Masonry uses piers made by Earth Contact Products (ECP) the leader in the industry