Warning Signs of Home Foundation Issues in Katy
Usually the first warning sign noticed by a homeowner is an interior crack in the sheetrock. The crack tend to appear around the corners of doors and windows. And many times doors or windows are stuck or difficult to open and close. Another frequently noticed warning sign is one or more cracks in the exterior brick. Since the brick have little flexibility they will crack relatively easily when the clay soils are expanding or contracting and moving the concrete slab. These first warning signs indicate a large demand for foundation repair in Katy.
There are other serious warning signs of foundation failure. If the roof is bowing then it should be inspected by a roofing company. If a brick wall is bowing then that indicates foundation movement. And perhaps the worst warning sign is water under or near the concrete slab when it should not be there. This strongly suggest a break in the under slab plumbing pipes.
Unfortunately these foundation warning signs never get better and they usually get worse and the years pass. The clay soils under the foundation are subjected to seasonal changes in moisture which causes the soils to expand when wet and shrink when dry. These year round seasonal changes are putting the slab foundation under different stresses throughout the year – vertical, horizontal, and diagonal stresses.
Have you seen the warning signs of foundation movement and damage? Cracked exterior bricks, cracked tile floors, cracked interior sheetrock, and doors and windows that do not open or close properly are all warning signs of foundation damage. If so, call us today.
The Katy, Texas Area
Katy, Texas is in an area that consists of a great deal of clay soils. The city consists of a total area of 10.7 square miles and is located in Fort Bend, Harris, and Waller counties. Katy is a western suburb of Houston and shares the same geographic soil conditions. The entire southeastern portion of Texas is covered with clay soils. Clay soils are well known for their inherent ability to absorb water. When these soils are saturated during wet weather they will swell in volume dramatically. When these soils are exposed to hot, dry weather they will lose water and shrink in volume significantly. This swelling and shrinking is called “soil movement” and it is horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. Vertical movement between wet and dry periods can be as much as nine inches. Obviously, this movement puts tremendous stresses on rigid concrete slab foundations and can damage them severely.
Katy is named for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad which was referred to in the 19th century as the “K-T Railroad” by many. In earlier times Katy was known as Cane Island probably because the area was a major rice and sugar cane producer. In addition, Cane Island Creek, a branch of Buffalo Bayou, runs just west of downtown.
Need More Information about Foundation Repair in Katy ?
Our foundation repair, stabilization, and leveling efforts utilize Bell Bottom Piers exclusively. Why? Because Bell Bottom Piers are the proven, time-tested solution – permanent for the lifetime of the home or commercial building. Please read our web page that will compare foundation repair methods.
Step-by-step foundation repair process – view the photos and read how we install the Bell Bottom Piers
Do you have an engineering background? Wish to better understand the method and process of foundation repair? Here it is – technical and engineering information about foundation repair.
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Dawson Foundation Repair will obtain all necessary building and engineering permits to begin a foundation repair job in Katy. A building permit is required for the city, however an engineering report is not required. You may call the Katy building inspection department at 281-391-4800 for more information.