Phoenix Business
Group > Slab FoundationsIf you have a garage slab you have a slab foundation under at least part of your house. Slab foundations are difficult to inspect because you can't see them without removing floor finishes. However, there are two places where you may be able to take a peek at your slab without removing carpeting, tile or linoleum. These are:
The garage slab is typically constructed using the same methods and materials as the remainder of a slab foundation. If there are cracks in the garage slab, there are probably cracks in other slabs. Also, unscrew the return air grille to inspect the slab area beneath. If there are cracks in this space, you know you have slab damage under your house. Where cracks cannot be viewed, a four-foot level can be used to find them. Lay the level flat on the floor and look for humps or sags. If you can set the level on a hump in a wood or linoleum covered floor and spin it more than 180 degrees, there is probably a crack beneath the hump. Cracks may also be telegraphed through tile floor or linoleum. If the tile floor is not cracked, but some tiles sound "hollow", there may be a crack beneath the tile. Cracks are also likely to occur at the corners of slabs and in an area around the fireplace. Lay a four-foot level on the carpet or tile in these areas and look for sudden changes in level. If you can detect a change in slope using a four-foot level, there is usually a crack beneath. Finally, walk the perimeter of the house and look for cracks in the slab visible from the exterior. Look especially carefully around the corners of slabs and near the fireplace. Cracks in slab foundations cannot be fully restored to pre-earthquake condition without great expense. "Miracle cures" such as epoxy are not effective repairs for broken slabs unless it can be demonstrated that steel reinforcement is actively spanning the crack. The presence of cracks over 1/8-inch wide can be taken as compelling evidence that the slab is not properly reinforced. Welded wire fabric may be present, but it may have sunk to the bottom of the concrete slab during initial construction. Unless the cracks are hairline cracks in a steel reinforced slab, your contractor will need to budget thousands of dollars for proper slab foundation repair. Back to the Home page. [ Real Property ]
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