Any Experience With a Sinking Yard?

[Outlaw_6]

The Mrs. and I are the original owners of a house built in 2002 and we have been battling a sinking yard for the last several years. We have a couple of areas where low spots keep appearing each year, generally close to the driveway, even after we have placed some new topsoil and seed the previous year.

This is a fairly common issue in our neighborhood, even to the point the HOA has negotiated special rates with a company to repair cracked driveways. The neighborhood has also had problems with sinking mailboxes.

We have been vigilant with putting down fresh topsoil, and we have yet to have any damage to our driveway or mailbox. However, we recently replaced the flooring in our home and I noticed some cracks in the exposed foundation under the carpet/tile. These cracks are not yet visible from the side of the house.

Over the years, I have noticed the front door sticking sometimes if we have not received any rainfall and/or we haven't run the sprinklers in a while. Running the sprinklers or soaker hoses has thus far remedied this issue in short order.

In doing some research on the interwebs, I have seen suggestions to have a geologist or a structural engineer inspect the property.

Anyone have any experience with a similar circumstance or recommendations for a reputable company in the north Texas area?

Should we just go ahead and have a foundation repair company install some piers? My concern is the yard will continue to sink and take our house's foundation with it.

Thank you for any input you may provide.

[DapperDan]

My dads yard does this, as does his driveway. I can't tell you how many times we've filled holes over the last 30 years only for them to reappear. His house shifted and cracked the foundation during a bad drought. He was able to keep further shifting from occurring around the house by putting in flowerbeds and keeping the ground around the house moist so it wouldn't expand and contract.


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[DarrellS]

Was the addition built on top of a lot of fill?

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[Outlaw_6]

Was the addition built on top of a lot of fill?

I believe so, as our house is at least 5 feet higher in elevation than the house directly behind us.

We are in a standard Dallas-looking subdivision with not a lot of space between residences.

[topduarte]

Pm with your location and I can look up my soils maps

[DapperDan]

I believe so, as our house is at least 5 feet higher in elevation than the house directly behind us.



We are in a standard Dallas-looking subdivision with not a lot of space between residences.

If you are in the Dallas area then this is the issue. Ground there sucks from what I've heard


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[Outlaw_6]

Pm with your location and I can look up my soils maps

PM sent.

[PVDT]

Don't let the "cracks" under the flooring scare you. That's not to say that you don't have a problem somewhere. I'm simply saying that the vast majority of ANY house, or building for that matter, will have "cracks" in the surface of the concrete.

[Easttxbowman]

Shrink swell clays.... there is a reason the highways are always under repair also.

[Acameron52]

Free trip to a China?

[White Falcon]

I think I would move! Might be the start of a sink hole!

[Winman]

Beware....the....sinkhole

[double bogey]

Yeah, the black dirt around Dallas grows when its wet, and shrinks when it dries out. To the point of large cracks form in the dirt during droughts. Keep your foundation damp, the yard watered and you most likely will be ok.

Sucks for building houses on it, but it grows good cotton and grain.

[topduarte]

pm sent with info. There is a natural spring southwest of this property and the Clays are the Heiden clays.

[hooligan]

We have a couple spots that do it around our house. It was built in 1969, has had foundation repairs in the late 90s around the areas the soil keeps disappearing. I haven't found a solution other than soaker hoses and keep filling the low spots