Slab Foundation Repair in Wichita Falls, TX

Slab homes move in their own way

A concrete slab is a big flat pad of concrete poured right on the ground. When the clay under it swells or shrinks, the slab cannot bend much. So it cracks, tilts, or one part drops while another part rises.

Most homes built in Wichita Falls from the 1960s on sit on a slab. If your house has no crawl space and the floors are concrete under the carpet or tile, you have a slab.

What slab problems look like

Tell us what you see in your own words. These are the slab problems Wichita Falls homeowners call about most:

• "My kitchen tile cracked in a straight line across the room."
• "The back door sticks in summer and is fine in winter."
• "There is a crack running up from the corner of my window."
• "The brick outside has a stair-step crack near the garage."
• "The garage floor has a crack and one side is higher."
• "There is a gap between the baseboard and the floor."
• "The house feels like it leans one way."

Some cracks in a slab are normal. Concrete shrinks as it cures, and thin hairline cracks are common. Cracks that grow, cracks with one side higher than the other, and cracks that come with sticking doors are the ones to have checked.

Why slabs move in Wichita Falls

Swelling clay under the slab. Common soils in Wichita County, like Kamay silt loam and Tillman clay loam, have subsoils that are 35 to 50 percent clay, according to USDA. Kamay's clay is the swelling kind. When rain soaks in, it swells and lifts the slab. When it dries, it shrinks and lets the slab drop.

The edges dry first. In a hot, dry summer, the soil at the edge of a slab dries out faster than the soil in the middle. The edges drop and the middle stays high. In a wet spring, the opposite can happen. That is why many slab homes here show cracks near the outside walls and corners.

Big drought years. During the 2011 to 2015 drought, the city's lakes fell to just under 19 percent. In Stage 4 in 2013, the city only allowed foundation watering with a soaker hose, from 8 p.m. to midnight on your watering day. In a drought like that, soil around a slab can dry out and pull away. Then 2015 brought 50.5 inches of rain, the most the city had seen in one year at the time. Slabs that had dropped got a sudden push the other way.

Leaks under the slab. Water and sewer lines run under most slab homes. A slow leak can soak one spot for months. USDA rates local clay soils as slow to drain, so that water stays where it is and the clay keeps swelling.

Trees and yard slope. A big tree near the house can pull water out of the soil on one side. A yard that slopes toward the house sends rain right to the slab.

How slab foundations are fixed

Piers along the edge

Most slab repairs start with piers placed under the outside edge where the slab dropped. The crew digs a small hole next to the house, drives concrete or steel piers down until they reach firm ground, and lifts that part of the slab. Then they fill the gap with steel shims and blocks.

Piers inside the house

If the middle of the slab dropped, piers may be needed inside. The crew either cuts small openings in the floor or tunnels under the slab from outside. Inside piers cost more and take longer. Your estimate should say how many and where.

Slab jacking

For a sunken section like a garage floor, patio or a small part of the slab, crews sometimes pump material under the concrete to raise it. It is not a fix for a whole house that is sinking, but it can be the right call for a small area.

Plumbing checks

A pressure test on the water and sewer lines tells you if a leak caused the problem. Many crews suggest one before lifting a slab, and again after.

Drainage and moisture

Piers fix the part that moved. If water caused it, the rest of the slab can still move. Gutters, downspout extensions, regrading and French drains keep moisture even around the house. See drainage correction.

What moves the price

The table above shows typical ranges from published cost guides. They are not quotes.

The number of piers is the biggest factor. Inside piers cost more than outside piers. Steel costs more than concrete. A plumbing test, drainage work and crack patching add to the total. Your written estimate shows the full price before any work starts. See the cost guide for more.

What a good slab inspection covers

• Floor level readings across the whole house
• A map of cracks inside and outside
• A check of doors and windows that bind
• A look at gutters, grading, trees and sprinklers
• Questions about water bills and any signs of a plumbing leak
• A written plan that shows where each pier goes and why

A slab that moves a little each season usually keeps moving. Call (940) 468-1786 or send the short form for a free slab inspection and a written price.