Foundations of East Austin Homes

Put bluntly, East Austin does not have the best soil for foundations (see East Austin Soil).  Because of this, foundation issues can be a fairly normal issue in an East Austin home transactions in this area.  So it helps to know as much as you can.  This issue can be dealt with and it shouldn’t be considered a deal breaker…but it should be handled like the important issue it is!  A lot of east Austin homes will have had work done already and will come with a transferable warranty, others will need work, and others will not.   It is important to have an inspection performed by a qualified inspector that can see signs of foundation movement and do elevation tests on the floor to determine if the foundation has moved and if so, how much.

East Austin Soil (Note)

The clay content of East Austin soil is fairly high which can cause the soil to shrink and swell as the amount of moisture changes in the soil.  This can generally be controlled by stabilizing the amount of moisture that goes in and out of the soil.  Some ways to do this is installing a gutter system and ensuring the water runs away from the foundation, and keeping a healthy lawn…this prevents evaporation of moisture from the soil in the summer and helps maintain uniform levels in the winter, water the lawn during the dry times and try and keep an overall uniform level of moisture during all seasons.

Looking at east Austin homes you can learn to see tell-tale signs of foundation movement as well.  Some of these signs include:

Exterior

-Masonry or Stucco cracks on the exterior of the structure.

-Driveway that is extremely out of level and cracked (driveway slabs are usually thinner than the house foundation, but this could be an indication of movement that could be affecting the foundation).

-Yard that slopes towards the house. (If the yard has been like this for a long period of time, the drainage up against the house could affect the foundation by throwing off the uniformity of the moisture in the soil).

Interior

-Drywall stress cracks near the doors in windows.

-Out of level doors and windows, sticking doors and windows.

-Warped flooring, out of level flooring (A good test is to bring a small rubber ball with you and roll it on the floor…if it’s out of level the ball should go to the lowest area).

Foundation Types

There are generally two types of foundations that you will come across on the east side of Austin:

1.    Pier & Beam

2.    Slab

Pier & Beam foundations have piers that go into the ground and beams that rest on top of them.  They should have a crawlspace under the house to access plumbing and other house systems.   You should be able to recognize these foundations by the vents for the crawlspace going around the exterior bottom of the house.  This type of foundation construction has its advantages and disadvantages of east Austin homes.  One big advantage is the crawlspace access.  The plumbing and other systems are accessible which means doing additions or remodeling can be easier and less costly because of this accessibility.  Also, if the foundation moves it can be adjusted fairly easily and plumbing and other systems that are exposed are fairly easy to fix if the foundation repair causes problems.  The disadvantage to this construction is that Pier & Beam foundations have the potential to move around more than a heavy concrete slab.

Slab foundations are concrete slabs usually reinforced with steel reinforcement bars (rebar) inside the concrete that the house sits on…there is no crawlspace to access.  The advantage to a slab foundation is the overall stability of it…made with thick concrete and reinforced with steel this foundation resists movement generally better than a Pier & Beam foundation.  The disadvantage to this construction is the potential for costly repairs if it does move.  Plumbing is run through the slab so if the slab moves or cracks the plumbing could have issues too.  When a foundation repair is made the pipes could crack inside the slab causing a costly repair expense.  The foundation repair companies will not pay or warrant for this expense if it is to happen.