Sign: water at the slab
Water pooling next to the house
Sand drains quickly, until there is more water than it can take. In an Orlando summer storm a roof sheds a great deal of water in a few minutes, and where that water lands decides whether the soil beside the footing stays put.
Signs that water is working on the foundation
- A trench or a line of bare, pitted sand under the roof edge where there are no gutters.
- A downspout that empties right at the wall, with a scoured hole below it.
- Puddles that stand against the slab for hours after rain.
- The soil level dropping, so that more of the slab edge shows than used to.
- A hollow under the edge of the slab, or under an AC pad, steps or a walkway.
- Mulch or soil washed onto the driveway after each storm.
What the Florida Geological Survey advises
The survey's guide for homeowners puts water first among the things an owner can control. Its advice is short:
- Fix leaking plumbing promptly.
- Carry gutter and downspout water away from the building.
- Do not overwater lawns and planting beds.
- Add soil to low spots so that water does not stand.
The same guide names erosion from roof and driveway runoff as one of the ordinary reasons ground gives way near a house without any sinkhole being involved. You can read it on the Florida Geological Survey's sinkhole page.
Orange County gets most of its rain from June through September, and much of it in heavy downpours, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's study of the county. Walk around the house during one of those storms, or right after, and watch where the water goes. Ten minutes in the rain shows more than an hour of looking at dry ground.
Whose job is it?
| Problem | Right trade |
|---|---|
| No gutters, or downspouts ending at the wall | Gutter installer |
| Yard slopes toward the house; water stands at the wall | Landscape or drainage contractor |
| Water coming through a wall or floor | Waterproofing, which is its own trade. Foundation repair is not the first call. |
| Sprinklers soaking the wall, or a broken irrigation pipe | Irrigation contractor |
| Leaking supply or drain pipe | Plumber |
| Street or shared swale flooding the lot | Your city or county stormwater office |
| Soil washed out from under the slab, with cracks or a dip nearby | Foundation repair company |
When it has become a foundation problem
Drainage alone is not foundation repair. It becomes one when the water has already taken support away: you can see a void under the slab edge, the floor inside has dipped along that wall, or cracks have appeared above the wet area. The usual order is then to stop the water first and afterward fill the void or support the footing. A company should explain how its repair deals with the water as well as the damage.
Drainage questions
Should I add gutters?
Plenty of Florida houses were built without them. If roof water is cutting into the sand beside the slab, gutters with downspout extensions are a common fix and a gutter installer can advise. Make sure the extensions empty onto ground that slopes away.
There is a stormwater pond behind my lot. Should I worry?
Ponds are part of how neighbourhoods here handle rain. The state geological survey notes that concentrated drainage, ponds included, is one of the things that can contribute to a sinkhole forming. Keep an eye on the ground between the pond and the house. New dips or cracks there are worth reporting to whoever maintains the pond and showing to a geotechnical engineer.
Ready to have the house looked at?
Only someone standing at the house can tell you what is going on under it. Call, explain what you have noticed, and ask for an inspection.
Describe the problem, book an inspection
Say where the cracks or dips are and when you first saw them. The independent local foundation repair company you reach can set a time to look at the house.
Call (407) 598-8829The call may be recorded. See how referrals are paid for and what happens to your details.