Street creep occurs as the concrete in roads, driveways, sidewalks, and garage floors expand and contract due to seasonal temperature changes. Concrete material naturally expands when heated and contracts when cooled. When contractors pour any concrete slab, they should create expansion joints between any adjacent concrete to attempt to control this movement.
Joints and cracks in concrete become filled with gravel, sand, and other debris during the cold times of the year when the concrete contracts. When the temperature gets warmer, the concrete begins to expand, and the expansion joints are now filled with this debris. If there is too much debris inside of the expansion joint at this time, or the concrete has not been properly maintained, it will begin to put pressure against the adjacent concrete slabs.
When there is a lack of expansion joint, the streets put pressure on the driveway, the driveway puts pressure on the garage floor, and in turn, the garage floor puts pressure on the home’s foundation walls.
The result of this “concrete creep” or “street creep” movement can include foundation walls bowing, rotating, deflecting, or cracking.
Typical signs of street creep include:
Street creep can lead to serious problems in a home if not fixed properly, including property value loss. Properly maintained and installed expansion joints are a simple solution. If the street creep is causing foundation wall bowing, leaning, or cracking, foundation wall anchors can be installed to stop any further movement of the walls. Wall anchors are installed deep into the soil on the other side of the wall and then screwed in until the wall is brought back into place. This solution is easy to install with a professional team and requires minimal maintenance over time.
We are your best choice for foundation repair in western Iowa. We have years of experience in the industry, so we know exactly how to fix your home after our initial inspection. If your home looks like the images below, you need our help. If you’re ready to get your home back in great shape, give us a call today for a free quote!
