Soil washed away under patio
 

We have a one year old courtyard villa in McClure. Some of the soil under the patio has washed away. There are large gaps under the patio, possibly as large as an 8 x 8 feet section, where there are gaps in the soil supporting the concrete. Some areas where the concrete and grass meet have a gap of several inches. We have added a roof gutter as has our neighbor. The home inspector felt the rain was coming from the neighbor's home and a lack of drainage is causing the problem. We believe the gutters will help in the future. The inspector described the the problem as " CONCRETE PATIO SLAB BASE IS BEING WASHED AWAY FROM LACK OF PROPER DRAINAGE." Currently the patio is not cracked.

We have spoken to the builder who feels this is an "erosion" problem and not covered under warranty. The Villages Warranty Department agrees. We have attempted to speak with the contractor owner without a response. We have asked the builder to come out to see the property. Not really sure he ever did.

Currently the home is a rental and we live up north. We will be coming back next month for a visit. Questions - have others had this problem? Suggestions for correcting the situation? This patio needs repair, regardless of who is liable. Ideas about how to correct the patio issue? We are contacting concrete companies about slabjacking or other solution. Obviously there are two issues: 1. Who is liable for the repair and 2. how to repair?

Thanks in advance,
Tealady

We put gutters and down spouts on our homes immediately after closing to help prevent such problems. You should find and correct whatever is causing the erosion before you repair it. If you feel as you say that the gutters will help in the future then lack of gutters and downspouts was most likely the problem that caused the erosion. I would get a reputable landscaper to re-pack soil or gravel under the slap and see if it washes out again.

urine poor design

Tealady, I have seen several Television advertisements for this specific problem where they inject foam to fill the void and stabilize the slab. I do not recall the name, but a Google search on foundation repair should get you to the company. I am guessing this will be the lowest cost repair option. I am very disappointed in home warranty and the builder, and hope this helps.

It really sounds like a warranty issue. I am surprised that the builder won't fix it. Take lots of photos. But, as long as the slab is not cracked, I would get a landscaper to excavate and fill in the gaps under the slab with soil and gravel. I think the foam would be an extremely expensive option. Foam is mostly used to raise up and support a sinking slab. It would probably be cheaper to just replace the slab.

Thanks for your input. We are in the process of getting quotes from concrete contractors for mudjacking or using the foam type process. Getting a landscaper in for a quote for adding stone/soil is also a good idea is another route we could take. If adding the stone/oil, we could probably do ourselves.

Thanks again!

urine or you're out..... urine! :icon_wink:

I had a house in Virginia where I had a specialty contractor drill dime sized holes in the front sidewalk and inject foam under the slab to raise one end about 2 inches. It cost several hundred dollars, which was cheaper than replacing the sidewalk. It did not require very much foam. But, if you have an 8 X 8 foot section of slab that has voids, it will take a lot of foam, and I think the foam itself is more expensive than concrete. Also, my raised sidewalk was only guaranteed for one year, and it did sink down after about 18 months and had to be redone. With a new house in The Villages, the soil is mostly sand, which is not as stable as most foundation situations. So, don't be surprised if the foam doesn't last very long. If you can't get a landscaper to use dirt and gravel to support the slab, I would get a quote to remove and replace the slab with the proper soil preparation, even if it is more expensive than foam or mudjacking. I really don't think foam and mudjacking are intended to be a permanent solution, and I don't think you can ever be certain that the foam is actually supporting the slab or just partially filling the void. My opinion. Good luck.

To do the underlying with any kind of dirt/stone would require excavation big enough and deep enough to crawl under and pack the soil. IMHO , either pressure grouting (but still no way to raise the slab) or cut out the slab , properly compact the soil underneath, find the source of the problem ( no gutters, leaking pipe, etc) and re-pour the slab. That is the only way to guarantee permanent success.

Thank you for more advice. I agree the mudjacking and foam injection are temporary options. We have a lot to discuss before we move forward. Thanks again.

They probably didn't do any Soil Compaction before they poured the slab. Google Soil Compaction. It's very important and very technical, the testing part that is.

They are just hoping you go away. Get everybody from your salesman/woman and anybody else you deem responsible in the chain of command to help you quickly. ITS UNDER WARRANTY. Get the boss off his dead butt out to your house. Good Luck to you.
Soil compaction testing - YouTube If they took a shortcut here's your problemo!

Continue to contact The Villages Warranty department. We had a leak in a wall between the house and garage several years after warranty supposedly expired. My husband took out the cabinets and discovered a nail had been driven into one of the water pipes.
Florida laws says the builder is responsible up to 10 years for latent (not able to be easily discovered) defects.
We offered this information up to the Warranty guys and all was promptly taken care of.

soil erosion's usually caused by water issues,,, doubtful you get much air/wind erosion down here,,, resolve the water problem then pack some supporting soil in the void using a 2x4,,, polyurethane foam is a 2nd choice followed by cementitious grout ( mudjacking ),,, the downside's when the operator injects too much material & the slab rises out of alignment
mudjacking & foam are 2 methods approved by fdot, feds, & most other states' dot's,,, they are considered permanent repairs
home warranties - idk re fl but wtr issues are generally only covered in the 1st year

Thank you all for your input. We will be there in March to resolve this issue.