Pretty much like this pic - there's a footing all around the perimeter, and 4 long concrete runs under the house that the posts sit on, rather than individual piers. Unknown how deep the footings and runs are.What kind of piers? Bell? What kind of soil do you have? What has your weather been like recently? You really need an expert to look into this. I live in a very old house, probably built in the late 1940's, the pier and beam system is fairly simple, pad and block type. Summer, when it gets really dry and the soil shrinks, I get a little movement, but since the house "floats" it is not a lot. I will get one door, the rear, start rubbing at the top of the jamb. But, I am on a sandy, loamy type of soil which is about 4-5 feet deep above clay.
Since water was diverted away from the structure, I am leaning to the shifting sand issue.You need to talk to someone familiar with footings in different types of soils.
I used to level and set mobile homes. In southeast Texas. Lots of sand. Much easier to level one if the ground was at least damp than when bone dry. Dry sandy soil shifts, like in a sandbox or beack. Wet sand packs better. Draining away water may be part of the problem if the footings and piers were engineered for wet sand and not dry sand.
I don't know about now but when I did mobile homes back then, in Galveston County, all mobile home set ups had to be approved by an engineer. Too many variations in sand/water/soil mixtures. I have seen setups that took all day because sand kept shifting. Usually we could level and set one in about 1-2 hours.
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I can relate to your statement "God it sux getting old."Well, I sure appreciate all you guys' input. This type of foundation is all new to me; much different methods on the mountain, and no sand up there whatsoever. The water diversion was at the other end (70' away from the bathroom) of the house, but that might not matter to a dryness issue.
I think the thing to do right now is to wait until Thursday, when we get everything opened up so we can see what's going on - and then talk about our next step.
IF need be, I can just hang a shower curtain over the exposed area - and we do have a second bathroom with a shower over a big garden tub (that's kinda scary to climb into) we can use. God it sux getting old.
Thanks again -
So far, it still beats the alternative!I can relate to your statement "God it sux getting old."
So far.So far, it still beats the alternative!
Thanks. The 'box' was built water-tight; all the water damage was outside the box. The tile job was bad, and next time will be done by someone who knows what they're doing. Actually, there wont be a next time for tile and pro's will be installing the slabs.That "box" was NOT built properly - period. It should have been water-tight so that no water could get at it, with a slight slope to the edges to promote water runoff. It also should have been constructed of non-organic material so that any water that DID infiltrate couldn't affect it. Bottom line - whoever built it should NEVER be trusted to build something for you again. I'm a layman, and even I know better.
Well, some good news.
The house may be settling some, but that's NOT what caused this problem.
Water got inside the added box/ledge, through gaps in the new tiles' grouts likely, and part of that area expanded and bowed, dropped tiles.
View attachment 392979
After they got all the tile removed from the box, it was found that the thin-set failed with the water on it and over time put enough pressure on the tile for it to eventually bow out. The cement board backing was not bowed at all and looks to be fine; no bowing, gaps or movement above the box whatsoever - and it's tiled up to the ceiling. The side tiled walls are fine also.
No more tile on the box. What we're gonna do - is have one single piece of granite/quartzite/etc run the length of the ledge top, and another below it across the front face.
As far as the other settling issues - I'm going to take your suggestions and keep an eye on the dryness around the house, and have it looked at this fall. Some settling is expected with a 3yr old house I guess, and whatever comes we'll find a way to deal with it.
Thanks everyone, very much. ((hugs to all))