Sinkholes can develop when changes below the ground create spaces that the soil above can no longer fully support. Depending on the conditions, homeowners may notice changes in the yard, driveway, or home that warrant further evaluation.
Some possible signs of a sinkhole under your house can also occur for other reasons, including ordinary soil settlement or drainage problems. That’s why visible symptoms alone can’t confirm that a sinkhole is present. A professional evaluation can help determine what’s happening and what next steps may be appropriate.
Sinkholes can form when underground conditions change and the soil above loses support. In areas with limestone below the surface, groundwater can gradually dissolve the rock and create underground spaces. Soil may eventually move into those spaces, causing settlement or a depression at the surface.
Changes in groundwater, heavy rainfall, drainage problems, and other water-related conditions may also contribute to ground movement.
Because several types of soil movement can produce similar symptoms, determining what causes a sinkhole under a house requires evaluating the specific conditions at the property.
Sinkhole warning signs can appear in the yard, paved surfaces, or structures around a property. Possible signs to watch for include:
These signs do not necessarily mean a sinkhole is present. They can have several possible causes, so a professional assessment is important.
When soil beneath a home loses support, portions of the foundation may settle or move unevenly. Depending on the location and extent of the ground movement, homeowners may notice foundation cracks, uneven floors, or other changes around the property.
However, these symptoms aren’t unique to sinkholes. Foundation settlement, drainage issues, erosion, and other soil conditions can produce similar signs. If you’re wondering how to tell if there is a sinkhole under your house, a professional evaluation is more reliable than trying to diagnose the cause based on visible symptoms alone.
If you notice a new ground depression, sudden settlement, or other concerning changes around your property:
Knowing what to do if you suspect a sinkhole starts with taking unusual ground changes seriously without assuming their cause.
If you’ve noticed a new depression, sinking concrete, unusual ground movement, or other possible sinkhole warning signs, Foundation Services can evaluate the affected area and help you better understand what’s happening.
Contact us to schedule an assessment and discuss your concerns with our team.
Photo courtesy of Hernando Today
Known to many as “Sinkhole Capital of the World”, Spring Hill, Florida has just released a report on the effects of sinkholes on the economy. Although homes with sinkholes cause Hernando County to loose revenue on residential taxes, it seems to have no effect on the commercial growth of the County.
So what is the damage of having a sinkhole?
The market value of properties with unrepaired sinkholes are depreciated 50 percent. Once those properties are repaired, the value is increased to 90 percent of its full potential value.
Before alerting your insurance company about your sinkhole or foundation problem, call us toll-free at 866-622-3723 to set up a FREE visual inspection of the damage to your home.
There are things you need to know about your situation that a “layman” cannot properly assess. It’s important to present your information correctly to your insurance company. Just as with an auto accident report, your detail and accuracy here can be very important in the final outcome. Also, we keep up with the frequently changing sinkhole insurance laws, practices and guidelines in Florida, so we can hep guide you smoothly through that labyrinth.
Grout has a wide array of applications, mainly in construction, due to its ability to fill gaps and make a foundation or structure more patent. Grout has also proven to be an effective deterrent to sinkholes, which are always a matter of grave concern in Florida, as its geological features provide the ideal conditions for these problems. If not executed correctly, however, grouting can be as much of a problem as the sinkholes it aims to prevent. Eric Glasser of WTSP 10News reports that the sinkhole fix to a 76-year-old woman’s home “did more harm than good.” (more…)
The sudden appearance of a hundred-foot-deep sinkhole in a Guatemala city street in 2010 alerted the whole world to the danger of these perilous pits. This small country in the Caribbean isn’t the only sinkhole-prone place in the world. Tampa Bay Times’ Caitlin Johnston reports that the danger of sinkholes is present much closer to home, with several communities in central Florida possibly sitting on top of a future hole. In fact, two thirds of all reported Florida sinkholes in recent years have occurred in just three contiguous counties, from the Tampa Bay area up through the most high risk county, Hernando, where news coverage has mentioned specific preventive sinkhole repair in Spring Hill as critical to saving homes (and possibly lives). (more…)
As geology expert Sandy Nettles says, “There’s hardly a place in Florida that’s immune to sinkholes.” This comment comes after yet another hole opened up in Seffner, the Hillsborough County, Florida neighborhood where a man was swallowed up by a sinkhole earlier this year. As shared by Daily Mail reporter Lydia Warren, this incident further proves that whenever you see the warning signs of a sinkhole opening up, you shouldn’t hesitate to call in an expert who can provide soil stabilization and foundation underpinning services to save your home.
Beautiful Spring Hill in Hernando County has a disconcerting side, the unseen underground erosion activity of the limestone and other weak soils on which it is built. The probability of a sinkhole’s development in Hernando County is high due to the area’s geological composition. This is especially true in the rainy season, when more than twice the number of sinkholes occurs as in the dry period. Above is the sinkhole that suddenly disrupted a runway at the Hernando County Airport following the massive rains of Tropical Storm Debby in June 2012. While your individual risk still remains low, vigilance is important and fast action can often prevent a nightmare. (more…)
A property appraiser in Florida’s Hillsborough County has called on the county leadership to consider creating a tracking database for all sinkhole inspections and repair assignments. Bob Henriquez said a “start-to-end tracking method” identical to measures in Pasco and Hernando counties will require sinkhole investigators such as geologists or geotechnical engineers to apply for permits before working onsite. The information will also help house hunters check if their prospective home is endangered by potential sinkhole formation before making the purchase. (more…)
The risk of sinkholes in Central Florida is clear, as stated by Tony Randazzo, UF professor emeritus now with Geohazards Inc. consultants in Gainesville, FL. “The I-4 corridor from Clearwater to Daytona, including St. Petersburg, Tampa, the Pasco-Hernando county areas …Marion and Sumter counties and the Tallahassee” are all prone to underground anomalies… There are sinkholes all over Central Florida; it’s really a matter of degrees” … That is Florida’s “Sinkhole Alley,” and Florida has the highest occurrences of sinkholes of any state. (more…)
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