Garage floor swelling?

[texhater42]

Alright, I am really freaking the heck out right now...please tell me this isn't foundation "damage". It appears to be "swelling" in on of the corners of my garage. The first pic has a level all the way against the baseboard, the following pics are the level moved inward toward the center of the garage about 5-6 inches until it is flush and level with the floor again. As you can see, it's either a "swelling" effect, or a "dipping" effect, but the ground definitely isn't level. Is this normal (in some weird universe i hope it is for some kind of drainage for the garage or something of that nature). If this is "swelling from bad drainage outside, will it return to normal once it dries out, or is it bad news bears? I appreciate any help this board can offer. I am at a total loss right now. thanks in advance.

 

[BillK]

How about some more info. Is this something that just started ? Have you noticed it before ?

 

[kaymccampbell]

My garage floor looks a bit like that in some places, but then my contractor was a loser.

 

[texhater42]

How about some more info. Is this something that just started ? Have you noticed it before ?

First time I've noticed it was 2 days when when I was cleaning out the garage...I moved the shelves away from the wall to clean behind. The region here is mostly clay. I am wondering if our tornado shelter we had put into the garage floor has anything to do with it. I called a foundation company and they told me it could possibly be from bad drainage outside, and to let it dry out a few weeks and if it didn't return to normal I needed to have them come out (they never actually came out and checked it out). Wondering if anyone else has ever had a situation like this

 

[texhater42]

My garage floor looks a bit like that in some places, but then my contractor was a loser.

Could be the case, I've just never noticed it...I think it would've though. Is this an issue? Like, need to get repaired (treat like a crack is what I mean)

 

[BillK]

I bet it has always been that way. I would think if it was flat and then moved that much, there would be some cracks there too.

 

[pop pop]

If you had an excavation in the floor to install a storm shelter, you likely have settlement in the main part of the floor making it lower than the foundation.

 

[texhater42]

If you had an excavation in the floor to install a storm shelter, you likely have settlement in the main part of the floor making it lower than the foundation.

We had it installed a couple of years ago. Here are pics of it's location in the garage. The part of the floor in question is on the left of the shelves against the wall. I really hope this is the reason. If it is, am I in trouble still? Or is this to be expected and everything should still be "sound" foundation-wise.

 

[APEowner]

I suspect it's always been that way. It's typical to slope the floor towards the door and I can't believe it would move that much without cracking. Concrete doesn't bend very well.

 

[DCarr2]

I second the notion it was always like that. concrete, plaster, ice, ect doesnt 'bulge' like wood. it just breaks. ie cracks.

There is no way for the material to 'absorb' moisture and swell

 

[ForceFed70]

And a 3rd vote for "It's always been that way".

Movement like that would come with cracking otherwise.

 

[manwithtools]

For sure it was poured that way. If your storm shelter or floor movement had caused that, you would have cracks all over the place.

I've got a question about that storm shelter - what do you do if the storm comes in the middle of the night and you have a car parked in the garage? Do you have to open the garage door, move the car out and then get in the shelter? If so, that seems less than ideal. Just curious.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

I have seen only one location where the building would lift when the ground got wet. It was heavy adobe clay. Stickiest stuff anywhere. At a school built on a slab in the 60s. It would swell when it got wet, making doors stick. Then settle back down once dried out. It drove me nuts as I kept adjusting hardware & trimming doors only to get a call that it stuck again after a change of seasons. I elongated the door strikes to keep the doors swinging thru the year. Eventually I caught on & worked on the swale flow to keep water from puddling next to the building.

Around here they call it "expansive soil". The current footing requirements for new construction have almost tripled in those areas to prevent issues. It might be worth checking with your local building dept to see if your area has those problems/requirements. Maybe the builder took a shortcut or wasn't aware. It isn't very common around here. I can only think of 3 places where it has come up over the last 35 years. Two of those were in the same neighborhood.

I would still think that settling in the center is more likely, but lifting of the perimeter when wet is not impossible. Especially since you have clay soil. If the perimeter is lifting you may have to take steps to keep the area dry.

 

[texhater42]

For sure it was poured that way. If your storm shelter or floor movement had caused that, you would have cracks all over the place.

I've got a question about that storm shelter - what do you do if the storm comes in the middle of the night and you have a car parked in the garage? Do you have to open the garage door, move the car out and then get in the shelter? If so, that seems less than ideal. Just curious.

Usually, the tornados have some type of warning...well, enough to ensure we move the vehicle before going to bed. We know if bad storms are expected and what not. For the oh **** sirens are going off, there's still enough room to crawl from behind the vehicle into the shelter. This is less than ideal if something were to happen to the vehicle...but better than the tub I guess

 

[texhater42]

I have seen only one location where the building would lift when the ground got wet. It was heavy adobe clay. Stickiest stuff anywhere. At a school built on a slab in the 60s. It would swell when it got wet, making doors stick. Then settle back down once dried out. It drove me nuts as I kept adjusting hardware & trimming doors only to get a call that it stuck again after a change of seasons. I elongated the door strikes to keep the doors swinging thru the year. Eventually I caught on & worked on the swale flow to keep water from puddling next to the building.

Around here they call it "expansive soil". The current footing requirements for new construction have almost tripled in those areas to prevent issues. It might be worth checking with your local building dept to see if your area has those problems/requirements. Maybe the builder took a shortcut or wasn't aware. It isn't very common around here. I can only think of 3 places where it has come up over the last 35 years. Two of those were in the same neighborhood.

I would still think that settling in the center is more likely, but lifting of the perimeter when wet is not impossible. Especially since you have clay soil. If the perimeter is lifting you may have to take steps to keep the area dry.

I did the same experiment against the wall inside the garage, opposite from the garage door...it does the same thing. I actually tested all 3 walls and it does it all around. Just checking the sheetrock, all the walls are level vertical-wise so it doesn't seem thato anything is out of wack. All doors open fine and no cracks in random interior walls. Say it was settling from the shelter, is this something a home inspector would red flag?

 

[pop pop]

No. Inspector would not notice what you point out. It could be "original" or settling. Concrete will flex. Suspension bridge decks come to mind. Concrete also will crack. Actually all concrete will crack or has already cracked.

 

[Dragfluid]

All concrete is unconditionally guarantied for two things:

That it cracks, and that nobody steals it.

BTW, not sure that I'm too keen on your "storm shelter" under a car.

 

[buddyboy]

another vote for your floor being that way when poured, looks like it was done to keep water away from walls, most garages are required to have slope to drain.

so you hear a tornado warning on tv, park your car outside, wait for tornado to come, get in shelter, house falls on shelter, you wait until someone comes by and moves the house off the shelter door to get out?

or is that a sliding door?

i thought storm shelter doors had to slide or open inwards so you can't be trapped inside and drown from all the water directed by the sloping floor

 

[yhprum]

Mark the wall and watch it to see if it moves over time. I suspect it wont.

 

[texhater42]

another vote for your floor being that way when poured, looks like it was done to keep water away from walls, most garages are required to have slope to drain.

so you hear a tornado warning on tv, park your car outside, wait for tornado to come, get in shelter, house falls on shelter, you wait until someone comes by and moves the house off the shelter door to get out?

or is that a sliding door?

i thought storm shelter doors had to slide or open inwards so you can't be trapped inside and drown from all the water directed by the sloping floor

It's a sliding door. There's a come-along inside in case the door gets stuck. As for the flooding...welp, if that happens I guess it was just your time to go lol

 

[texhater42]

Btw I really appreciate all the inputs. Solid piece of mind and I really appreciate it.

 

[pattenp]

I was thinking the title had a typo and "swelling" was meant to be "sweating" since this is the Heating/AC forum.

 

[texhater42]

I was thinking the title had a typo and "swelling" was meant to be "sweating" since this is the Heating/AC forum.

For some reason I thought I posted this in the 'general questions' area...apparently I didn't