Pier And Beam Foundation Problems: More Than Meets The Eye

Problems linked to pier and beam foundations can be very hard to pin-point as foundation problems since there are several things happening with pier and beam foundations that will normally 't be contained in a typical slab on grade foundation, like the actual sagging in the beams involving the piers, or lateral movement with the piers, or uneven loading in the piers (which is a sort of foundation failure).
So not just may a pier and beam foundation be subject a similar conditions a consistent concrete slab on grade foundation could possibly be subject to, but a pier and beam foundation could have additional conditions that could have nothing related to the soil supporting the piers. Let's briefly discuss some of such non-soil related problems.
One in the main problems that you may have using a pier and beam foundation has regarding either deterioration (rotting) from the beams spanning between piers (if using wood beams) or excessive deflections (sagging from the beams). As wood beams get older, they tend to disintegrate as they are not properly protected through the environment. As the years pass by, the beams learn to increasingly sag, meaning anything that those beams are supporting will also sag. A wall being backed up by these beams begins cracking, giving the illusion that you've a foundation problem. A structural Engineer would usually have the ability to let you know if this describes a problem
Another very common problem for pier and beam foundations is the lateral movement in the piers. In many instances a floor with a pier and beam foundation is several feet out in the ground, we've even seen houses out and about with more than 4ft away through the ground. As you can imagine, if the wind pressure pushes against the house these wind forces must be somehow transferred to the soil which means the top of such piers work as flag poles, swaying back and forth using the wind. It may not be noticeable towards the human eye, however the little movement is sufficient to develop some cracks inside walls, providing you again the illusion that you have a foundation problem. Once again, an experienced Structural Engineer would have the ability to determine if this sounds like a problem.
Uneven pier loading is the one other prevalent problem for pier and beam foundations. This is usually a problem while using design of the foundation as it pertains to knowing best places to squeeze piers. Heavily loaded areas (like load bearing walls) and lightly loaded areas (like in the middle with the lounge) could settle differentially from the other in the event the design was not done properly from the beginning; that's, the piers around the heavy loaded may "sink" further than the piers inside lightly loaded areas in the event the piers weren't properly engineered. This differential movement causes cracks within the floors (if using brittle finishes) as well as cracks within the wall. This is a foundation problem, but this is extremely difficult to verify it as it could be confused with soil movement due for the soil moisture changing. Your best bet is to find a structural consultants Rockingham Engineer to assess the issue.
We have gone through just a couple of examples of issues that you can face having a pier and beam foundation, so when you can view, its not all problems have to do with the muse. It is over you would think. The moral on this story is, simply because the truth is a crack it doesn't mean you have a foundation problem, and when you want a reputable and unbiased opinion then obtain a Structural Engineer it doesn't work for the groundwork repair company.