Might these be sinkhole warning signs?

12 years ago

First time on this forum so hello everyone and thank you all for taking the time to read my posts now and in the future.

Okay so i recently purchased a home. And in the disclosure the homeowner said that they did not know of any foundational problems with the house. After moving in I found a slightly depressed area underneath the concrete. A friend said there was probably a pipe leak there.

Also, every once in a while I will hear popping noises coming mainly from the patio and kitchen area. There are some spots that have a nail head sticking out very very slightly. After peeling back the paint a bit i saw the nail was rusted and heard that could be due to moisture and expansion/contraction. It sounds like the noises are coming from the walls, maybe where the wall meets the ceiling is my best guess.

The backyard is soggy, damp all of the time as well as uneven, i even found a tiny hole (about the width of a kids hand) where i was able to take a broom handle and push through the grass roots and straight down exactly 1 foot 6 inches deep. The homeowner said they just had new sod put down. Would that make a difference though?

I have only seen maybe 2 or 3 slight cracks along the side of the concrete block house. Please share any suggestions or thoughts you may have. Do you guys think any of this could be sinkhole related or am i just being paranoid about it?

This post was edited by hobbiesgalore on Tue, Jan 21, 14 at 19:26

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Comments (5)

southerncanuck
12 years ago
I think you are over reacting tad. That's normal for a new homeowner. A few cracks is not abnormal. Drywall screws or nails can rust just by coming in contact with the wet mud.

All houses have there own unique sounds, creaks bangs and bumps you will hear at night, these are just new sounds to you.

Unless there were large areas holding water in the yard I wouldn't stress over it. You don't describe sink holes.

Relax, this really doesn't fall under the category of Home Disasters.

Enjoy your new home.
sunnyca_gw
12 years ago
So you can put your hand in a hole in back yard. Sounds like you have a critter that likes it there. Might want to get some traps or whatever method you want to use for voles, moles or gophers etc. Could be that if they put in new sod they might have not graded it right. Check & see if it gets wetter near the house foundation. Otherwise I don't think you have anything to worry about. Don't live in place that has a lot of sinkholes do you? Enjoy your new home. Even a new house took some getting used to. Different street noises, planes or train off in distance, you'll adjust!
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aidan_m
12 years ago
If you're worried, call a geotechnical engineer. They have geological maps. They can tell you over the phone that sinkholes don't happen in the type of soil/bedrock under your house. Or maybe they will. The phone call is free.
toxcrusadr
12 years ago
Where do you live? State and county is close enough, we don't need to know your address. You may not even be in a place where sinkholes occur.

What do you mean by 'depressed area underneath the concrete"? Is that shown in the pic of the floor, and you actually meant under the carpet? If that's the case it may be that the slab was not leveled perfectly by the concrete guys and it is what it is. If it's not cracked, there is probably not a void underneath. I have a spot like that in my garage where water collects when it comes off the car.

If you are in a place where it's winter now and cold, the house will expand and contract with day and night temps and sometimes there are popping or creaking noises. Studs, beams and joists move slightly, and sometimes they develop a spot where they stick a bit and then break loose with a pop. It will usually be in the same spot time after time.

Also, if the house is fairly new it may still be settling in.
jcalhoun
12 years ago
Your neighborhood sounds a lot like mine. Was a swamp many years ago, developer hauled in clay to fill it in. After about 50 years the mud under the clay is settleing and yards are sinking some.

How much rain do you get?