How To Fix Porch Pulling Away From House

Now, most houses in America and around the world have porches either on the
side, front door, or back door. This attractive space has many uses such as
providing space for your guests to rest, a space to socialize, or simply a cool place
to grill some burgers. But, regardless of the circumstances, have you ever come
across a porch that seems to separate from the main house? Well, in such a case,
one thing you need to be aware of is how to fix porch pulling away from house.
Now, while an attractive porch adds a welcoming feel to your guests, a sinking or
leaning porch is an eyesore that will leave a negative impression on anyone that
visits your house. So, such a problem should be fixed immediately to avoid raising
eyebrows. But, how can you fix a sinking porch? That’s exactly what we’re going
to discuss in this short post.

But, First, What is a Porch?

Now, before we discuss how to fix a settling porch, I think it would be best if we
could start by explaining what this area really is. You see, as much as we see and
step/rest on porches, little is known about their origin and why they’re so
common.
Now, the idea of the porch started eons of years ago when people needed a calm
and cool place outside their houses where they could rest and enjoy the beautiful
weather during leisure time. This idea became so popular to the point where
most houses have a porch in the front or the back where owners can rest.
Depending on your taste, porches come in many different styles that range from
porticos, lanais, screened-in porches, rain porches, wraparound porches to
detached porches among others.

Why Does a Porch Sink?

Now, if you notice a hairline crack between the main house and the porch, then
you can assume that’s normal. But, when the porch shifts away from the house,
then that’s a call for concern. But, why exactly does a porch pull away from the
house?
Improper Cement Mixture

Well, one of the factors that can cause this phenomenon is shrinkage. Now, what
causes shrinkage? Shrinkage can be caused by several factors. One of them is
when cement is not mixed properly with water and masonry sand. Here, any
incorrect ratio of these ingredients can cause cracking and shrinkage of the porch.
House Settling
Another reason that can cause a porch to pull away from the house is when the
house settles. Now, house settling occurs when the weight of the house sits on
the ground. So, assuming the foundation of the house was not strong or rigid
enough, then the house might go a few inches below the porch causing it to pull
away slightly.
Porch Settling
Another cause is setting up a porch on an improperly prepared foundation. Now,
note that most porches have foundations that are separate from that of the main
house. So, the main house has its own foundation while the porch has its own
foundation.
So, in case the porch sits on a weak foundation, then it’s easy for it to sink or
settle causing it to pull away from the main house.
Fluctuations in the Soil
Lastly, there’s the issue of weather fluctuations. You see, there are times when it
will rain a lot and other times when there will be extreme sunlight. Starting with
rain, if it rains heavily and water from the gutters and downspouts accumulates
close to the porch, the ground near the porch can soften causing it to bulge a bit.
If there is too much sunlight for a long time, the soil close to the porch can shrink
creating a void. This void is what causes the porch to shift away from the house.
When the porch starts pulling away from the house, one sign you’re likely to see
is the window or doors sticking and failing to open easily. The reason for this is
that wood or metal used to form the door and window frames will strain a lot due
to this settling effect.

How to Fix a Sinking or Settling Porch

Using Helical Piers

So, if you’re wondering how to fix porch pulling away from house, then the first
solution is using helical piers. Here, your contractor will first dig a small trench
next to the porch to fit the helical piers. From there, the helical piers will get
drilled to the ground to the required depth. Next, the piers will lift the foundation
of your porch to the initial height. In this technique, the porch will be lifted and
stabilized.
Slabjacking
But, when it comes to slabjacking, this technique involves drilling holes in a
settling porch. First, the porch is lifted with piers to lift it back to its initial level.
From there, a contractor drills holes and pumps polyurethane foam into the gaps
that were left when the porch was lifted. The foam added expands and seals the
gaps leaving the porch floor level with the rest of the house.
Mudjacking
Lastly, there’s the mudjacking method. This method is quite similar to slabjacking
only that it uses a thin mixture of concrete. In this method, your contractor will
drill holes beside the porch and then pump concrete into the holes. When it
cures, the concrete will expand and gradually lift the slab to its initial position.

Conclusion

So, how do you fix a porch pulling away from house? Well, the first step is to ask
yourself whether you will replace the old damaged porch with a new one or you’ll
raise the settled porch to where it was originally.
In this post, we’ve discussed three techniques you can consider. But, before you
consider any of these techniques, you should always start by protecting your
porch from settling. For instance, during rainy months, you should make sure that
water isn’t pilling near the foundation of the porch. When it’s hot, you can
consider pouring water near the foundation of the porch to prevent the soil from
shrinking and sinking.