iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,539 
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Post by iowgirl on May 6, 2016 13:33:28 GMT
Yikes! I can't imagine finding that.
Hope you can get it fixed soon!
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Post by kellybelly77 on May 6, 2016 23:55:09 GMT
Update: Well the City engineer seems to think we have our own well! Our house is built on a limestone rock shelf which we knew there was a ton of limestone underneath. So what he thinks is happening is that there is a nearby underground water source and that water is flowing along the edge of the rock shelf towards our back yard since that is downhill. The water over the years has washed away soil and created cavities and now the water is filling the cavities. This particular spot was full of water and it made the soil weak and unstable and finally caved in last night. He tested it onsite and said it is ice cold groundwater and that farmers a couple generations ago would have been thrilled with this discovery. I am not so thrilled!
He is sending other engineers and investigators out on Monday to do a few more tests. They think we should be able to fill it in with large rock, smaller rock and then soil. Once the cavity is filled it will force the water to continue downhill until it hits the retaining wall where it can drain out. But they do suggest hiring a company who specializes in this to see if there are anymore and if they recommend a different plan.
My homeowners does not cover this or so they tell me and I don't know how expensive a professional firm would be. So I guess we will wait until Monday's tests are complete to see if that is still the plan.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:24:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2016 1:11:42 GMT
I'm sorry you are dealing with this! Please report back & let us know how it ends up.
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Post by anniefb on May 7, 2016 1:13:00 GMT
What a scary thing - hope you can get it sorted at a reasonable cost.
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flute4peace
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,757
Jul 3, 2014 14:38:35 GMT
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Post by flute4peace on May 7, 2016 3:06:48 GMT
Update: Well the City engineer seems to think we have our own well! Our house is built on a limestone rock shelf which we knew there was a ton of limestone underneath. So what he thinks is happening is that there is a nearby underground water source and that water is flowing along the edge of the rock shelf towards our back yard since that is downhill. The water over the years has washed away soil and created cavities and now the water is filling the cavities. This particular spot was full of water and it made the soil weak and unstable and finally caved in last night. He tested it onsite and said it is ice cold groundwater and that farmers a couple generations ago would have been thrilled with this discovery. I am not so thrilled! He is sending other engineers and investigators out on Monday to do a few more tests. They think we should be able to fill it in with large rock, smaller rock and then soil. Once the cavity is filled it will force the water to continue downhill until it hits the retaining wall where it can drain out. But they do suggest hiring a company who specializes in this to see if there are anymore and if they recommend a different plan. My homeowners does not cover this or so they tell me and I don't know how expensive a professional firm would be. So I guess we will wait until Monday's tests are complete to see if that is still the plan. Good heavens, that's unsettling news! |
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TankTop
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1,871
Posts: 4,876
Location: On the couch...
Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on May 7, 2016 11:05:05 GMT
I am so sorry. This sounds tremendously expensive. Please keep us updated.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:24:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2016 11:07:38 GMT
Ugh, I'm really sorry. I hope it's not ridiculously expensive....
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Post by anxiousmom on May 7, 2016 11:44:50 GMT
I'm sorry. The good news, for what it is worth, the sink hole mitigation engineers can do something about it. It would probably worth it though for you for to try to find someone who is knowledgeable about sink holes from the get go.
Good luck!
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gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,107
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on May 7, 2016 13:10:33 GMT
Before you spend money fixing this, ask them to survey the rest of your property, especially near and under your house as much as possible. Not to be the bearer of bad news, and I certainly hope this is a single sinkhole, but limestone karst topography can have many voids and sinkholes in a given area. It's the same mechanism that forms limestone caves. Hopefully the limestone is more intact elsewhere.
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Post by lovetodigi on May 8, 2016 1:01:44 GMT
I don't want to scare you but I think that I would consider staying somewhere else until you get definite answers and it has been fixed. Like gsquaremom pointed out, there could be more sinkholes pop up and you wouldn't want to be in the house if one of those formed underneath it. I hope that you get answers soon and that it is easily remedied.
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