Wilson Bridge Work / House Foundation issues? (insurance, houses, construction)

[valdeztke]

Hey everyone. I was trying to come up with a good place to post this...not sure if this is a good place or not. Searched the internet galore and came to the conclusion that I need to call my insurance company.

I live on a small hill just near much of the telegraph st construction. Much of the land directly behind my house has been moved and used as fill dirt for the project. In the last two days I've noticed a great deal of noise (louder than normal) coming from the site. I believe they are driving large iron pylons into the ground.

Today I went into the back two rooms of my house and saw that the door frames on both rooms was split up the middle, the close doors had cracked and the walls were cracked as well. I know older houses shift, but this was a VERY drastic shift for it to splinter door frames and even split my closet door up the middle.

My question is - Should I assume this is just normal ground shifting or could the removal of dirt and pounding of pylons (vibrations) done anything to cause this? My house is the only one on a small piece of land that sits atop a hill.

[South Jersey Styx]

Try posting on the CD "House" Forum. Someone there may have a similar problem.

From what you describe it sounds like the construction has indeed affected your house. Usually when houses settle it occurs over a period of time; it is gradual. Also, there is a difference with how a house is "settling" (or been affected) with the type of crack--i.e., horizontal, vertical at a diagonal, etc.

See if you can consult a structural engineer. Maybe they have a small consultation fee or they can discuss the problem on the phone. They should have the knowledge you seek and can recommend further procedures. Good luck!

[TyroneBiggums]

Styx is right - you may want to call a structural engineer. They can assess whether or not what you're observing is due to the dirt removal/vibration. I'm not sure if your insurance company will be able to help you, but good luck.