Rooted soil problem. Help! (Lots of pictures)

[bkbenjy]

So lately I've been trying to clean up and fix things around my parents house. I just cleaned up their garage and installed a garage door opener. While I was in the garage I noticed that part of the rear wall is pushing forward. Plus their is a crack running down the middle of the wall.

So... My guess as to what has caused it?




This:

It's about 3 or 4 feet of rooted soil with all kind of other garbage mixed in. I've been attacking it with a shovel, but it seems this is going to take me a long time to clean up. Anybody have any faster ideas?

 

[Steve S]

Can you get someone with backhoe with and extendable backhoe thing .I think they an extend up to 16 feet.

 

[CharlieJ]

Maybe you could rent a rototiller and break up the soil.

 

[andrewg]

From the photos you've submitted I would say that roots are not the cause. Doesn't look to me like there is anything growing in there that is anywhere big enough to crack a wall.

 

[andyd]

If the dirt is holding a lot of water from roof run off and freezing... P'raps looking at that and hanging a gutter may solve the trouble. I would push hydraulic cement into the crack too.

 

[crinkles]

the weight of the soil, with water and freeze thaw could be driving the wall if not well designed or built. roots can be very powerful even if small. could also just be as the ground dries and wets up again and makes the building move up and down. could be poor footings etc etc.

 

[Virtuoso]

Time will ruin any building.

 

[Silk]

Yeah,that wall looks pretty rooted alright....

 

[Schmoe]

Definently not a root problem. Could be the weight of the soil or somehow the other brick wall is pushing the soil out and that energy is pushing the other wall outwards. Kind of like plasticizing.

 

[Not the Autorx Frank]

Only one way to know, dig it up and look at it

 

[greenaccord02]

I think a big tiller would set it straight. Even if that's not what's pushing the wall, it needs to get broken up and out of there. It's always fun tilling up rooted ground as long as your tiller is adequate for the job.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

It's the weight of the soil, tree roots, water freeze/thaw, and age.

A tiller would be of some help but the roots will grab it and send you and the tiller flying. Been there, do that every year in the garden. Still, it might help in the initial foray.

Take a sharp shovel, an axe, and a wheelbarrow, to the site. Dig, cut, and remove.

Once down to where you want to be, tuckpoint inside and out of the wall. Clean the wall thoroughly. Paint twice.

That ought to keep it for another bunch of years. However, find out where all the dirt came from and try to prevent future infiltration if possible.

 

[Schmoe]

Get a sharpshooter shovel and a machete.