This is a serious problem and must be addressed. If the footer has not broken away and dropped, it may be possible to dig out the area and backfill it with stable material. In some cases, a second sub-footer under the original footer may be added to give support. If the footer has broken away and dropped, that section of the wall will probably need to be replaced completely, including a new footer.

If you would like to know about under-mined floors and how they can damage your home, it’s covered in Section X and Appendix 4 – Page 93 in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z. What looks like a very serious and expensive problem may not be. Once it’s explained, it will make common sense and you will be better able to judge what should be done to correct it. However, remember, if there’s an inexpensive way to fix the problem, the waterproofing salesmen probably won’t tell you. Most of them get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money, so they charge as much as they can. Don’t put yourself at their mercy.

You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first. Often what looks like an expensive and serious problem may not be. Once the problem is explained, solving it is just common sense. I’ve used the knowledge I’ve put in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too.

But remember, when dealing with salesmen, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, or one that has a simple solution, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.