We had a garage built; two rows of concrete block at perimeter on top of a concrete slab. Last spring, water seeped in, pooled and froze at the back in a corner opposite the door. The floor heaved and buckled and is full of swells and cracks that we think go right through the concrete. The garage door does not close evenly because the concrete is cracked and buckled about two inches. It is apparent that frost caused most of the damage, since the heaving does subside a bit in the spring. What could have caused this? Inadequate depth of concrete? Inadequate reinforcement? How can it be determined? Can it be repaired? Can the contractor be held accountable?
Answer:
This could be anything from a lack of wide enough soffits to inadequate re-enforcement in the concrete. Your best bet is to review the building permit under the guidance of which it had to be built and talk to your building authority (city hall) about it. Repairing it may mean dismantling everything below the framed walls and rebuilding from there.
