Deteriorating House Foundations in Connecticut

Some homeowners in northeastern CT are struggling with deteriorating concrete foundations. Here's what we know.

Pyrrhotite

Some (hundreds?) of concrete foundations poured for homes in northeast Connecticut in the early 1980's are now rapidly cracking, crumbling, and failing due to pyrrhotite in the concrete mix. Pyrrhotite is an iron sulfide mineral. It reacts with oxygen and water to cause swelling and cracking. 

Locations

As of this writing the defective foundations have been reported in the following towns:
Andover                              Mansfield
Ashford                               Somers
Bolton                                 South Windsor
Coventry                             Stafford
East Hartford                     Suffield
East Windsor                     Tolland
Ellington                             Union
Enfield                                Vernon
Glastonbury                      Willington
Manchester                       Woodstock

Source

The homes with bad foundations have been linked to the JJ Motes Company of Stafford CT., a quarry / cement provider in Connecticut that provided the concrete mix. It has been estimated that this company provided concrete mix used to build over 10,000 foundations in the affected towns.
No problems were seen or were evident
​until recently. Large cracks and settling started 20+ years after the homes were built.

Remedies

Foundations that are failing need rebuilding, with costs estimated to be averaging around $150,000 per home, not including demolition or rebuilding of finished basements. Some estimates put the cost of rebuilding at over $1 billion for this region of the state, and this is possibly a conservative estimate. At this time insurance companies have denied all claims by homeowners involving these foundations.

Allied Home Inspections LLC can inspect your house foundation for defects, settling, and any signs of deterioration.

Map of Affected area

 Resources:
CT Dept. of Consumer Protection
Video - CT Forum on crumbling foundations
Capitol Region Council of Governments

Looking for a Connecticut Home Inspector? Contact Allied Home Inspections LLC - "Inspected Once, Inspected Right!"