How to Fix a Sinkhole by the House's Rain Gutter

Improperly installed rain gutters amy cause sinkholes in the lawn.

Sinkholes occur when the surface earth in a yard moves downward due to collapsing structures underneath. Often, this occurs around the area of a gutter, usually when the gutter is improperly installed or there is very little soil for the water to sink into. If the gutters in your yard are pointing toward, or are directly over the sinkhole, they are the likely cause of the damage. If not, there may be burrowing animals, collapsing subterranean systems or leaking pipes.

Things You'll Need

• Tin snips
• Shovel
• Soil
• Tamper

Instructions

1. Call your insurance company to see if the damage is covered under your home owner's insurance and whether you are required by your policy to call out a contractor.

2. Move the location of the gutter discharge area by turning the downspout or increasing the length of the downspout away from the sinkhole. Cut pieces of gutter using tin snips and attach the extension to the bottom of the downspout.

3. Poke the inside of the hole using a stick or a shovel to see if the sides and bottom are stable. If not, you should call in a contractor or local city official to see if there is a bigger problem. Contractors will use test boring to drill into the yard and check the soil composition and whether there is a good amount of sheetrock. Grout is then added to the sheetrock to secure it from further sinking.

4. Add a foot of soil into the sink hole at a time and tamper it down with a soil tamper. Wait a few days between filling to see if it sinks again. If it sinks again, call a professional.

References

• Pennsylvania State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Sinkholes in Pennsylvania
• Ron Hazelton's House Calls: How to Install Gutters
• Sink Hole: What to Do?