sinkhole!
 

"Warren" wrote in message
news:pTuNc.197098$Oq2.70620@attbi_s52...
Wil wrote:
Glad you said dont call the insurance company. I did
that once when
a
basement wall had to be replaced. They wanted to
re-inspect the house
to
make sure it was still up to their standards. I had to
submit
pictures of
the work and get my houme owners insurance approved all
over again.

Yes. Even if you're calling to ask a question about
coverage, that
contact is recorded, and can count against you when it
comes time for
the policy to be renewed. (Why would you be asking, if you
didn't
perceive a possible risk of loss, is the justification.)

If you have questions about your coverage, read your
policy. If you
don't understand what it says, consult someone other than
your insurance
agent or anyone else with the insurance company.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Blatant Plug: Books for the Pacific Northwest
gardener:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/nwgardener/index.html




I"ve never had a problem talking to my insuran ce company
and not identifying myself but having my policy in front of
me. The last time I did that was when I was checking on my
auto and home ins about foster chiled impacts. AFTER I'd
found out it was OK, I wrote letters and made it official.
Never had a problem with that or other such dealings in CA,
Il, and now NY.

Pop

sinkhole!
 

clipped

Yes. Even if you're calling to ask a question about coverage, that
contact is recorded, and can count against you when it comes time for
the policy to be renewed. (Why would you be asking, if you didn't
perceive a possible risk of loss, is the justification.)

If you have questions about your coverage, read your policy. If you
don't understand what it says, consult someone other than your insurance
agent or anyone else with the insurance company.


OTOH, the insurance company MIGHT be interested in filling a hole before
the house falls into it :o)

sinkhole!
 

"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
While pulling weeds today my foot fell into a hole. I jumped back and
poked
around it finding it "hollow" underneath. I got the shovel and started
digging, and found a void about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There is no
evidence of animal life in it, nor is there any debris.

1. How worried should I be? It is near the pillar supporting the post,
about 3 feet away, and about 10 feet from the foundation.

2. Should I leave it open and "watch" it or should I panic and call an
engineer or geologist or something?

The house is over 100 years old. There is no apparent drain pipe in that
area, although I'm told the previous owner put some kind of exterior
French
drain around the house at some point. This is Baltimore, theoretically
clay
soil, although the soil in the hole is soft and sandy. It has been VERY
rainy for the last 2 years.

EGADS! PANIC! HELP!



Two words: Jimmy Hoffa. ;-)

DA

sinkhole!
 

"Betsy" wrote in message
While pulling weeds today my foot fell into a hole. I jumped back and
poked
around it finding it "hollow" underneath. I got the shovel and started
digging, and found a void about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There is no
evidence of animal life in it, nor is there any debris.

1. How worried should I be? It is near the pillar supporting the post,
about 3 feet away, and about 10 feet from the foundation.

2. Should I leave it open and "watch" it or should I panic and call an
engineer or geologist or something?

The house is over 100 years old. There is no apparent drain pipe in that
area, although I'm told the previous owner put some kind of exterior
French
drain around the house at some point. This is Baltimore, theoretically
clay
soil, although the soil in the hole is soft and sandy. It has been VERY
rainy for the last 2 years.

EGADS! PANIC! HELP!

No need to panic. I once had something similar. As I kept opening the top
layer of soil, a tunnel was revealed. Seems some smidgets from over 200
years ago built a smidget town underground. The city beneath the soil was
approx. 8 acres, there was evidence of tribal gatherings around a small
underground river near a railroad. Enjoy it b/4 someone fills it in.

sinkhole!
 

In article
,
"Jon Zone" wrote:

"Betsy" wrote in message
While pulling weeds today my foot fell into a hole. I jumped back and
poked
around it finding it "hollow" underneath. I got the shovel and started
digging, and found a void about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There is no
evidence of animal life in it, nor is there any debris.

1. How worried should I be? It is near the pillar supporting the post,
about 3 feet away, and about 10 feet from the foundation.

2. Should I leave it open and "watch" it or should I panic and call an
engineer or geologist or something?

The house is over 100 years old. There is no apparent drain pipe in that
area, although I'm told the previous owner put some kind of exterior
French
drain around the house at some point. This is Baltimore, theoretically
clay
soil, although the soil in the hole is soft and sandy. It has been VERY
rainy for the last 2 years.

EGADS! PANIC! HELP!

No need to panic. I once had something similar. As I kept opening the top
layer of soil, a tunnel was revealed. Seems some smidgets from over 200
years ago built a smidget town underground. The city beneath the soil was
approx. 8 acres, there was evidence of tribal gatherings around a small
underground river near a railroad. Enjoy it b/4 someone fills it in.


I want some of whatever you're smoking, drinking, snorting or eating.

--
-JR
Hung like Einstein and smart as a horse
Remove NO SPAM from e-mai address to reply

sinkhole!
 

Call a local engineer...pick his brain for FREE.
He may have historical information about the soil characteristics in the
neighborhood.
Better to be safe than sorry.

"Bill" wrote in message
...
Call these folks and ask what to do...
http://www.mde.state.md.us/ContactUs/index.asp

For information about this, search google.com for the following words...
sinkholes Maryland



"Betsy" wrote in message
While pulling weeds today my foot fell into a hole. I jumped back and
poked
around it finding it "hollow" underneath. I got the shovel and started
digging, and found a void about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There is
no
evidence of animal life in it, nor is there any debris.

1. How worried should I be? It is near the pillar supporting the post,
about 3 feet away, and about 10 feet from the foundation.

2. Should I leave it open and "watch" it or should I panic and call an
engineer or geologist or something?

The house is over 100 years old. There is no apparent drain pipe in
that
area, although I'm told the previous owner put some kind of exterior
French
drain around the house at some point. This is Baltimore, theoretically
clay
soil, although the soil in the hole is soft and sandy. It has been VERY
rainy for the last 2 years.

EGADS! PANIC! HELP!

sinkhole!
 

Betsy wrote:
While pulling weeds today my foot fell into a hole. I jumped back and poked
around it finding it "hollow" underneath. I got the shovel and started
digging, and found a void about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There is no
evidence of animal life in it, nor is there any debris.

Faugh. That's nothing.

1. How worried should I be? It is near the pillar supporting the post,
about 3 feet away, and about 10 feet from the foundation.

I wouldn't worry at all, if the foundation isn't cracking and the nearby
post remains plumb.

2. Should I leave it open and "watch" it or should I panic and call an
engineer or geologist or something?

Nah. Fill it in.

The house is over 100 years old. There is no apparent drain pipe in that
area, although I'm told the previous owner put some kind of exterior French
drain around the house at some point. This is Baltimore, theoretically clay
soil, although the soil in the hole is soft and sandy. It has been VERY
rainy for the last 2 years.

Well, soil does change characteristics over time. It isn't stone! The
french drain idea does sound like a possibility. We have a similar hole,
about 2' across and originally some 3-4' deep, which was located
immediately under a garden wall. It's likely some sort of washed-out dry
well, I'd guess.

We've been using it for yard waste for a while, now, especially the
junkier stuff, short of weeds, that you don't want to compost. I
recently used the chipper on a bunch of pruning offal and the chips went
in the hole, filling it up to the top for now. (Next year it'll probably
need a little more, as that composts in place and settles.)

sinkhole!
 

"JR-jred" wrote in message
...
..
No need to panic. I once had something similar. As I kept opening the
top
layer of soil, a tunnel was revealed. Seems some smidgets from over 200
years ago built a smidget town underground. The city beneath the soil
was
approx. 8 acres, there was evidence of tribal gatherings around a small
underground river near a railroad. Enjoy it b/4 someone fills it in.


I want some of whatever you're smoking, drinking, snorting or eating.

No doubt practicing for the next Pulitzer. Or maybe the next Michael Miller
script. ;)

Wil

sinkhole!
 

Sinkholes are formed when the underlying soil dissolves away due to
excessive water in the area.
The underlying soil is being acted on by water leaching into the area from a
direct source (underground pipe is broken) or an indirect source (runoff
from an uphill source). You mentioned that you've had lots of rain over the
past 2 years & it's near a fence post. If your back-fill soil wasn't packed
well when the post was installed, then over time, the soil around the post
(I'm assuming there's a concrete base around the post) could be slowly
dissolving away. Enlarge the area until you excavate to more solid soil,
back-fill with a clay-based soil (no gravel or organic top soil), pack well
every 6 inches of fill, and keep working the clay-based soil into the hole
untill filled.

If you should, upon excavation of the area, notice that the water has
undermined a considerably larger area than a few feet, and that the soil
consistency is becoming sandy or crumbly, then I'd call in an company to
help with the matter. They could then determine the extent of the damage
and advise you further. Good luck!!!
"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
While pulling weeds today my foot fell into a hole. I jumped back and
poked
around it finding it "hollow" underneath. I got the shovel and started
digging, and found a void about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There is no
evidence of animal life in it, nor is there any debris.

1. How worried should I be? It is near the pillar supporting the post,
about 3 feet away, and about 10 feet from the foundation.

2. Should I leave it open and "watch" it or should I panic and call an
engineer or geologist or something?

The house is over 100 years old. There is no apparent drain pipe in that
area, although I'm told the previous owner put some kind of exterior
French
drain around the house at some point. This is Baltimore, theoretically
clay
soil, although the soil in the hole is soft and sandy. It has been VERY
rainy for the last 2 years.

EGADS! PANIC! HELP!

sinkhole!
 

thanks. This is a very helpful reply. And thanks to the others as well.

Last night we had another 4" of rain! The hole isn't deeper, but along one
side it seems to be slightly undercut.

What if I poured a bucket of water in and watched it drain? Or filled it up
with water from the hose? Would that be telling me anything significant?

"evolutionman 2004" wrote in message
k.net...
Sinkholes are formed when the underlying soil dissolves away due to
excessive water in the area.
The underlying soil is being acted on by water leaching into the area from
a
direct source (underground pipe is broken) or an indirect source (runoff
from an uphill source). You mentioned that you've had lots of rain over
the
past 2 years & it's near a fence post. If your back-fill soil wasn't
packed
well when the post was installed, then over time, the soil around the post
(I'm assuming there's a concrete base around the post) could be slowly
dissolving away. Enlarge the area until you excavate to more solid soil,
back-fill with a clay-based soil (no gravel or organic top soil), pack
well
every 6 inches of fill, and keep working the clay-based soil into the hole
untill filled.

If you should, upon excavation of the area, notice that the water has
undermined a considerably larger area than a few feet, and that the soil
consistency is becoming sandy or crumbly, then I'd call in an company to
help with the matter. They could then determine the extent of the damage
and advise you further. Good luck!!!
"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
While pulling weeds today my foot fell into a hole. I jumped back and
poked
around it finding it "hollow" underneath. I got the shovel and started
digging, and found a void about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There is
no
evidence of animal life in it, nor is there any debris.

1. How worried should I be? It is near the pillar supporting the post,
about 3 feet away, and about 10 feet from the foundation.

2. Should I leave it open and "watch" it or should I panic and call an
engineer or geologist or something?

The house is over 100 years old. There is no apparent drain pipe in
that
area, although I'm told the previous owner put some kind of exterior
French
drain around the house at some point. This is Baltimore, theoretically
clay
soil, although the soil in the hole is soft and sandy. It has been VERY
rainy for the last 2 years.

EGADS! PANIC! HELP!