The naturally occurring mineral that causes foundations to crumble could be affecting thousands of homes across the state.
Whenever Cynthia Poirier of Holland hears a popping noise, she questions what part of her home is going next. The 31-year-old house that Poirier built herself as a single mom of two is failing her.
Unbeknownst to her, the concrete poured when the house was built contained a naturally occurring mineral called pyrrhotite. Over time, this mineral has cracked the foundation to the point where large chunks can be taken by hand and walked away.
As it continues to fail, the house structure is beginning to deteriorate, too, with bowed walls, doors that don’t close correctly, and fears that the supports upstairs are worsening.
“I’m sure they’re going to start snapping and breaking and hopefully nothing comes through the ceiling on my head,” Poirier said.
According to a 2019 State House report, thousands of homes across the state may have failing concrete foundations due to pyrrhotite, an iron sulfide present in concrete.