Foundation Repair Specialists Help Homeowners Avoid Extensive and Expensive Repairs

Paul Brown is known among his friends as a very positive, upbeat kind of guy. But the news he received about his house last week had him truly shaken. "There were just two small cracks in the basement floor when we moved into the house two years ago," he explained to a neighbor. "But when I went down to the basement last week, I saw that both cracks had widened, and that one section of the concrete slab had actually sunk down about 2 inches beneath another."

"I heard that a family at the other end of the development had a similar problem," Paul's neighbor responded. "They had a real mess on their hands. They paid a contractor to jackhammer most of the basement floor; then a big concrete truck came in to pour a new floor."

Paul looked worried. "That's what I'm afraid of," he continued. "It's not just the expense of replacing the foundation that bothers me. I hate the idea of that heavy equipment destroying all the nice planting and landscaping work we've done around that section of the house."

Why A Foundation Settles

Fortunately, this story and others like it can have a happy ending. Foundation settlement problems are prevalent in many parts of the country. Sometimes this happens because the soil beneath a basement or crawl space foundation has poor load-bearing qualities and ends up compressing or sinking over time. Other times, drainage problems actually cause soil to be washed away, creating voids beneath sections of concrete slabs or footings.

Alternative to Excavation-Piering

Regardless of the cause of foundation settlement problems, the cure doesn't need to involve excavation, rubble removal and new construction. The alternative to this extensive and expensive repair strategy is to use piering techniques that connect settled slabs, walls and footings to solid bedrock and/or loadbearing soil. Once piers have been driven down to stable soil at greater depth, strong steel brackets attached to the piers can be used to stabilize settled foundation sections and even raise them back to their original positions.

Which Contractors Use Piers

General home repair contractors don't have access to foundation piers and the equipment required to install them. Nor do they have the training and engineering support to design and warrant this type of permanent repair. That's why some unfortunate homeowners end up paying for excavation and rubble removal work that isn't necessary. The right contractor to call in is a foundation repair specialist. These building professionals are trained to inspect and analyze foundation problems, design permanent repairs and complete the work using highly engineered equipment and materials. In most cases, excavation work can be minimized along with the need to demolish existing masonry and haul it to the landfill.

Expert Engineers

A foundation repair specialist can call on the services of soil engineers to analyze soil characteristics at a site where foundation problems have occurred. By establishing the depth and location of different soil types, engineers can determine what types of foundation piers are most suitable, how many will be required, and where individual piers should be located. Heavy equipment isn't usually required to create openings where piers will be driven. Driving, bracket attachment and jacking operations are also performed with compact hydraulic equipment. Once the holes at pier locations are patched, the repair is invisible.

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Benefits of Construction Adhesive For Home Repair

Purchasing an old house that needs some TLC can be a challenge. If you have the know-how and some help, you can save a lot of money. Also, if you are aware of all the products on the market to help you, like glue and adhesive products, the work you have to do is made so much easier and quicker.

This old house

Some say that the squeaky floors in an old house provide character. But a squeak is a squeak, no matter how you label it. Why not do something about the squeaks. There is an adhesive that works with flooring that greatly reduces the squeaks when the floor is replaced, as well as reduces the heads from coming through the floor after the work is done. This old house can be this quiet, old house with a good floor adhesive on hand.

Start the job right

Stores like Lowes and Wal-mart offer a variety of home repair products. Does your new home have rickety floors? Do you need to replace flooring? Old flooring can be difficult to remove and it is a lot of hard work, so you want to replace the flooring with only the best products. Whether you are doing the job for your own home or working for someone else, you want your work to be quality work that will last. Once you remove that old flooring, you don't want to have to go back and do it again. If you use a quality adhesive before applying the new floor, you will be off to a good start and a job that will look and last great once you're done.

The many benefits of construction adhesive

Sub-floor construction adhesive is the answer to great finished glued floors. Sub-floor construction adhesive can be used in all-weather conditions, even on wet or frozen lumber. This glue bonds extremely strong and quick and is permanent. It is also weather and waterproof. By using sub-floor construction adhesive, you will be reducing your installation costs of other flooring foundations, while still giving your floor a great foundation. This sub-floor construction adhesive lowers floor squeaks and keeps nails from popping through. It makes the work so much simpler by bridging gaps up to 3/8" thick and allows for spans to be extended. It will bond to most materials builders use and comes in 28 ounce tubes. Since it resists water, it can be used for both indoor and outdoor applications.

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Tips And Ideas For Home Foundation Repair

As all of us are aware, the purpose of a home foundation is to provide support and stability to the structure. There are different kinds of foundations. Most of them extend below the ground and the larger the building, the deeper the foundation has to be. There are a number of problems that can arise regarding a home foundation, but the two most commonplace complaints are shifting soil and uneven support. A frequent damaging factor is the amount of water in the soil. In areas where there is regular, heavy rainfall followed by a dry season, the soil behavior tends to be unpredictable. Moisture seeping into the soil will cause it to expand, and moisture leaving will cause contraction.
At the first sign of home foundation damage, you should contact a contractor immediately for an inspection and repair cost estimate. The contractors will take several factors into consideration when calculating the repair cost of your foundation. After they have done their initial inspection, they will asses the damage and determine how long it will take to fix the foundation. Other than the labor cost the estimates will also depend on the type of material will be used, as well as the cause of the damage.
When people have their foundation repaired, they typically opt to take on other incidental repairs at the same time. These services often include pest control, earthquake proofing, and the installation of seismic anchor bolts. These services will cost you money but it will be preferable to have all these services done at the same time as you will then save on overall costs. Foundation repair will cost a lot of money. Most people may require payment plans and/or loans for this kind of repair.
In order to efficiently repair a damaged foundation, first you need to know what’s causing the damage. A professional will be able to look for different signs of distress, and ascertain whether it is vertical stress or lateral, if it’s due to erosion, water, or instability in the soil. Small areas of sunken concrete can be corrected with hot asphalt, or grout pumped underneath the problem slab. This asphalt hardens and becomes a steady base. This is most effective when it comes to smaller slabs which most often create problems. However, if your problems are larger then a deck or driveway, the most commonly used method of repair is peiring. This is when large steel pipes are driven deep into the ground under the foundation of a structure and lift it to where it should sit to prevent further sinkage.
Stone foundations are not used very much in the construction of homes or buildings today. However, there are several old homes and buildings were stone foundations still existent. When a stone foundation cracks the average homeowner cannot make the necessary repairs on his or her own. It will be necessary to hire professionals to make the required repairs. Stone foundations crack for several reasons, with water damage being the most prominent cause. Stone foundations can also crack and crumble due to vibration that can be caused from heavy vehicles running above ground, and even sonic vibrations created from aircraft.

samehta is a Copywriter of Houston home remodeling, home foundation repair, Home plumbing & re-piping .She written many articles in various topics such as Houston kitchen remodeling, Concreate remodeling Houston, Houston windows remodeling . For more information visit: http://www.allphaserenovations.com .

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Basement Waterproofers for Foundation bank Crack Repair

Basement is usually wet and walls are fractured or packed with dampness. Prefer repair instead of avoiding this issue as it can get most terrible later. Basement cleaning New Jersey and waterproofing services South New Jersey are operated under various tags. Water proofing is really an essential task to make a controlled and mannered crawl space services which are entitled with different services in Manchester Township and Williamstown.

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Foundation / Sill Plate repair

Circa 1885 2-Storey, balloon construction.

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Foundation Repair? Understanding Residential Slab Underpinning

Slab on Grade Foundation Systems gained popularity on a mass scale after World War II. Many returning veterans needed affordable and reliable housing in primarily suburban areas of the United States. To build homes in volume, developers and builders chose shallow bearing concrete foundations systems because they were relatively inexpensive, and could be built in about half the time it took to build basement type foundation systems. Structurally, these primarily residential foundations resemble the geometry of a "waffle", with "ribs" on the bottom, and a flat smooth surface on top. The ribs stiffen the slab to prevent excessive movement, and the smooth top surface accommodates living area floors. Over the past 50 years, slab on grade design & construction techniques have not changed much. The design principles are essentially the same, and it is arguably one of the most reliable and popular foundation system types on the market today.

But what to do when these foundation systems structurally fail? What is the proper repair method? How does a proper repair method compare to less reliable repair systems.

One of the crucial underlying design principles of shallow bearing slab on grade foundation systems is its "single unit" behavior. To do their job, slab-on-grade foundation systems act as single structural elements with uniform stiffness.  These foundation systems are designed to respond uniformly to resist upward or downward movement caused by soil pressure from below, and heavy structural loads from above. In doing so, these slab-on-grade foundation systems are stiff enough to buffer potentially damaging soil and subgrade material movement, yet flexible enough to protect the supported structural elements from unsafe or excessive planar tilting.

Properly repairing a failed or structurally compromised slab on grade foundation system requires a design method that mirrors its original design principle. Since shallow bearing foundation systems are designed as single units, they likewise must be repaired as a single unit. At a minimum, the remedial structural design must uniformly stabilize the entire foundation so it can resist the soil, dead and live loads imposed upon it.

Case #1: Repairing Part of the Slab-on-Grade Foundation System-Partial Piering.  Stabilizing only part of the system restrains and limits its movement in a localized area, allowing the remaining unrestrained portion of the foundation to continue to freely move. Like moving a lever up and down, the unrestrained part of the slab transfers and focuses its stress to the area between the restrained and movable portion slab. This transferred stress can and often does cause additional damage to the brittle concrete foundation structure, thus repeating the cycle of foundation system structural failure.

Case #2: Repairing the Entire Slab-on-Grade System-Full Piering.  Whether repaired or not, the foundation system is designed to behave as a single structural element. When an engineer designs this type of foundation system, shear, deflection, and strength is evaluated for the entire foundation, not just part of it. So why should an appropriate repair address only part of the slab?

The single unit slab-on-grade design principle allows the entire foundation system to react to soil movement uniformly.  In doing so, the impact of excessive soil movement to the brittle house materials (brick, sheetrock, etc.) is minimized, thus protecting the slab and house from cosmetic or structural damage.

A reliable, durable, and time tested method for uniformly stabilizing (full Piering) slab-on-grade foundation systems includes underpinning, where a slab on grade foundation (interior and exterior grade beams) bears upon and span underpins (drilled and steel reinforced concrete piers, or DRCP's). For residential foundation systems, these underpins are strategically placed beneath the expanse of the foundation system to depths exceeding eight feet to provide maximum support. Unlike the typical (and inexpensive) multiple segmented concrete pile components stacked atop one another like unstable kinder blocks, DRCP's are poured in place, reinforced with vertical steel, and placed to bear on deep, yet stable soils, free from seasonal moisture variations. More importantly, and unlike segmented piles, DRCP's provide superlative resistance to soil friction that tends to push the underpin up (float) or from side to side (lateral). As such, DRCP's provide a stable bearing surface for the damaged foundation system by limiting its ability to move vertically or horizontally. For a residence of like kind, quality age and size, 30-40 reinforced concrete underpins drilled to a 10-15 foot depth and placed at the interior and perimeter of the foundation system may be expected.

So, if your unbiased engineer recommends foundation repair, DRCP's, while expensive, must be strongly considered by the owner as the repair method of choice for slab on grade foundation systems. Other methods, while inexpensive, such as mudjacking, soil stabilization, using segmented pilings, or partial piering may satisfy limited budgets in the near term, but they will probably cost more in the longer term. 

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The Cost of Foundation Repair and How to Avoid

A foundation is the base that supports any structure in order for it to stay solid and firm.  When this base is not installed properly or the soil beneath is not sound, problems occur that can jeopardize your entire base and structure.  The cost of foundation repair can be very expensive if there is major damage.  Homeowners expect the foundation to be adequate and dependable but sometimes can be faced with the problem of a base in need of repair.

The Basics of a Foundation

There are three basic types of foundations that builders use before beginning the construction of a home.  The most common type of foundation is a slab-on-grade.  Reinforced concrete is used to create a base together with the soil that is often referred to as the second foundation.  Because this second foundation of soil is important in supporting the concrete, soil testing and approval needs to be done ahead of pouring concrete.  If the soil is unsustainable for such a load, the seasonal movement caused by rainfall, drought, and temperature changes can affect the amount of heaving that occurs.

A pier and beam foundation usually has a crawl space beneath the structure.  It is constructed with a concrete footing and pier that is positioned to support wood beams and the floor joists.  The quality of the ground is still an issue with a pier and beam foundation because of the shallow nature of the base.  The cost of foundation repair in either of these two types of foundations can become immense if the soil cannot be supported to sustain the weight.

Basements provide more support for a structure because the footing depth extends far beneath the frost line, four or more feet below the surface.  The sinking and swelling of the earth occurs against the walls and limits the amount of damage made by climate changes.  There can be certain damage, however in the lateral movement of the walls and floor heave that requiring the cost of foundation repair to be a future issue.

Variables in the Cost of Foundation Repair

Time, extent of damage, amount of square footage and the number of joints involved are the main areas that will determine the cost of foundation repair.  The number of hours involved in repairing the damage is the number one cost factor.  Labor is expensive especially when you have skilled professionals working.  A contractor may use inexperienced laborers to do the job but you must be aware of this component by comparing prices against other contractor's estimates. 

The extent of damage can come from a variety of factors.  How the problem occurred is vital in fixing the problem.  Poor soil, improper drainage and vegetation growth are some reasons that a foundation is becoming unstable and there are different methods figured in to the cost of foundation repair depending on the reason of damage involved.  The square footage and number of joints is a determining factor in the amount of time that is required to stabilize your base.  It is not as easy as repairing the point of collapse.  The entire balance of your foundation will have to be evaluated and sustained.

Average Costs of Professionals

The cost of foundation repair rests on the types of professionals that are needed in assessing the damage and the amount of equipment required.  A typical foundation repair that uses hydraulic piercing can run between $10,000 and $14,000 (6 to 8 foot spacing at $1,340 per pile).  A simple crack in a poured concrete wall will average $800 to $1500.  If soil is thought to be the issue, a geotechnical engineer often receives $500 to $3,000 for an evaluation while a structural engineer can make recommendations for $300 to $1500. 

Maintain your Foundation

Because the cost of foundation repair is so expensive, keeping an eye on your base is crucial in problems that may crop up.  Dry areas require periodic watering of the ground close to their foundation in order to keep the moisture content consistent.  Proper drainage is important so that water is not allowed to collect along the foundation's sides.  Make sure your downspouts are carrying water away from your base by 3-4'.  Trees should be planted no closer than their ultimate height.

You can help control the cost of foundation repair by proper maintenance and having any issues such as noticeable cracks inspected early.  It is definitely worth the service call.

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Foundation Slab Leak Repair Advice - Water Leaks

One of the worst things that could happen to any homeowner is a building slab leak. Worse than that, is a building slab leak that has a crimp in the water line. If a pipe wears out over time, because the water pipes are old, that's a lot different than any repairs that need to be made, from poor building construction.

If you suspect that you have a water leak underneath your concrete building slab or foundation, you can do a simple water meter test. The first thing that you need to do is locate your meter and then make sure that all of the water is turned off to the rest of the property.

In other words, make sure that there aren't any toilets running, faucets dripping, wash machines being used, sprinklers watering your yards and that no one is taking a shower or bath. If there isn't any w being used on the property, the water meter shouldn't move at all.

You can take a picture of the water meter with a digital camera or you can read the w meter and write the numbers down, along with the exact time. Come back and read the water mete again in 15 minutes. If the water metr numbers haven't moved, come back and read it again in one hour. If the water m numbers haven't moved at all, this is good news. This means that you don't have a watr leak.

If the numbers on the water meter have moved, then you have a water leak somewhere. If the water meter numbers didn't move very much, you could contact a watr leak detecting company, to get a second opinion. If the water meter numbers moved more than one number with in 15 minutes, contact a plumber as soon as possible.

If the water meter numbers changed at all, there's a good chance that you have a water leak somewhere or a problem with your water meter. Water leaks should be repaired as soon as possible, because they can cause structural foundation damage, wood framing damage and can even attract mold and mildew.

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Foundation Repair Techniques

The first thing you need to know when dealing with foundation repair is to recognize the problem. The biggest mistake homeowners make is ignoring or not knowing the early warning signs of foundation damage.

Warning Signs:

Structural damage might not be readily visible to an untrained eye. This is why it is very important to know what to look for when dealing with foundation damage. If you live in an older home that is built on top of clay surface chances are you may have foundation problems already. If your home all of a sudden have uneven floors, or develop gaps above the kitchen cabinets you should probably have your home inspected by a contractor.

Repair Methods:

It is an obvious fact that when dealing with foundation repair, you should leave this type of work to licensed contractors with experience dealing with foundation damage, and good local references.

The strength of your foundation is dependent on the soil to hold it up. However, if you already have foundation problems, this means the soil has proven to be unreliable. You will need to have piers installed to help support the home from further damage. The type of pier you need to use will depend on the type of soil underneath your foundation. The contractor will need to determine what type of pier to use, as well as how deep it will need to go. There are two main types of piers being used today for foundation repair, friction and point bearing piers. Friction piers are dependent on the type of soil it is surrounded with to hold it in place, whereas point bearing piers is dependent on the load bearing strata beneath the foundation in order to hold it in place.

The most important thing you can do is to get different quotes and opinions from different contractors and engineers. They will be able to tell you what is best for your home and situation.

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Masonry Construction and Repair

When it comes to custom masonry construction, masonry landscape projects, or masonry repair, most of us like the look of the finished product, but believe the cost is far too expensive to consider.

Although this may have been the case in our parents generation, masonry construction costs are actually affordable in today's world. This is partially due to the fact that materials such as concrete and mortar are mass-produced. Add to this the reduced labor involved in attaining rock materials, (more-efficient machinery for cutting, gathering and delivering natural stone products), and you have a win-win situation.

In fact, commercial masonry is one of the fastest growing industries in our country. With the advent of concrete stamping and its nearly undetectable resemblance to natural stone, the masonry construction industry is booming.

What this means to the consumer is that professionally-landscaped walkways, retaining walls, patios, or enclosed grilling areas are within nearly everyone's financial reach.

Nonetheless, there are some very important things to remember when considering the addition of stone or concrete accouterments to your property.

First, does the design flow? Nothing is more distressing than purchasing a soundly-constructed home whose yard has been sectioned into unrelated abutments that prevent strategic lawn chair placement, unrestricted patio access, or restricts movement throughout the lawn and garden areas. How do you avoid this kind of catastrophe on your own property? Seek the help of qualified commercial masonry professionals!

Once you have located a competent commercial masonry company, talk. Talk about every idea you have ever considered for your property. If you are speaking to a seasoned masonry professional, they will understand your concepts, improve upon them, and help you enhance the integrity of your space. They will be able to tell you whether you can best attain the look you prefer through the use of natural rock or concrete stamping. Additionally, a true masonry expert will be experienced at reconciling existing issues and, through careful planning, can incorporate both masonry repair and new construction into the same affordable package.

How will you know you have located a suitable masonry construction company?

· An experienced masonry expert will enhance your outdoor living space and help you implement your vision. Listen closely. Do they discard everything you say and ask you to go an entirely different direction, or do they build upon your concepts and make them better?

· A qualified masonry professional can actually save you money. Are you speaking with someone who provides realistic information about property angles, anchors, materials and labor? Qualified masons have been working in the industry for decades and know how to adapt appropriate materials to your particular landscaping needs, be they natural rock, rebar and stamped concrete or drain-able retaining walls.

· Look at examples of their work. Better yet - watch them work. True craftsmen make their task look easy, but take an extravagant amount of time on details that make the finished product look as if it cost a fortune to produce.

Get more than one masonry quote. Before making your final decision, converse with and check the portfolio of several masonry construction companies. In the end, your decision will be based as much upon the personal impression you got from the company as their price and contribution of ideas. Commercial masonry companies have a lot of competition these days - but true craftsmen still exist. They know the market, the amount of time required to produce excellent results, and take immense pride in their work. In the end, voting to save a few pennies by opting for a company whose work is inferior or who is asking that you scrap your vision in favor of theirs, can lead to years of discontentment.

Upon completion, your outdoor living area should be a place you are constantly drawn to. It should make you smile when you view and experience it. If so, you have been touched by the brush of a true artisan. Subsequent visits to this environment will only continue to gratify. You will want to invite others to share the experience. Using the services of a professional masonry construction expert can provide years of pleasure in your outdoor living area.

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Why Foundation Repair Cannot Be Ignored

Foundation repair is the most complicated and the most expensive type of repair your home will ever need. This is the reason why so many people go to school to get training specifically to become a foundation repair contractor. Foundation repair is not something most people like to think about. Foundation problems can be a stressful, potentially costly endeavor, filled with uncertainty, particularly if not done professionally. Foundation Repair is needed when your foundation begins to settle. This can be caused by building on expansive clay, compressible or improperly compacted fill soils, or improper maintenance around foundations. Mother Nature plays a big part in this also depending on the state you live in and how cold your winters can get.

Foundation repairs are usually quite expensive, but are an essential home improvement. Foundation repairs are often difficult and expensive, so it's important to build the foundation correctly the first time. The Build A Better Home program from APA- The Engineered Wood Association is designed to provide builders and homeowners with the construction guidelines they need to protect their homes against damaging moisture infiltration. Foundation repairs aren't easily performed, so breathe deep, sit back and hope for the best. When your choices are few and far between, you need to find the best contractor for the job. The lowest price is not always the best way to go and if you choose to make your final decision on just that fact, be prepared to be disappointed most of the time.

Cracks that are buckling, bowing, sinking and other defects are commonly caused by the foundation settling, unstable or shifting soil, environmental conditions or even poor landscaping design. When left untreated, these seemingly minor problems can become a major headache and lead to serious structural damage. The earlier you catch this problem and try to fix it the better your chances of it not costing a fortune.

Foundation repair can't be ignored. The "traditional" answer to foundation repair has been to erect "piers" to jack up the foundation and raise it off the expansive clay soil. Piers have several distinct disadvantages and drawbacks. Foundation repair can be expensive and tricky. You'll want to shop around and get several bids from several different contractors as well as have a look at their experience in such matters. Foundation repair can be the most expensive repair that you will make to a property. One of the saddest things I've heard in the investment community are the stories of investors who have purchased a property, rehabbed it, and put it on the market only to have the buyer's inspector tell them there was a problem with the foundation.

Cracks and other damage can look unattractive, reduce the overall value of your home and lead to more serious structural problems. Steps can be taken to fix foundations to maintain the quality and value of most homes. Cracks usually develop in the floors and grade beams of buildings having an abnormal degree of differential settlement. The cracks in concrete are normal and could be a symptom of differential settlement and not the problem.

Foundation repair is critical to address as soon as you suspect a problem. For starters, the sooner you fix a failing foundation, the less damage it will cause. My best advice any professional contractor can give a homeowner in need of foundation repair is to remedy the problem as soon as possible before it gets worse and leads to several costly other repairs.

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Texas Foundation Repair and Soaker Hoses

There is a lot of smoke and mirrors behind watering your foundation with soaker hoses. First let's review the background related to using soaker hoses as a form of foundation repair.

It has been well established that foundation failures and foundation repairs are widespread, especially in the State of Texas. Many experts claim that in most cases foundation failures are the result of an unregulated building industry, unskilled labor and builders cutting corners for the sake of higher profits or pure ignorance. For all those who live in a home built by a tract home builder this will not come as a surprise.

In recent years numerous experts around Texas have testified extensively about the increasing problem of home builders cutting cost corners and that the homes foundation is the first example given. It has also been acknowledged by engineers that home foundations are being designed to less stringent standards in order to build them cheaper. This lack of quality control has lead to unprecedented foundation repair work being needed.

Because of widespread homeowner complaints describing foundation failures, the American Society of Engineers (ASCE) asked for comments and recommendations from engineers across Texas. The consensus of those engineers who participated was to improve foundations by designing stiffer slabs. The results were astounding; the recommended guideline changes would increase foundation strength by 27% at an estimated cost of only a $1,000 for a 2,500 square foot one story home.

However, the disgraceful response by the building industry, to its critics, is that homeowners have a maintenance responsibility to "water their foundations" to protect the structural integrity of their homes. As if watering a foundation replaces sound engineering.

At a Texas building standards public hearing, a committee member described how homeowners are instructed by builders to put a soaker hose around the perimeter of the home, and never turn it off in order to keep the foundation from cracking, and to keep it stable. He then asked how much water was needed to maintain a foundation. The well respected engineer responded; you cannot maintain a foundation by watering because "you can never water enough."  

The engineer went on to say that the cost of water over even a relatively short period of time would far exceed the cost of the $1,000 needed to stiffen the foundation significantly when it is initially built.

So finally we have it on good authority that the excuse for foundation failures caused by too much rain, lack of rain or trees is a fairy tale, and that these so called "Acts of God" are really acts of man in order to increase builder profits. Remember the Texas Home Builders Association has a very large lobbyist organization in Austin.

Texas has highly expansive soils, as well as many other states however, no other place but Texas are homeowners instructed to "water their foundations." Other states officials and foundation experts laugh when they hear that in Texas homeowners are blamed for foundation repair issues because they didn't properly water their foundations. The solution to expansive soil problems is to properly engineer foundations to withstand the adverse effects of expansive soil. This can be accomplished during construction as well as after construction is complete by trained professionals under the guidance of independent foundation engineers.

In the meantime, if nothing is done, new homebuyers are at risk, and the new home foundation problem will continue to worsen while builder profits take priority. While continuing down this road will make the new home building and foundation repair industries very profitable, the consumer will suffer.  

One solution for existing homes, that are having foundation problems, is to have proper foundation repairs done by trained professionals. There are several foundation repair methods that will solve current problems and they all have certain things in common.  

First, they install deeply beyond the active soil layers. Whether it is helical anchors or steel push piers, depth is the first priority. Secondly, correct foundation repairs use engineered systems to install. Simple bottle jacks and shims are not engineered systems, they are cheap techniques for temporary repairs. Lastly, quality foundation repairs are performed by trained foundation repair professionals under the supervision of independent engineers. Using these guidelines homeowners can be assured that they have a properly designed deep foundation system supporting their home.

In summary, do not rely on smoke and mirrors. Consult with a foundation engineer who will help develop a plan to solve your unique foundation problem.  

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Foundation Repair - Bottle Jacks Are BAD!

For many people foundation repairs are a necessary evil when they are having settling or heaving problems with their home. Most are not up to speed on the technical aspects of structurally repairing their homes basement or foundation, so they look through the phone book or go online and look for a repair expert in their area. With little knowledge or research a foundation repair contractor is chosen based on price or convenience. This is where problems can start, the lack of knowledge is the enemy of quality workmanship.

Quality foundation repair contractors have years of experience and a host of quality products and employees at their disposal so that they can apply the best solution to your homes unique situation. The bad contractors base their business on price and convenience. They are able to install their pier systems very quickly and inexpensively because they are adapting your situation to their foundation repair solution and equipment. No thought is given to the real factors involved with structurally stabilizing a basement or foundation.

These real world factors include:

            Structural weight

            Structural elevations

            Structural strength of the current foundation

            Pier system capacities

            Synchronized lifting

            Soil properties

            Drainage and water runoff

One of the simplest methods to see if you are receiving a quality foundation repair is to inquire about the equipment to be used on your repair. Many low cost, fly-by-night contractors use simple bottle jacks (car jacks) is drive pier sections into the soil. They will then use these same car jacks in an attempt to stabilize your home. This should throw up a red flag to all homeowners. If the contractor will not spend money on quality, engineer approved equipment they most likely will not repair your home in a quality, engineer approved manner.

While a relatively simple manner to filter out poor installing contractors, it is a good rule of thumb to narrow down your choices. Simply put, bottle jacks are great for temporary support of cars, beams and trailers but when being used for foundation repairs they can cause damage to a homes foundation. Bottle jacks have no pressure gauge to regulate the pressure being applied to a foundation, only a crude mechanical means for adjustment. Bottle jacks have a very small head or saddle, which presses against your foundation when the mechanical pump is depressed. This greatly increases the stress on a foundation causing cracks and possible ruptures in the footing or wall. Increasing the square inches of contact area greatly reduces the applied force on the foundation. Most quality foundation pier systems accomplish this by using a steel bracket with a large surface area for the footing to rest on attached to a specifically designed hydraulic cylinder.

The lack of a pressure gauge is another deficiency of bottle jacks. With now means of measuring the force applied to the foundation there is no way of knowing if the foundation can sustain this force. Quality structural repair systems have a gauge and valve to measure and limit the hydraulic forces applied to your home. When lifting a structure, multiple heavy duty hydraulic cylinders and valve banks are used to complete a synchronized lift. This way the foundation is supported and lifted evenly, as not to apply unequal forces on a structure.

It should now be obvious why engineers and quality foundation repair contractors do not implement bottle jacks to repair your homes foundation. So when you start your research for a foundation repair contractor start with this one easy filter and narrow your choice from there.

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Take Appropriate Steps to Repair That Foundation Crack

The foundation of a house is the concrete structure that is poured before the construction of the actual frame. The contractor digs a hole that is the precise size in length and width of the planned house. He then pours concrete into the hole and sometimes reinforces it with steel. This concrete foundation supports the wooden or steel frame that provides structure for the walls, floors, ceilings and roof of the house.

After several years or even several months, the foundation can settle. This means that changing stresses imparted to the foundation from the ground result in the foundation slightly rearranging itself, in order to cope with the application of ground forces. This usually creates cracks in the concrete, which can create serious problems for the house. This is especially true if the cracks grow so large that parts of the foundation start caving in.

Cracks in the foundation as a result of settlement are rarely if ever due to the design of the house itself. There are four common reasons for foundation settlement, weak soils, maturing vegetation, increased soil moisture, and poor compaction. Sometimes, the soil supporting the foundation is simply too weak and the soil itself can fail and start to collapse. Once that happens, the foundation loses most of its supporting structure, and consequently it starts to settle into a new position.

Trees and other vegetation that are reaching their maturity can spread roots into the foundation and break it apart. Slowly but surely, this will lead to cracks in the concrete. If the moisture in the soil increases, the water content can eat away at the concrete as well. Finally, if the soil fails to compact properly, the pressure increase on the foundation will eventually break it altogether.

If cracks appear in your foundation for any reason, it is important to repair it as soon as possible. Even if there are no serious problems, like water leakage, failing to seal the crack now will make it harder to repair it after a leak has started. The worst case scenario is basement flood repair. This means cleaning up a basement after it has flooded due to a foundational crack.

The most common way to repair a foundational crack is by using some form of injection. Think of caulking a bathroom, sealing the tiles is the only way to prevent water from ruining your bathroom arrangement. Similarly, you can repair a crack by injecting a sealant, usually urethane foam or hydraulic cement, into the crack, thus preventing it from growing. The urethane foam completely fills in the crack in all dimensions, from top to bottom and front to back.

The water inside the crack exerts something called hydrostatic pressure, which can force out any other sealant. Urethane foam is powerful because it completely engulfs the crack, thus preventing the pressure from exerting any force and ruining the integrity of the seal. Repairing a crack in your foundation is the only way to prevent it from getting worse. Consult with a professional in order to avoid any inadvertent accidents.

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Foundation Repair 101 - Class In Session

First I would like to welcome everyone to a new class entitled Foundation Repair 101.

I will be your instructor. My name is Ed. I have been in the construction business for close to 20 years now, and I have worked on hundreds of building foundations through the years. I have a vast knowledge of foundation failures and the probable causes. I have developed certain systems and techniques to deal with the problems. I still keep an open mind, and I learn new things almost daily.

I would like to start today's class with an open forum. I am going to give each of you the opportunity to ask questions and participate in open discussion. I will attempt to answer the questions and provide possible solutions to the problems. I am hopeful that everyone may learn something from this exercise. Now then,, Lets get started!

-Ed - Questions?.....Yes, In the back row. Please ask your question.

- Hi, My name is Joe. I would like to ask about a problem with my basement. I have lived in my house since 1982, and never had any foundation problems until recently. I have noticed a long vertical crack that runs downward from a window opening, all the way to the floor. I am seeing very small cracks in the drywall directly above this area. What is going on? Is this serious?

-Ed - Well Joe, you definitely have some foundation movement. I need to ask you about the crack. Is it wider at the top or at the bottom?

-Joe - It is wider at the top and it seems to taper to a hair line at the bottom.

- Ed - That would indicate corner settlement on either side of the window. The reason for the crack being directly below the window is because that is the weakest area for separation. The first thing you should do is go down to your local Sears, or Home Depot, or a similar hardware store, and purchase a laser level. It doesn't have to be a fancy one, but make sure it will throw a 360 degree line. Make sure it is a self leveling type. They are not very expensive if you shop around. You need to set the laser in the basement and throw a line along the problem wall. Measure the distance between the laser line and the overhead floor joists. You will quickly see the exact difference and the exact amount of settlement that the corner, or corners, have realized. You should then take a very close look at the outside of the foundation and examine the soil for negative grade or problem down spouts or other likely contributors to the problem. You will need help with straightening and stabilizing of the foundation. You should contact a few different foundation piering companies in your territory. Give them the details with as much information as you can. They should be able to give you some basic price figures for the stabilization and corrective jacking of the problem areas. The ones that you can trust are the ones that respond with confidence and offer satisfaction guarantees and duration warranties. If they seem confused and their level of expertise is questionable, then you should not allow them to experiment on your house.

-Ed - Any more questions about this type of a problem?..Yes, You in the second row...

- Hi my name is Carol. I'm wondering about a similar type of vertical crack, except it is wider at the bottom and it only runs halfway up the wall. What would cause something like that?

-Ed - That is a very good question Carol. That type of a crack indicates a sag in the foundation below that particular area. Usually that situation occurs in crawl space foundations and usually it is in foundations that were poured prior to the mid 70's. Probably a spread footing type.

-Carol - That is right. The home is a 1968 and the neighborhood is mostly spread footings and slab on grade type construction.

-Ed - I'm going to suggest a few possibilities. There may be a problem with the main sewer drain that usually runs directly beneath the footing and flows toward the street. The line may be leaking and softening the soil beneath the region in question. You may have a water main leak that could be as small as a pinhole and create the problem. You may just have groundwater softening due to negative grade. Look around the yard for signs of sinking spots. Look for settling sidewalks or porch, or any other indications of softening soil. You should contact foundation experts in your area and give them all of the information. They should be able to help you with some options and permant repair ideas.

-Ed - More Questions?...Yes..You in the front..

- Hi my name is Bill. I just got transferred into town and my wife and I are house shopping. We are not familiar with the territory and we are worried about the soil problems over on the south side of town. We found a newer home that is just the right size and we realy like it. It is priced below market and we thought it might ba a great deal, but when we looked it over closely, we noticed un-even floors and crooked doorways and we realized why the price is so low. We are wondering whether or not we should look elsewhere?

-Ed - Bill, Your concern is probably shared with thousands of folks that want the same answers. I am going to try to give you the best possible advise about that situation. There are several things that you should do before you make any commitments. First you should look around the neighborhood for other signs of problem soils, Particularly if it is a newer development, or is located on a recently terraced hillside. You should talk to the nearby neighbors about their houses. Ask about any problems that they may be experiencing. Look very closely at streets, curbs, sidewalks, driveways, porches, and so forth. If the home that you are interested in seems to be the only real problematic home then the movement could be related to poor landscaping. There might be negative grade. There might have been problems with a badly designed sprinkler system or over watering because of plants along the foundation. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to get expert advise, preferably local and familiar with the territorial problems. Seek out the best foundation repair companies by reputation and track record. They should be able to give general ball park figures for the repairs that will be necessary. You will then be able to evaluate whether or not the purchase may be a good deal. In territories where there are numerous incidents of similar problems, it is possible that you may be able to obtain lots of information from the others that have undertaken the repairs.

_ Ed - Well folks, it looks like we're running out of time. I am sorry that we did not get to all of you in this meeting. I noticed many hands up, and I wish we had more time. I would like to thank you all for coming. I have a special homework assignment for those of you that did not get a chance to ask your questions. I would like you to go to a website: allexperts.com. Click on: Home and Garden, then click on: Home Improvement, then click on: Foundation Stabilization. You may enter questions there. Make sure you keep all of your notes, and I'll see you again soon.

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Stone Foundation Repair - What to Do?

Owning an historic property with an old stone foundation can be an interesting experience. Those with a strong will and a sound pocketbook can be true caretakers of a piece of history. The foundation of that history is the simple, bold and strong field stone foundation wall.

Older buildings with a stone foundation will generally have the original stone facing visible on the exterior and interior of the building. However it was common to apply a coating of plaster to the interior foundation wall in the basement area, as a means of waterproofing so the stone may not be visible from inside of the building.

Most of the original plaster would have worn off by today but if you are lucky, you just may run across an old stone foundation still in pristine condition but this would be the exception.

Usually after 30 - 50 years the foundation would have shifted cause cracks to appear in the foundation wall and it wasn't uncommon to apply a second to the foundation with a masonry cement stucco. If the second layer is cement stucco than it would indicate that the second coating must have been applied after the early 1900's, when mass produced cement stucco became available.

Regardless if plaster or stucco was applied to the walls, they will look lumpy as the individual stones shapes will show beneath the plaster or stucco.

What to look for -A lot of these older stone foundations were never well maintained and can challenge a building owner with problems ranging from water leakage, mortar turning into sand, loose stones and bulging walls. Anything beyond these few maintenance problems could be considered 'in failure' and may need an engineer's inspection.

Stone foundation walls that leak - It wasn't uncommon for these old stone foundation walls to leak. When they were originally constructed a hole was simply dug to the dimensions of the building and a trench dug where the walls were to be placed. Large field stones would be placed in the trench and became the bed stones of the foundation wall.

Drain tile were not in use around the foundations of older building so static pressure would have been a problem from the beginning depending or the soil type and topography. A high quality builder would have trenched to daylight from the low corner of the building site to take water away from the foundation, if the site permitted. The trench would be partially filled with rubble stones before covering but this simply drainage technique would be an exception and not the rule.

Most of the older homes were constructed high off the ground to keep moisture to a minimum. The basement area for these homes where never intended to be used as living space so a little moisture would have been common and of no concern.

Stone foundation wall problems - Decades of water infiltration will cause deterioration to the stone foundation walls. The result can be bulged walls from excessive static pressure or settlement of the foundation, deteriorated mortar joints from excessive moister or loose stones and missing mortar joints from simple aging and movement.

Bulged walls - This problem presents the biggest hurdle for a building owner depending on the degree and severity of the bulging problem and the location within the foundation wall. Generally though, a portion of the foundation wall can be removed and rebuilt but proper shoring must be in place to support the building load before you proceed. This should not be out of the range of an experienced mason contractor and you should seek their advice.

Loose stones and missing mortar - These items are simple to remedy. Loose stones should be taken out and re-set with fresh mortar. Care should be taken not to undermine any critical support areas within the foundation. If you suspect an area of loose stone is carrying a beam load or other loads then consult a professional for advice.

Holes and missing joints can be filled with mortar or tuck-pointed to help tighten the foundation walls. Any brand of masons mix available at the local box store should be adequate.

After you have completed the repairs mentioned above you may wish to apply another layer of cement stucco. This will help to smooth out imperfections, close small holes, 'stiffen' the walls surface and hopefully provide some protection against water leaks.

Check the foundation annually and make any necessary repairs immediately. By taking immediate action and implementing the repairs recommended above you will be one step closer to keeping that old, stone foundation in shape.

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