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A serious home foundation problem was certainly not something you hoped
for when you invested in your home.
However, we are here to help educate you on your foundation problem
and to help you locate a foundation contractor that understands
home foundation repair problems. With the information we provide you, we
hope that you will be able to make an educated and informed decision on how
to proceed. Here are some short discussions on foundation repair that are covered in
our website:
The
signs of
foundation repair problems are many times obvious. Doors and windows are not shutting
properly, there are cracks in basement walls, exterior walls are sinking, or
there are cracks in the basement floor foundation slab of your home.
Study the
cracks in
your walls and foundations. Wall cracks can tell a story.
Looking at the patterns of a foundation crack can be informative. When
studying walls, in general, vertical cracks are less likely to be structural
in nature whereas horizontal and tailing (step down) cracks can be signs of
structural failure. One way to determine if a wall is still moving or
settling is to measure the crack.
The
causes of home foundation problems vary significantly.
There are many reasons why your home foundation might be sinking, cracking, or
leaking. The primary
reasons foundations fail include poor soil, poorly compacted soil, expansion
and contraction of soil, and water/erosion. In the worst cases, however, it
can also be the result of a poor foundation contractor.
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Soil Problems: Poor soils or poorly compacted soils are a leading cause for
home foundation problems.
First, different types of soils react differently. If your home was built on
expansive soils, over time the soil beneath your home will expand and
contract as the moisture content of the soil changes with the seasons and
temperature. This expansion and contraction often causes cracks in
foundations.
Second, if your home was built on "fill" that was not properly compacted,
over time the soil will compact and result in settlement. This
settlement can cause foundation cracks. A little
settlement is typical for most homes and many times the soil will, over
time, reach a stable compaction point. At that time, foundation settlement will stop.
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Water & Erosion Problems: Water and erosion are common reasons why
foundations begin to sink or settle. This can occur as the result of changes
in water drainage patterns (development around your property), changes in
water table levels, plumbing leaks, and drainage from your roof or driveway.
There are many
foundation repair methods
for solving your foundation problems.
Included among these repair methods are: helical pier
systems, push piers, resistance piers, concrete
underpinning, slab jacking, mud jacking.
Helical piers are used for new construction and to
support existing structures. In compression they are
used as footers and in tension they may be used to support
retaining or foundation walls. Using a hydraulic motor
attached to a backhoe or skid steer, the pier (which is
essentially a large screw) is drilled into the earth to a
specified depth or until refusal. It is a fast and easy way
to install a foundation system.
The one thing everyone hates is a leaky
basement. However when you need
foundation
waterproofing, you need to find a good contractor to
solve the problem.
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