Some settling is normal, but uneven or excessive settlement can lead to cracked or bowed walls, floors that slope at steep angles, and doors or windows that don’t open or close properly. Pros Foundation Repair Greensboro NC can stabilize your home using one of several effective methods.
Surface sealants are ideal for small cracks, but they offer only a temporary solution. Concrete pilings and steel piers provide lasting support, while slabjacking is effective in expansive soils.
A home’s foundation is a critical component that supports and protects everything inside of it. Although every home experiences some settling over time, uneven and excessive settlement is an indicator of deeper structural damage that may require costly repairs if left unaddressed. Even minor cracks in the walls and floors, stairstep cracking, or doors that no longer close correctly are all signs of foundation movement that should be repaired.
Underpinning is a construction method that extends the depth of your foundation footing to transfer the weight of your home into more reliable soils or bedrock, helping to prevent future foundation problems. Typically, underpinning involves digging holes underneath your foundation and inserting pilings into the ground. The hole is then filled with concrete, which adds strength and stability to your foundation. Unlike less effective and short-term solutions like mudjacking and the use of polyurethane material, underpinning is a long-term solution that strengthens your foundation and improves your home’s value.
There are a variety of factors that can contribute to foundation damage and the need for underpinning, including water infiltration, freeze-thaw cycles, and poor initial construction. Unsuitable soil conditions, such as expansive clay or shifting sand, can also lead to foundation failure. These issues may be caused by natural disasters, such as earthquakes or floods, or by construction projects that disturb the original soil.
While many homeowners believe that repairing a foundation is a major undertaking, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, a professional engineer’s inspection and repair plan can often be completed in just a few days, with minimal disruption to your daily routine. The cost of underpinning is based on the number and location of piers required, as well as any related drainage or waterproofing improvements that are recommended.
While many contractors offer underpinning services, not all are created equal. A trusted professional will carefully inspect your home’s foundation and recommend the best solution to meet your needs. Once the underpinning is complete, you’ll be able to enjoy your home knowing that it will remain stable and secure for years to come.
Concrete Piers
Concrete piers are deep foundation support that transfer the weight of your home from soft soil to stable ground or bedrock. They’re ideal for repairing homes with expansive or rocky soil, and they can also add stability to new construction projects. These piers are built by drilling a hole, adding reinforcement, and filling with concrete to create a solid foundation support.
Drilled concrete piers are often more labor intensive than other foundation repair methods, and they can take time to cure. However, they’re a reliable long-term fix for structural problems. Because of the time investment and longer installation times, they typically cost more upfront than other repair methods.
A professional home inspection company will be able to determine the best type of pier foundation for your structure and soil conditions, ensuring a long-lasting and strong solution. Home inspectors will look for visible cracks in exterior or interior walls, sloping floors, and difficulty opening and closing doors and windows as indications of a shifting or settling foundation.
The benefits of a drilled concrete pier foundation include a reliable long-term solution to structural issues, the ability to add on to or rebuild a shed or garage, and resistance to fire and termites. They also help reduce moisture issues and can be installed quickly.
The downsides of a drilled concrete pier foundation are higher upfront costs and possible damage to nearby landscaping during excavation and concrete pouring. Additionally, they are not a good fit for every situation, as they’re prone to movement in areas with freezing winters and expansive clay.
Luckily, there are many other types of pier foundations to choose from. A popular choice in Denver is the timber pier, which combines the strength of concrete with the grip of wood to provide an impressively durable and versatile foundation solution. Another option is the push pier, which consists of steel rods pushed into the ground until they reach stable soil or bedrock. Finally, helical piers are similar to push piers but are designed to be driven into the ground using a hydraulic machine instead of manual force.
Steel Piers
When foundation problems are present in your home, the damage can cause significant shifts and movement throughout the building. In these cases, installing support piers beneath your building is often recommended to stabilize it and prevent future displacement. Foundation piers can be installed using two common methods: concrete and steel. Both can provide great stability for your foundation, but one is often better suited to specific circumstances than the other.
The primary reason that steel piers are the best choice for foundation repair is that they can be driven deep into bedrock or shale, providing exceptional load-bearing capacity. Unlike concrete piers that can only reach about 10 to 12 feet, the helical design of steel piers allows them to be driven all the way down into stable soil or bedrock. This is a critical difference that makes steel piers more resistant to shifting and settling than other piers.
To install steel piers, our team clears the area surrounding the structure to expose the foundation footing bottom. Then, a hydraulic jack is used to drive a steel pipe through the bracket and into the soil below the foundation. The pipe is then welded to the bracket and the crew backfills and tamps the soil. This process requires heavy equipment and specialized knowledge, so it is important to choose a contractor with experience and familiarity with local soil conditions.
Another advantage of steel piers is that they can bear loads immediately after installation, eliminating the need for curing time. This can speed up the construction process and reduce project duration. Steel piers are also more environmentally friendly than concrete piers, as they require less energy to manufacture and produce. However, the installation process can create a significant amount of debris, so you will need to plan ahead for the removal and cleanup of this waste.
Lastly, steel piers are typically more expensive than concrete piers. This is primarily due to the higher cost of the steel material, as well as the additional time and labor involved in constructing them. If budget is a concern, you may want to consider concrete piers instead of steel piers.
Foundation Leveling
The foundation leveling process is the final step in foundation repair and can correct most cases of settling. The goal is to lift the foundation back to its original position without any damage, and it can be used to solve a wide variety of issues that may affect your home’s value, functionality, and safety.
The process begins with an inspection of your home to determine the cause of the settling, and then a plan is created to support the foundation. This can include underpinning, but is more commonly accomplished through a process known as “foundation leveling.” Once the contractor has determined what method to use, they will excavat the foundation and install additional supports called piers (push, helical, slab, or drilled concrete) in order to strengthen your foundation and restore it to its original location.
Once the piers are in place, they will be shimmed up to ensure they are secure. This will raise the foundation to its correct position, and they will then be filled in with dirt. For slab foundations, a technique called mudjacking is sometimes used.
Whether it’s an exterior crack that allows moisture and pests into your home, or interior doors and windows that no longer open or close properly, there are many symptoms that can signal that you have foundation problems. Hairline cracks are a red flag that should be monitored, while wider gaps indicate a more serious problem that requires immediate attention.
Leveling your foundation will not only fix these issues, but it will also help to prevent further structural damage and potential health risks for you and your family. It will help to restore the stability of your house, protect it from further deterioration and increase its value.
In addition to having a professional inspect your home’s foundation for signs of problems, it is important to keep up with regular maintenance to avoid more expensive and time-consuming repairs down the line. This includes addressing drainage and landscaping issues that could contribute to foundation movement in the first place. It’s also a good idea to monitor your yard for settling, and to address any concerns right away.