Every homeowner’s or property owner’s worst nightmare is “foundation repair.” When the floor of a home, building, or structure is damaged and needs to be repaired, foundation repair is required. In addition, when the actual construction of the building is affected or the concrete is in distress, the foundation in Huntersville, NC, will need repair regularly.
Your foundation plays a significant role in the overall safety of your home. The foundation protects your home by evenly distributing its weight and deterring settlement. However, when shifting soils, augmentation, contraction, and drainage issues aggravate your foundation to settle, foundation damage occurs. Foundation settlement can result in various problems, including cracks in walls, cracks in brick, and slanted floors, to mention a few.
Many homeowners have seen costly renovations such as new floors and home extensions wrecked by foundation damage. Foundation issues are severe and can wreak havoc on the value of your most valuable asset. But, when it comes to fixing a foundation, you can depend on the waterproofing and structural repair experts at HydroHelp911 for long-lasting, cost-effective solutions that come with a lifetime warranty.
Common Foundation Repair Techniques
Foundation repair is a challenging problem requiring specialized knowledge, methods, systems, and products. A structure can be harmed by foundation failure in a range of ways.
HydroHelp911 provides various foundation repair services to provide solutions regardless of how exceptional the problem is. Our foundation repair methods have been crafted and tested to meet the highest industry standards.
SLAB JACKING
Slab jacking is a concrete repair technology whereby any submerged piece of a concrete slab is elevated by pumping some substance through the concrete, lifting it. The repair specialists first drill access holes in the concrete foundation before filling the area beneath. The most commonly used substance is polyurethane foam. Slab jacking is the most popular foundation repair method in Huntersville, NC, because it has numerous remarkable advantages in terms of cost savings, timeliness, and aesthetic value.
HELICAL ANCHORS
Helical tieback anchors are used to repair bowing or tilting walls. They are connected to the wall’s interior, and the wall is smoothed by applying tension to it.
Watch our video to learn more!
SPOT PIERS INSTALLATION
These concrete-filled piers are typically hand-dug and very narrow. These are excellent for repairing foundations in lightly loaded areas.
REPAIRS WITH SEALANT
Sealant repairs are the most common and straightforward method of repairing damaged foundations. Caulking or filling in with hydraulic cement is typically used for sealant repairs.
STEEL PIERING
This relates to the process of driving numerous steel pipe pilings to rectify foundation settlement. Steel piering is frequently used when the structure seeks to collapse downward. Along with the steel piers, a hydraulic lifting system raises the foundation and rectifies its elevation, making it stable.
Foundation Repair Methods for Smaller Slabs
Slab jacking is the most common method of fixing smaller slabs of sunken concrete, such as home slabs, driveways, sidewalks, swimming pool decks, and so on.
Pumping cement grout through small placed holes strategically in the concrete slab is how slab jacking is done. Once within, the grout hardens into a dense, substantial mass that provides a stable foundation for the concrete slab.
If a soil-cement-lime sealant is used, the lime content of the slurry will provide lime stabilization benefits to the base or sub-base. This combination therapy not only revitalizes the slab to adequately grade but also stabilizes the subsoil to avoid the situation from recurring.
Foundation Repair Methods Large Slabs
Hydraulic piers are typically used to raise and stabilize foundations in more extensive issues, particularly those discovered in the house and commercial building foundation shifting.
Piering entails tactically placing mechanical jacks to raise the settled beam to grade. To avert further or extra damage, the shaft must be cautiously raised. After being introduced, the beam is held in place by a uniquely engineered spread footing and pier.
The footing is set deep enough to be unaffected by variations in soil moisture. It is also intended to distribute the load adequately while also preventing the creation of unnecessary bulk or mass. The pier is steel-tied to the footing and endorses the foundation beam.
Schedule A Free Inspection
Call HydroHelp911 at 704-741-9737 today to schedule your free foundation repair evaluation.
If you are worried about your home’s foundation or observe any signs of damage, call the waterproofing and foundation repair experts at HydroHelp911. We will help you assess the situation and develop a foundation repair solution.
SHOULD I BUY A HOUSE THAT HAS FOUNDATION PROBLEMS?
Many buyers flee from foundation issues. The fear is that repairing the home will cost a fortune. If you’re searching for a new home, stay updated on the common signs of foundation problems. Also, have a home inspection performed. However, foundation issues are sometimes neglected throughout this step.
Check the home you plan to buy inspected by a foundation contractor or an engineer to ensure durability. They will also estimate the repair work cost to make an offer accordingly.
In some cases, you could be able to find a great deal on a house that has foundation problems. But clarify what you’re getting into. Some foundation issues can be quickly and affordably corrected, whereas others may necessarily require a completely new foundation. Don’t believe what a real estate agent tells you; only a foundation expert can tell you what to expect.
WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO FOUNDATION DAMAGE?
Water is frequently the most common cause of foundation damage. When the soil elements of a structure begin to expand or shrink due to moisture, movement starts in the foundation. Damage can also occur when the area from around the foundation lacks adequate drainage. Whenever there is a plumbing leak beneath the structure or if the structure has already been damaged by natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, or droughts, the foundation suffers as well. When the soil has a high clay content, it is more vulnerable to foundation damage.
IS CLAY THE ONLY SOIL TYPE THAT CAUSES FOUNDATION PROBLEMS?
Clay might not be the only soil type that harms foundations. Sand is the second enemy of concrete house foundations. While sand doesn’t expand and contract as much as clay soils, it can be washed away, leaving gaps underneath a foundation. Peat is a soil type that deflates and develops similarly to clay.
The best soils for foundation support are loam and rock. They compact well and thus do not swell or move in response to moisture changes.
DO I HAVE FOUNDATION SETTLING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED?
Houses, especially newer ones, are prone to natural settling over time. Your home will settle over time as the earth and structure shift slightly. This is because of the effects of gravity and natural soil movement. Settling is pretty standard, so if you only have one of the above foundation settlement issues and it doesn’t appear too severe, your home’s foundations may not be damaged.
If your home were recently built or extended, you would likely recognize some plaster cracking and other trivial things. However, if you have several foundation settlement symptoms and your home is older, there could be a problem. In either case, hiring a qualified foundation repair company is the best course of action.
ARE BOWING WALLS SIGNS OF FOUNDATION DAMAGE?
One of the most concerning outward signs of foundation damage is bowing walls. If you notice bulging, bowing, or tilting on internal load-bearing walls, it means that something has compromised the wall’s stability. But if there is no apparent external cause, you may need to dig deeper. When buildings are constructed on clay soils, bowing and cracks are frequently caused by soil expansion or hydro-static pressure – water seeps through the soil over time, and it can often exceed the resilience of the wall and end up causing a barrier to partly collapse, mostly at basement level. Bowed walls are dangerous and must be repaired. There is also the possibility of total collapse, which would be extremely dangerous for anybody in the house if it took place.
Bowed walls are frequently associated with substantial cracking, which allows moisture to permeate the house’s structure and exacerbates the problem. However, a curved wall can be problematic to see; it is possible to repair it by installing wall anchors and a few other solutions.
