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Choosing the Right Foundation Repair Method

Choosing the right Foundation Repair Greensboro NC method can save you thousands of dollars and protect your home from serious damage. For minor cracks, surface sealants can help block water intrusion and keep your home safe.

Foundation Repair

Ignoring signs of foundation shift can escalate problems, leading to costly repairs down the road. Watch for signs like cracking walls and floors, sticking doors and windows, and gaps between these items and their frames.

In some cases, the original foundation of a home or commercial structure is insufficient to support the building’s weight. If you have seen signs of sinking such as foundation cracks, sagging floor beams, or sloping floors in your home or business, it is important to act quickly with a professional foundation inspection. Foundation underpinning can be a cost-effective solution to stabilize the original foundation of your home or business.

Underpinning involves lowering the footings to bypass problematic soil layers and anchoring them onto stronger earth deep below your foundation. This transfers the weight of your structure from your weak soil to these new supports, preventing settlement and upheaval. In most cases, underpinning is performed in stages to avoid compromising the integrity of your foundation with too much excavation at once.

The need for underpinning often arises from poor soil preparation during construction, soil erosion, or natural changes to the ground underneath your foundation. These changes can occur as a result of poorly drained soil that washes away load-bearing materials, or from organic material decomposition and compression under your foundation. Soil creep can also occur on sloped properties, causing lateral movement of your foundation over time.

When you’re ready to consider underpinning for your home or business, it’s important to know that underpinning doesn’t prevent upheaval. While it prevents the downward movement of your foundation, it will not stop any upheaval that occurs from other causes such as expansive soil conditions or plumbing leaks.

In addition to underpinning, modern methods of foundation repair focus on efficiency and reducing costs without sacrificing quality. From wall anchors for bowing walls to stabilizing sinking foundations with push piers, these techniques are designed to save homeowners in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. thousands of dollars in the long run. By addressing the root cause of your problem rather than simply strengthening your foundation, these methods offer more comprehensive solutions to ensure that your home is safe and secure for years to come. Contact us today to learn more about our advanced foundation repair solutions. We can help you get your home back to a level position, close interior cracks, and reclaim lost property value.

Concrete Piers

Concrete piers are the backbone of foundation repair, playing an essential role in transferring the weight of your building to firm strata beneath the soil. This ensures stability and mitigates further damage, such as sinking or shifting. This makes them one of the most reliable methods for repairing foundation issues and restoring structural integrity.

There are many different types of concrete piers, each suited to certain situations. There are drilled concrete piers, push/helical concrete piers, and cast-in-place (CIDH) concrete piers. The type of pier you choose will depend on factors such as soil conditions, access to the problem area, and high water tables.

Drilled concrete piers offer an affordable solution for stable soil conditions and heavy loads. They’re crafted by drilling holes and filling them with wet concrete, and then allowing the concrete to cure before attaching them to your home. While these piers are more budget-friendly than their steel counterparts, their effectiveness is heavily influenced by the soil type and conditions in which they’re installed. If the soil is loose or clay-rich, the piers may shift over time, reducing their efficacy and putting your foundation at risk.

Push/helical concrete piers offer an affordable alternative to drilled concrete piers and can be used in most cases. These piers are designed to be driven into the ground using your building’s weight, and they’re commonly used in areas with shallow bedrock or stable soil. They can also be used to stabilize sagging or shifting walls and floors.

The helical design of these piers allows them to penetrate deep into the soil, enabling them to support substantial weight. This makes them ideal for repairing foundation problems caused by frost-heaving, which occurs when the soil expands during freezing temperatures and leaves voids under your foundation. They’re also suitable for use in wet or marshy soil, where they’ll withstand the pressure of surrounding water.

Whether you’re facing minor cracks or a significant sinking or shifting of your foundation, concrete piers can provide stability for years to come and increase your home’s value. While this repair method can be a bit costly upfront, it’s worth the investment to guarantee a long-lasting and sturdy structure.

Steel Piers

Owning a home comes with an ever-expanding to-do list, but jobs pertaining to your foundation should leap to the top of the priority list. Foundation piers are one of the best ways to stabilize your foundation and prevent future movement that could damage the rest of your building. However, it’s important to understand the difference between concrete and steel piers to determine which solution is right for your unique situation.

When it comes to lifting, *leveling and stabilizing your foundation, structural steel piers are the preferred choice. This method offers a strong return on investment and is a long-term solution that will help you avoid the need for costly repairs in the future.

During the installation process, contractors use hydraulic equipment to drive these piers deep into the ground. This eliminates pressure on the existing structure while ensuring that the piers reach the load-bearing soil below. Once they have reached this point, the crew will perform load testing to ensure that each pier is capable of supporting your building’s weight.

When compared to concrete piers, steel piers offer superior strength and durability. Their design allows them to reach more stable bedrock soil, bypassing unstable clay soils that cause shifting in North Texas area homes and other buildings. Additionally, helical piers do not need to be driven through the entire clay layer like concrete piers do. This means that helical piers are an excellent option for repair projects in which the excavation process would otherwise disrupt the home or business.

Whether you are dealing with cracks in the brick and exterior walls, doors that aren’t opening properly, or uneven floors, steel piers may be the ideal solution. A professional engineer or foundation specialist should complete a thorough assessment to determine if this method is right for your foundation repair project.

Unlike other methods of foundation repair, concrete pressed piers utilize precast concrete cylinders rather than freshly mixed concrete to fill the pile holes. This allows the repair team to work faster while reducing the likelihood that the concrete will crack due to its high water content. Once the piers are installed, the construction team backfills the excavation area and seals all visible access points.

Self-Leveling Compounds

Self-leveling compounds are a cement-based product that flows and spreads evenly across the substrate surface, helping to correct imperfections and create a smooth surface. Also known as smoothing underlayments, levelling compounds, or liquid screeds, self-leveling products can be used to prepare the subfloor for the installation of vinyl, tile, laminate, and other flooring materials.

There are several different types of self-leveling compounds, each with its own unique features and benefits. When selecting the best product for a particular project, it is important to consider factors like substrate conditions, moisture levels, and existing coatings or contaminants. Choosing the right self-leveling compound can help ensure a successful flooring installation and long-lasting performance.

Cement-based self-leveling compounds are a popular choice for residential and light commercial projects due to their ease of application and quick drying time. They also provide a cost-effective solution for budget-conscious projects. These products must be carefully mixed with water to ensure that all components are thoroughly blended and free of air bubbles. A drill-mounted paddle mixer is an ideal tool for achieving this. Careful adherance to manufacturer instructions and recommendations is key, as too much or too little water can impact the consistency of the final product.

For high-traffic commercial and industrial spaces, a self-leveling compound that offers enhanced chemical resistance is necessary. Spaces such as commercial kitchens, manufacturing facilities, and automotive repair shops often experience spills and exposure to harsh chemicals. A self-leveling compound with poor chemical resistance may degrade or discolor prematurely, resulting in surface damage and potential structural issues.

Self-leveling concrete can be an excellent option for addressing minor cracks and other surface imperfections in concrete slab foundations, but it should never be used to mask serious problems. Significant movement or instability in a slab can lead to serious structural and safety concerns, so it is important to have these issues addressed by a professional. If left untreated, these problems can worsen, leading to costly repairs in the future.