Foundation: the basis or groundwork of anything
Your home is one of your largest investments.
But more, it’s where your life happens.
You want your home built on a strong foundation as it truly serves as the basis for anything built from it. The more secure, stable, and solid it is, the more confident and at peace you feel.
The problems you are experiencing can be fixed permanently with a quality solution and by a reputable contractor.
Let’s dive into some foundation solutions that won’t cut it for your home.
Three Solutions That Don’t Work
1. Total Foundation Replacement
What is it?
With total foundation replacement, the soil is first excavated from around your foundation walls.Then, the house is jacked up and the slab floor and foundation walls are removed.Finally, the foundation is rebuilt and the soil is replaced.
Why might people choose this?
If my foundation is broken, it seems logical to replace it with a new one rather than repair the existing one.
Why this doesn’t work.
Not only is replacement extremely disruptive, and expensive, the real problem is that it doesn’t address the issue.
The foundation isn’t the problem.
The soil is the problem.
You’ve simply built a new foundation in the same troublesome soil. So, you can expect that your new foundation will ‘break’ just like the old one
2. Concrete Underpinning
What is it?
After the soil is excavated from around the foundation, larger concrete footings are poured beneath the existing footings. Once the concrete has cured, the soil is backfilled.
Why might people choose this?
If a footing is designed to carry the weight of the home, then a bigger footing should be better, right?
Contractors who know little may not know any other way.
Why this doesn’t work.
Most of the time, concrete underpinning does not extend past the ‘active zone’ and beyond the troubled soils.
In other words, the soil beneath these newly beefed-up footings may still be moving, causing the home above to continue to move.
When concrete underpinning is used as a solution and the problem continues, it is MUCH more expensive to repair as all of the added concrete will need to be removed and re-supported by a new, more substantial foundation system.
3. Concrete Piers
What is it?
Short, blunt concrete cylinders are pushed into the soil on top of one another and are held together by a wire. Shims are then placed on top of the uppermost concrete cylinder, and the soil is backfilled.
Why might people choose this?
Concrete seems like a pretty strong material, so it must work, right?
Why this doesn’t work.
The blunt concrete cylinders are wide in diameter (about six to eight inches), making it difficult to push the sections deep into the ground and past the troubled soil. There is also nothing to guide the direction of the pier, so they often are not installed straight.
Finally, although concrete is a strong material, we’ve all seen concrete crack and break under pressure and during changes in temperature.
Just take a look at all of the cracks in concrete streets and parking lots.
If concrete piers were a great idea, all manufacturers of foundation repair products would offer them. Instead, only a few companies struggle with this approach.
Solutions That Work
Why our pier solutions are the best.
As with anything, there a variety of options for fixing your foundation, some more effective than others. When you are talking about fixing your home, you may as well go with the best.
When we say the best, we mean the strongest.
Our push piers and helical piers have been used to support residential homes for decades, as well as major commercial structures.
Shopping for a solution to your foundation settlement problem is a serious business.You need a solution from a trustworthy contractor who will solve your problem, permanently.
What do I do now?
To get your foundation fixed permanently, you’ll need to know exactly what is required at YOUR home.
Finding out is simple. Contact your local contractor for an inspection.
You can contact our team at Baker’s Waterproofing for a complete inspection, consultation, and a free written estimate.
OUR EXPERTS ARE HERE TO HELP
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