Most people want the best for their money. That’s especially true when it comes to repairing their foundation. For professional help, contact Apex Plano Foundation Repair now!

Detecting foundation damage early can prevent it from getting worse. There are several methods for repairing it. Here are a few of the most common: Slab jacking (also known as mud jacking) is a concrete lifting solution.

1. Underpinning

Foundation problems are a real concern for homeowners and may seem intimidating to deal with. However, postponing the necessary repairs will create additional, long-term issues for your property and lead to even more expensive repair work.

Underpinning is a method of stabilizing and reinforcing a foundation that can no longer support the weight of your house. This is accomplished by increasing the depth of your foundation and transfering its weight to load-bearing soil or bedrock. This method is usually used when your foundation has become unstable due to differential settlement.

Differential settlement occurs when one area of your home shifts lower than another, causing the foundation to sink or pull away from the soil underneath. This can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

The condition of the soil beneath your home can affect how quickly and easily your foundation will move. For example, sudden heavy rains can cause unanticipated water runoff that saturates and shifts the soil underneath your house. Additionally, soil that was improperly compacted during construction or eroded by water intrusion can shift and undermine your foundation.

Signs of differential settlement include cracks in the walls and floors, doors or windows that no longer open or close properly, and torn or wrinkled wallpaper. Underpinning is the most effective solution for resolving these symptoms, but it’s important to have a professional inspect your home to determine the root of the issue and the best underpinning method for your home.

Depending on the underpinning method used, your contractor may excavate parts of your property and pour new concrete. Another common method involves installing helical piles or push piers that are hollow steel pipes that are pushed into the ground under your home until they reach bedrock. Choosing a contractor that offers various underpinning methods can help you find the most cost-effective solution for your home.

Before you hire a foundation repair company, ask friends and family members for recommendations. Check with them to see if they’ve had any experience with the company and how satisfied they were with their work. Also, find out if the company has insurance. If they don’t, be sure to get a copy of their insurance certificate before the work begins.

2. Slab Jacking

If the slab foundation under your house is sinking, sloping or buckling, it may be caused by erosion of the soil underneath the concrete. This is typically a natural process that happens gradually over time as water saturates the ground and mixes into it, but it can also happen quickly or suddenly. If your slab is eroding, check the gutters and downspouts to ensure that they are functioning correctly, and that they are directing water away from the foundation and not towards it. If the problem is not corrected, it can result in water leaks that will wash out supporting soil and damage the concrete slab, causing it to sink further.

Slab jacking, or concrete raising, is a way to lift or reinforce the concrete slab without replacing it entirely. It involves drilling small holes into the concrete slab, then injecting a fill material into the void that has formed under it. This material can be either a concrete slurry mixture called mud, or a more modern and efficient polyurethane foam. The concrete is then raised and re-leveled, and the injection holes are patched.

This repair method is highly effective for garage floors, sidewalks, driveways, patios and other concrete structures that are sagging or becoming uneven. It is usually cheaper and faster than removing and replacing the affected concrete. It is also very effective for homes with concrete slab foundations.

If you suspect that your foundation is settling or cracking, contact a professional as soon as possible for an inspection and estimate. A foundation specialist can recommend the right repair methods to resolve the issue and prevent further damage.

Choose a company that is licensed to work in New York, and has extensive experience working with concrete foundations. Ask the company to provide a clear project scope and cost estimate, as well as details about their warranty policies. Ideally, the provider will offer labor and materials warranties of at least a decade and up to lifetime guarantees. This will give you peace of mind, and help you recoup your investment in the repair process.

3. Concrete Piers

Foundation piers are big solid cylinders of reinforced poured concrete that can be placed underneath your home to support it. These are often used in place of beam and slab foundations to stabilize your house and provide support for the entire structure. These piers can also help to alleviate problems caused by poor soil conditions. If your pier foundations are experiencing problems, you might notice cracking in the walls of your home, sticking doors and windows, or sagging floors.

The number and size of a foundation pier depends on how much weight the soil can support. The International Residential Code (IRC) recommends a design load of 40 pounds per square foot. However, the bearing capacity of the soil varies significantly by location and by type. Soil with high clay content or lots of organic material can support less than the IRC recommendations. A geotechnical engineer will determine the proper design load for the piers in your home.

Once the piers are set in the holes, a foundation company will backfill the area around them with soil to ensure they stay secure. This process may require significant excavation to get to the piers.

These piers are often made of concrete, but they can be built from other materials as well. Masonry piers, for example, can be custom-designed and matched to your home’s architecture. Precast concrete piers are another option that can be more affordable than poured piers and allow for fast construction because they’re manufactured off-site.

One problem with these piers is that they are often located in the crawl space, where moisture and humidity can be damaging. Wood-eating pests like termites and rodents are attracted to crawl spaces as well, which could lead to wood rot in the piers and beams that carry your house.

Foundation piers are designed to be permanent features of your home, but they can wear out over time. When this happens, it’s important to seek repairs before they cause further damage to your home. A foundation company can assess your piers and determine whether any are in need of repair. If needed, they can also install a drainage system to help keep the piers and crawl space dry.

4. Repairing Cracks

Your foundation is the backbone of your home. It literally holds everything up, so any cracks that appear are a big red flag that should not be ignored. Depending on the cause, cracks can indicate anything from cosmetic concerns to major structural damage. Foundation repairs can be expensive, but taking action now may prevent bigger issues down the road and save you money in the long run.

Many homeowners may try to patch a leaking crack themselves using caulking, but this is not an effective solution. Water will continue to seep in behind the patch, and eventually efflorescence (a white mineral salt in groundwater) will break the seal. In addition, caulk does not address the underlying problem, which must be addressed with a concrete crack repair system.

Non-structural cracks are usually vertical or diagonal and are caused by expansion and contraction of the concrete. These cracks don’t pose a threat to the stability of your foundation as long as they don’t widen or grow, so you can seal them with epoxy or concrete crack filler.

If a crack is causing door or window frames to stick, it’s time to call in a professional for an evaluation. This could indicate a significant shift in the soil or structural damage, so it’s best to get it repaired as soon as possible to avoid more costly repairs later on.

Structural cracks are often horizontal and a result of settling of the foundation. These can be caused by soil changes, moisture infiltration, or poor building construction. This type of crack should always be analyzed by a professional to determine what’s causing it, as this can require more extensive repairs than other types of foundation cracks.

When a crack is due to a shifting of the soil, piering or slab jacking will likely be necessary to stabilize your foundation. This will transfer the weight of your house from unstable soil onto the piers, and this method also corrects any drainage problems that could be contributing to the shifting. Helical and push piers are also used to repair settlement issues in older homes, which can help lift your foundation back into place while closing existing cracks.