3 Solutions You Can Explore For Foundation Repair

Posted on: 22 October 2018

Considering how crucial your foundation is to the overall integrity of your home, you might be alarmed to realise that it has acquired some damage. Foundation damage that is left unrepaired will get worse steadily, and if you do not take any steps to mitigate this, you may have to contend with the replacement of the entire structure. Here is an outline of three solutions that you can explore for foundation repair.

1. Foundation repair through anchoring

A telltale sign of progressive foundation damage is the steady degradation of your walls. If this characterises the type of damage your structure is experiencing, anchoring is a viable solution to the problem. The great thing about anchoring is that it does require the rebuilding of the entire base. Instead, the foundation work starts with the drilling of holes directly into the ground to make space for earth anchors. 

Once the earth anchors are in place, the contractors will then drill corresponding holes directly into the foundation's structure so that steel rods can be inserted. The steel rods pass through the earth anchors to get into the foundation, providing your home's base with enhanced strength and stability. After the steel rods are in place, anchor plates are installed over the rods and around the foundation for enhanced reinforcement.

2. Foundation repair through helical piers

The helical system of foundation work entails the installation of piers into the foundation to stabilise it. This type of foundation work is typically carried out on small houses, areas with destabilised rocks beneath the ground and in locations with poor soil conditions. If your foundation is acquiring damage due to hydrostatic pressure, helical piers are your best bet.

Since excessive water in the surrounding soil causes hydrostatic pressure, you will notice that your basement walls are bowing. This bowing should be a clear indicator that foundation work is needed. If the water damage affects both the foundation and the walls, the contractors can utilise helical tiebacks to prevent this problem from worsening down the road.

3. Foundation repair through push piers

In some cases, you may have constructed your home over unstable soil unknowingly. With time, as the soil shifts, you begin to notice glaring signs of damage on your structure such as cracks on the walls, unstable mortar joints, jammed doorframes and so on.

When the soil shifts, the weight distribution of your home becomes imbalanced. Hence, the structure starts to undergo movement too. Push piers are an ideal solution for this problem since they are inserted into the ground with the aim of bearing the weight of the home so that the vertical load is not being exerted onto the unstable soil.

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