Foundation Repair Frequently Asked Questions

The benefits of repairing your foundation right away are tremendous. Foundation problems are often the result of a variety of changes that can occur in the soils surrounding your home. Unfortunately, these problems don't get better with time - they only get worse! Many people associate foundation problems with older homes. However Consumer Reports found that 15% of new homes had serious foundation problems!

It's safe to say that foundation problems affect new and old homes alike. The decision to fix foundation problems permanently is an investment in your home that makes sense. An important thing to consider is the resale value of your home, since most people sell their home at some point in their life. People are very hesitant to buy a home with a structural defect, and if they do, they certainly don't pay full price for it.

The Real Estate Seller Disclosure Act requires that foundation problems be disclosed to potential home buyers. Realtors say that they have to discount a home with structural defects 10 to 20% in order to go forward with the sale of the home. What is your home worth in today's market?

By not fixing your foundation, it's going to cost you much more money than fixing it! It's simply an investment that makes sense!

Homeowners sometimes try quick-fix solutions to the damages caused by foundation problems. A common repair is patching over drywall cracks. While this temporarily solves the cosmetic damage, it does nothing to stabilize the foundation to prevent it from happening again, again, and again. Repeated patching of drywall can be frustrating and unsightly!

Another common fix that homeowners attempt is tuckpointing exterior cracks. This too is temporary, as the cracks will open back up as the problem continues. Repeated tuckpointing often results in varying colors of mortar that detracts from the beauty of your home.

Another thing to consider is the resale value of your home - since most people sell their home at some point in their life. You know yourself that you would be hesitant to buy a home with a structural defect, and if you did, you would not pay the asking price.

The Real Estate Seller Disclosure Act requires these types of problems must be disclosed to potential home buyers. Realtors tell us that they have to discount a home with foundation structural defects 10 to 20% in order to go forward with the sale of the home. What is your home worth in today's market? Can you see that by not fixing your foundation, it's going to cost you much more money than fixing your foundation?

Sometimes homeowners ask, "Why should I fix this problem now?" Living with the foundation problem doesn't allow you to fully utilize and enjoy your living space without worry. Any finish work done to the home will constantly need to be repaired until the problem is permanently fixed. In some extreme cases, homeowners have waited so long to fix the problem that entire basement walls have collapsed, resulting in an unlivable home that is very expensive to repair.

It's clear that the issue of a defective foundation is going to have to be dealt with. Fixing these problems now, and forever, can bring you the peace of mind of knowing your greatest investment is once again, safe, secure and fully usable. It's simply an investment that makes sense!

Foundation problems are many times caused by changes in the moisture content of the soil around your home. During extended periods of dry weather, the soil around and under your home can shrink, causing your home to shift downwards. When this foundation problem occurs, you may begin to notice foundation cracks throughout your home that indicate foundation settlement. During extremely wet periods, the soil under your home can soften or even collapse which can also cause your home to sink, settle, and crack.

Another foundation problem caused by wet soil conditions is bowing walls. If your home has a basement or crawlspace you may notice foundation cracks in the walls, which can be caused when hydrostatic pressure is put on the wall after a heavy rain. When hydrostatic pressure puts pressure on your foundation wall, it can cause it to move inward. If your basement walls begin to fail, you will notice foundation cracks as the wall starts to bow, buckle, tip along the top, or slide inwards along the bottom.

Many homeowners assume that if a house is new, then the foundation must be strong. Unfortunately, this is a very common misconception. No matter how old or young a home is, cracks, foundation sagging, and other foundation problems are still possible. Every crack and sag in a home is a separate problem that could potentially worsen or be compromising the structural integrity of your home. If the pressure that created these cracks is not addressed, then the strain will continue on an already weakened structure.

If you're installing foundation push piers, they will need to extend downward beneath your home until competent strata is reached. This distance will vary significantly from one home to the next. The number of steep pier sections that are needed to achieve the optimal depth will be one factor in determining the repair cost.

Every solution to a settling foundation, bowing basement wall, settling concrete slab, or sloping floor requires a customized foundation repair system. Foundation repair solutions vary in cost depending on the type of problem and type of solution that is required. The cost will also vary depending on the difficulty of the repair and the amount of preparation that is required in order to complete the repair. For example, the amount of excavation required to reach the bottom of the foundation can affect the cost of a foundation settlement repair.

With that being said, Foundation Support Systems of Wyoming will design a repair system that will solve your foundation problem in the most cost-effective way. Although the cost for a foundation repair will vary depending on the type of system and level of difficulty, you can rest assured that you will get a fair price that will be competitive from your local representative.

It's safe to say that foundation problems affect new and old homes alike. The decision to fix foundation problems permanently is an investment in your home that makes sense. An important thing to consider is the resale value of your home, since most people sell their home at some point in their life. People are very hesitant to buy a home with a structural defect, and if they do, they certainly don't pay full price for it.

The Real Estate Seller Disclosure Act requires that foundation problems be disclosed to potential home buyers. Realtors say that they have to discount a home with structural defects 10 to 20% in order to go forward with the sale of the home. What is your home worth in today's market?

By not fixing your foundation, it's going to cost you much more money than fixing it! It's simply an investment that makes sense!

When you encounter a major structural problem like a slab that has cracked and settled, a foundation wall that's tilting inward or a wood-framed floor that sags toward the center of the house, it's easy to assume the worst. Many homeowners believe that problems of this type mean that an extensive, expensive and messy demolition and reconstruction project is at hand. Fortunately, this doesn't need to be the case.

Even when the structural damage seems to be extreme, it doesn't mean that you're locked into an extreme solution. Foundation Support Systems of Wyoming is a qualified foundation repair contractor who specialize in nondestructive solutions to all kinds of foundation and structural problems. Using carefully engineered products such as helical piers, wall anchors, soil nails, geotechnical polymers, cellular concrete and wall braces, these foundation repair specialists offer an alternative to expensive and disruptive techniques involving demolition and reconstruction.

Here are a few common foundation repair methods and solutions that we may apply in your situation:

• House leveling. Sometimes a house is built on soil that doesn't have good load-bearing characteristics. This can easily happen in densely developed areas where the best building sites are already occupied. Weak soil is likely to compress or settle when a major load is imposed, which explains why some houses sink and/or tilt over time. Fortunately, it's possible to use piering and underpinning techniques to connect the foundation with stable soil at greater depths. Then the house can be lifted back to its original level orientation.
• Foundation stabilization. A settled or sinking foundation is often stabilized by driving steel piers in settlement areas. Damaged foundation walls can be stabilized using wall anchors and (in other cases) applications of shotcrete or wall braces.
• Foundation waterproofing. Foundation repair contractors usually recommend a French drain and sump pump system as the best waterproofing strategy for basement and crawl space foundations.
• Crawl space joist support. Steel posts can be installed beneath the central beam in a crawl space or basement to provide solid mid-span support for floor joists. Because these engineered posts are adjustable, it's possible to make a sagging floor flat, level and strong again.
• Foundation underpinning. Sometimes referred to as piering, this technique relies on steel piers to bypass weak soil directly beneath a foundation and connect the foundation to solid load-bearing strata at greater depth.
• Retaining wall repair & construction. We can design and build new retaining walls from scratch or repair damaged retaining walls using wall anchors. Limited excavation is sometimes necessary to improve drainage behind the wall.
• Shotcrete repairs. Applying concrete in spray form over a reinforcing armature can transform a weak, disintegrating wall into a solid, stable one. The same technique can be used to build both permanent and temporary retaining walls.
• Mud jacking (Aka slab jacking). The technique of pumping liquid concrete beneath a settled slab to raise it up and fill voids beneath the slab has a long history. This method can work well for concrete slabs of all types, including sidewalks.
• Polymer injection. As an alternative to mud jacking, it's possible for the contractor to inject a special type of expanding foam beneath settled concrete, utilizing the foam's expansive qualities not only to raise the concrete but also to strengthen the soil.

The first step in solving a foundation problem is to get an expert diagnosis.

You don't need to be an expert to recognize a foundation problem. But you definitely need an expert to inspect foundation damage. The conditions that caused the damage aren't usually obvious. It's a common mistake to treat the symptom (filling in a cracked slab, for example) instead of addressing the soil or construction details that caused the damage. When this superficial strategy is used, foundation damage usually recurs and worsens.

With technical assistance from a staff of structural engineers, Foundation Support Systems of Wyoming has the capability to diagnose a wide range of foundation problems. Following a free expert inspection of your foundation problem, we explain the soil and structural details that caused the problem, and recommend cost-effective permanent solutions. We are often able to avoid expensive and disruptive repairs like demolishing and replacing foundation elements. Instead, we use engineered, high-quality products (like helical piers, wall anchors, and geotechnical polymer) to return settled and shifted slabs and walls to their proper orientation.