Your home is only as strong as its foundation. The utmost attention should be paid to the repair of the foundation. The fact is, foundation cracks, sags, and settlements are easy to ignore, but if the problem is not considered an emergency, the problem is likely to persist, become more noticeable, and undermine the structural integrity of your home. Once the foundation problem increases in severity, you will only have to spend more money to correct the situation.
Immediate need for base repair
Concrete, by its very nature, is prone to cracks, but this does not mean that cracks in the foundations of houses can be safely ignored. Even fine cracks can quickly widen and cause a lot of problems, not so late. Foundation cracks can occur due to a variety of reasons: earthquakes (even small ones), unstable soil, groundwater problems, and age. To find out if you need repair services, ask yourself these questions:
- Are there cracked walls in your house?
- Can a dime easily fit in these crevices? (The slim shape, not the widest part of the dime.)
- Does it look like your doors have gotten fat or your door frames have shrunk?
- Do your doors refuse to close properly?
- Are the floors in your house lumpy and appear plump in certain areas?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes; you need to speak with a certified contractor for immediate foundation repair. Other conditions to watch out for are uneven floors, partitions of walls and doors, chimneys that appear to be sloping, and cracks in the floor.
Repair methods
If the problem requires immediate attention, you can rest easy knowing that a sinking foundation can be easily treated if you have the right expertise in your corner. There are many methods of dealing with foundation damage, but the most common repair methods are slab lifting and drilling. They are explained here:
- Drilling is a method that requires the installation of vertical pillars or columns that will serve as support for the horizontal beams of your foundation. Concrete, tensile steel beams, as well as reinforced concrete structures can be used to create these vertical columns. There are a variety of pillars that can be installed in your home: perforated bell pillars, helical pillars, pressed pillars, or steel pillars. A contractor will be able to help and guide you in getting the right type of accessories added to your home, ensuring maximum efficiency.
- Slab lifting is the simplest way to ensure a settlement base is corrected. While this method is very simple, it is deceptive in its simplicity. This method works incredibly well if done correctly. Since there are cracks in the concrete slabs, slab lifting focuses on filling these holes. Additional holes are drilled into the walls to further strengthen it by injecting an organic grout mixture.
