When the foundation gets damaged, the structural integrity of your home gets compromised. Even more worrying is that many homeowners don’t know what types of products their foundation repair projects require. So, they end up wasting time weighing options as their foundations deteriorate.
Just knowing your repair options and products means you can make up your mind quickly and get a solution that suits your budget and situation. Let’s look at seven popular foundation repair solutions and how they help the foundation.
1) Push Piers
Made from galvanized steel, push piers are your answer to a settling foundation. These steel supports come with an external sleeve for added strength. Contractors usually drive them through the bad, unstable soil into the more competent soil before attaching them with strong steel brackets. Once they’ve stabilized the structure, they also can potentially lift it back to its original position. Push piers can go much deeper into the earth than other solutions, and their installation is almost flawless.
2) Helical Piers
Helical piers serve two purposes, just as push piers do. First, they stabilize your home, and secondly, they can restore a settling foundation to its original position. This type of pier is comprised of helical plates welded to a pier shaft. Installation involves driving the pier shaft deep into the soil with the aid of plates, which also provide anchoring strength. The plates also transfer the weight of the load to the pier.
3) Slab Piers
When a home has a slab foundation that sinks or becomes unstable, many people turn to slab piers to save the situation. Contractors usually screw these piers into the settlement area until they get to the bedrock. Grout is then pumped into the gap below the slab before concrete is poured through the holes. The good thing with these piers is they require little excavation, and once they are properly positioned and installed, they remain hidden.
4) Crawl Space Supports
If you have sagging or bouncy floors, your best bet would be IntelliJack™ crawl space supports. This solution stabilizes and can level the girders and floor joists in your home. Crafted from heavy-duty steel, these supports can withstand heavy loads. Plus, they’re easy to customize. Set them up properly and they can restore your floor while also protecting it.
5) Wall Anchor System
Heavy loads aren’t the only things your foundation walls endure. Lateral forces and hydrostatic pressure from the sides can greatly impact them as well. Both can bow, tilt, and crack your walls. To counter these forces, you may need a wall anchor system. This system is comprised of steel rods and plates that help redirect pressure to the soil on the outside of your home. Rods are threaded, and this can help straighten bowing walls.
6) IntelliBrace™ System
If there are space restrictions that stop you from using wall anchors to strengthen the foundation walls, the IntelliBrace™ wall bracing system is the next best alternative. These adjustable steel I-beams will stabilize your tilting or bowing walls, and they can even restore walls to their original positions. Since they’re zinc-coated, they will remain rust-free.
7) Carbon Fiber Wall Reinforcing System
Another solution that can restore your foundation is carbon fiber straps, which have structural epoxy.
These straps are suitable for repairing bowing walls or walls that deflected inward. A good alternative to I-beams, they combine strength and subtlety. This solution is 10 times stronger than steel and doesn’t require any excavation. Carbon fiber supports are best used for walls that are not severely cracking or moving inward.
Foundation repairs are difficult. They take time and effort. They are not projects you’d want to attempt, especially if you don’t have the right tools and understanding of the below-ground areas of your home. Leave it to the professionals, as they can troubleshoot the underlying problems quickly and apply the right fix.
Not sure what solutions suit your foundation? Need professional help or guidance? Schedule an inspection with trustworthy foundation repair experts in Fargo, ND. Not only do we offer you a free inspection and quote, but we will also recommend proven solutions for your sinking, settling, or cracked foundation.
