Weather eventually takes its toll on many homes and businesses, and the foundation suffers damages requiring repair. A foundation can be repaired using different methods. Some repair methods are best for certain foundation problems, while other types of damage will require a different repair method. Some repairs are too complicated for the average homeowner and should be left to professionals. Does this Spark an idea?
Weather can greatly affect a house foundation.
Causes
Earthquakes and floods damage foundations, and necessary repairs keep the home from splitting, caving in on itself or crashing to the ground on all or one side. As the building's foundation settles, or the soil on which the building sets settles, cracks and other foundation problems will be present. These problems need to be repaired to prevent the house from falling. Foundation repairs are less expensive to fix when the entire house has not fallen around the foundation.
Drilled Bell Piers
The drilled bell pier method of repairing a building foundation is a long-used method for foundation repairs. For this method of foundation repair, belled shafts, approximately 11-feet long, must be drilled through the existing foundation of the building. Then the belled shafts get filled with poured concrete, which takes a week to dry. The concrete-filled shafts create a new support system for the building.
Helical Piers
The helical pier method is a very common foundation repair method used today. The helical pier method is the most expensive type of foundation repair but is touted by All-Pro Foundation Repair of Dallas, Texas, as the best method. To repair with this method, a ditch is dug around the home's foundation and a helix plate attached to a strong, galvanized rod is drilled into place under the foundation. The helix plate, approximately 11 inches in diameter, locks under the foundation to prevent movement in any direction.
Pressed Pilings
If finances are an immediate issue, the pressed-piling foundation repair method is the most budget-friendly method. This repair method works best for temporary repairs because future movement of the foundation and the pressed piling repair is not prevented. With this repair method, concrete cylinders are situated underneath the home. The shape and sizes of the cylinders make them difficult to place, and so the pressed-piling cylinders are not deep foundations.
Steel Piers
The steel pier method is more expensive than the pressed piling method. This method requires that steel pipes be driven under the home or business to act as support beams for the building. The steel pipes allow less movement than the pressed piling method, but the pipes are subject to rust and corrosion that may lead to the need for additional repairs.
Tags: repair method, pier method, pressed piling, belled shafts, building foundation, foundation helix
