Showing posts with label Repair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Repair. Show all posts

Foundation Repair

The principal function of a foundation of a home is to transfer the weight of a structure to its underlying soil and rocks. One of the factors that bring about the need for foundation repairs is improper foundation settling. Foundation settlement can devalue structures and also render them unsafe. Building on expansive clay, compressive or improperly contracted fill soils and improper maintenance in and around foundations are some of the major reasons of improper foundation settling. Another reason for improper foundation settlement is undetected or unsuspected air pockets in the ground below the area of construction. These may cave in and cause the integrity of the foundation to be compromised.

General symptoms of a structure needing foundation repairs are bulging or cracked walls and doors that don't close properly. Building on expansive soils is the main culprit for foundation settlement. When only one part of the foundation either settles or heaves, cracks are formed in the foundation. The exterior warning signs of improper floor settling are rotation of walls, displaced moldings, cracked bricks and foundation and separation around doors and windows from the walls. Interior warning signs of improper floor settling are cracks on the floor, sheet rock and misalignment in doors and windows.

Foundation

There are many ways of doing foundation repair. Cement, stone, steel or wood were used extensively in past techniques. They would be forced into the ground in a bid to salvage the strength of these foundations. However, this type of repair work has been known to be futile. Two of the most successful ways of foundation repairs are slab jacking and the Piering method. Piering is also known as hydraulic jacking.

Foundation Repair

Slab jacking is the process of adding grout beneath a slab or beam. This produces a lifting force and restores the said beam or slab to almost its original elevation and adds to its strength. Care should be taken that the amount of sand should be perfect while adding grout.

During Piering, steel posts are driven through unstable soil. Hydraulic jacks are used to stabilize concrete slabs which are weakened due to the changes taking place in the underlying soil. Steel beams are used in the Piering method because concrete has great compressive strength. Though Piers are able to transfer huge downward loads without the help of reinforcing steel, steel is used in the piers for prevention of the pier from being pulled apart or sheared by forces of the expansive soils. The repairs normally take 21 to 30 days, however this time frame can vary depending on soil conditions and weather delays.

Foundation Repair

Foundation Repairs [http://www.i-foundationrepair.com] provides detailed information about foundation repair, do-it-yourself foundation repair, foundation leak repair, and more. Foundation Repairs is affiliated with Roof Shingles [http://www.e-shingles.com].

Brick Foundation Repair

Everyone with a brick home knows how annoying and unsightly it is to have structural damage on the brick foundation. This type of damage is dangerous to your home, as well as expensive to repair. It is very important to call a professional to fix the damage as soon as you notice any problem. Waiting will cause the damage to spread and get worse. This will increase the cost and the difficulty of repairing the foundation. It is a good thing that foundation damage on brick is easy to spot, just as long as you know what you are looking for.

Signs of Damage

Foundation

The first step in looking for foundation damage in your brick home is to carefully check where the cracks are forming. Finding this information will determine the cause of the damage, thus allowing you to figure out the proper steps to fix it. If you do not find the cause or do something about it, any repair you do on your foundation will only be a temporary solution. The problem will return if you don't address the root cause of the damage first.

Brick Foundation Repair

If you only find one brick cracked you may not have to worry too much. This could simply be a sign that the brick itself is defective. However, if multiple bricks are cracked you need to have to consult a professional foundation contractor. This could be the early signs of foundation problems. This is especially true if the crack is long and continuous. This type of crack could be an early sign of movement of the wall.

If you leave this type of damage alone and ignore the early warning signs, the damage will get worse very quickly. If left unchecked, this type of damage will be devastating. It will cost you more to rebuild than to fix the foundation damage.

Brick Foundation Repair

Foundation Repair [http://www.i-foundationrepair.com] provides detailed information on Foundation Repair, Concrete Foundation Repair, Foundation Repair Costs, Foundation Leak Repair and more. Foundation Repair is affiliated with Fine Home Buildings.

Stone Foundation Repair - What to Do?

Owning an historic property with an old stone foundation can be an interesting experience. Those with a strong will and a sound pocketbook can be true caretakers of a piece of history. The foundation of that history is the simple, bold and strong field stone foundation wall.

Older buildings with a stone foundation will generally have the original stone facing visible on the exterior and interior of the building. However it was common to apply a coating of plaster to the interior foundation wall in the basement area, as a means of waterproofing so the stone may not be visible from inside of the building.

Foundation

Most of the original plaster would have worn off by today but if you are lucky, you just may run across an old stone foundation still in pristine condition but this would be the exception.

Stone Foundation Repair - What to Do?

Usually after 30 - 50 years the foundation would have shifted cause cracks to appear in the foundation wall and it wasn't uncommon to apply a second to the foundation with a masonry cement stucco. If the second layer is cement stucco than it would indicate that the second coating must have been applied after the early 1900's, when mass produced cement stucco became available.

Regardless if plaster or stucco was applied to the walls, they will look lumpy as the individual stones shapes will show beneath the plaster or stucco.

What to look for -A lot of these older stone foundations were never well maintained and can challenge a building owner with problems ranging from water leakage, mortar turning into sand, loose stones and bulging walls. Anything beyond these few maintenance problems could be considered 'in failure' and may need an engineer's inspection.

Stone foundation walls that leak - It wasn't uncommon for these old stone foundation walls to leak. When they were originally constructed a hole was simply dug to the dimensions of the building and a trench dug where the walls were to be placed. Large field stones would be placed in the trench and became the bed stones of the foundation wall.

Drain tile were not in use around the foundations of older building so static pressure would have been a problem from the beginning depending or the soil type and topography. A high quality builder would have trenched to daylight from the low corner of the building site to take water away from the foundation, if the site permitted. The trench would be partially filled with rubble stones before covering but this simply drainage technique would be an exception and not the rule.

Most of the older homes were constructed high off the ground to keep moisture to a minimum. The basement area for these homes where never intended to be used as living space so a little moisture would have been common and of no concern.

Stone foundation wall problems - Decades of water infiltration will cause deterioration to the stone foundation walls. The result can be bulged walls from excessive static pressure or settlement of the foundation, deteriorated mortar joints from excessive moister or loose stones and missing mortar joints from simple aging and movement.

Bulged walls - This problem presents the biggest hurdle for a building owner depending on the degree and severity of the bulging problem and the location within the foundation wall. Generally though, a portion of the foundation wall can be removed and rebuilt but proper shoring must be in place to support the building load before you proceed. This should not be out of the range of an experienced mason contractor and you should seek their advice.

Loose stones and missing mortar - These items are simple to remedy. Loose stones should be taken out and re-set with fresh mortar. Care should be taken not to undermine any critical support areas within the foundation. If you suspect an area of loose stone is carrying a beam load or other loads then consult a professional for advice.

Holes and missing joints can be filled with mortar or tuck-pointed to help tighten the foundation walls. Any brand of masons mix available at the local box store should be adequate.

After you have completed the repairs mentioned above you may wish to apply another layer of cement stucco. This will help to smooth out imperfections, close small holes, 'stiffen' the walls surface and hopefully provide some protection against water leaks.

Check the foundation annually and make any necessary repairs immediately. By taking immediate action and implementing the repairs recommended above you will be one step closer to keeping that old, stone foundation in shape.

Stone Foundation Repair - What to Do?

Michael Olding is tradesman and consultant in the field of restorations and repairs and currently operates a restoration and repair business in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a Master in the field of masonry construction, restorations and repairs.

In addition he is a writer and speaker as well as a marketing, training and business consultant for the contracting industry. If you interested in his services he may be contacted by visiting http://www.cincihomepro.com

The Cost of House Foundation Repair

When we think of a home with a foundation problem we think of how much of a hassle it can be to have it repaired. At the first sign of damage you should contact a contractor night away for an inspection and repair cost estimate.

How do they come up with an estimate?

Foundation

The contractors take many factors into consideration when calculating the estimate for the repair of your foundation. After they have done their initial inspection, they will asses the damage and determine how long it will take to fix the foundation. Other than the labor cost the estimates will also depend on the type of material will be used, as well as the cause of the damage.

The Cost of House Foundation Repair

Before committing to one contractor, you should get at least three estimates to compare the cost. However, you should not automatically go for the cheapest estimate. You should take into consideration the type of materials they will use, as well as the contractor's reputation. Sometimes it will be worth it to pay more in order to get a better quality job. Remember, it will cost you more to have the job redone due to inferior work. Another factor that will determine the cost is the area in which the damage is located. Certain areas of the foundation will cost more to repair than others.

When people have their foundation repaired, they typically opt to take on other home repairs at the same time. These services often include pest control, earthquake proofing, and the installation of seismic anchor bolts. These services will cost you more money; however, it will allow you to have all the necessary services done at one time instead of at different times.

Foundation repair will cost a lot of money. Most people require payment plans and/or loans for this kind of problem, though it is a good idea to see if homeowner's insurance will cover some of the expense.

The Cost of House Foundation Repair

Foundation Repair [http://www.i-foundationrepair.com] provides detailed information on Foundation Repair, Concrete Foundation Repair, Foundation Repair Costs, Foundation Leak Repair and more. Foundation Repair is affiliated with Fine Home Buildings.

Foundation Leak Repair

Water is the main culprit in a major portion of foundation problems. Whether the foundation is of poured concrete, block concrete or stone, continuous water seepage creates cracks which can often be disastrous if ignored.

Cracks due to water seepage are found in the corners of the walls, or where the bricks, stone or concrete slabs join together. If the ground water has enough hydrostatic pressure to allow the water to seep through the foundation, then cracks occur. These cracks begin as small hairline cracks and widen as time passes.

Foundation

There are two basic methods to repairing foundation leaks at home or in the basement - the urethane injection and the drainage tile repair.

Foundation Leak Repair

The urethane injection is a comparatively simple process. In this process, the crack is sealed first to prevent any water from oozing out. Holes are then made in the crack and an epoxy resin is injected into the crack. The repair is complete when resin fills the entire crack. Urethane injections cost only a few hundreds of dollars and the time taken for the entire work to the completed won't stretch beyond a couple of hours. However, the urethane injections can only be applied to small cracks. Also there is the danger of the crack reopening and water seeping in once again.

The drainage tile repair is a lengthy process. First the floor tiles of the affected area are uprooted and a drain tile is fitted. This is then connected to a sump pump or any other legally allowed water removal system. Once this is done, the floor tiles are replaced. This process takes a few days and costs run to thousands of dollars. However, this is a much more permanent method than the injection. One problem may be the malfunctioning of the sump pump. This may cause flooding due to excessive leakage.

Urethane injections are okay if the crack is small, but if the crack has been ignored and has become large and gaping, it is better to repair it using a drainage tile. For larger leaks outside the house, a more extensive method is employed. A trench is dug at the affected place and the drainage tile is replaced if necessary. The trench is then filled - first with coarse gravel to make it more waterproof and then with the soil. This method is used even when dams spring a leak in their foundation.

Repairing foundation leaks is a costly business, but more than that it is a time-consuming and laborious process. However, it is one of those repair works which just cannot be ignored.

Foundation Leak Repair

Foundation Repairs [http://www.i-foundationrepair.com] provides detailed information about foundation repair, do-it-yourself foundation repair, foundation leak repair, and more. Foundation Repairs is affiliated with Roof Shingles [http://www.e-shingles.com].

Old Home Foundation Repair

As a house ages, it will eventually need repairs and maintenance. One of the most important parts of an old house in which you need to pay extra attention to is the foundation. If damage develops on this part of the home it can turn into a very expensive repair job.

Possible Causes:

Foundation

As a house ages, so does the materials they are created from. These will get weaker with age, causing them to be more susceptible to damage. These damages can be caused by many different factors, all exacerbated by the age of the house. Routine maintenance to this part of the house is essential in order to save you from the aggravation of going through with the repairs of the foundation.

Old Home Foundation Repair

Another factor that might cause damage to an old home is water damage. If you have any leaks from your pipes or sewage lines, they might cause harm to your foundation. Sadly, water damage can sometimes be difficult to detect until it is already too late. As soon as you suspect any damage within your foundation your first step should be to have your pipes and sewage lines looked at by a professional plumber. This will help the contractors you hire to repair your foundation find a way to fix your home.

Cost:

The cost to repair foundation damage could be very expensive depending on the extent of the damage and the size of your home. A typical house with moderate damage can possibly cost you up to ,000. Te cost will include labor costs, initial visit from the contractor, and materials used in the repair.

Even though the cost to repair is very high it is a cost you cannot get away from. If you ignore structural damage in the foundation you are only asking for potential disaster. The cost to rebuild a home will be significantly more than to repair an existing one.

Old Home Foundation Repair

Foundation Repair [http://www.i-foundationrepair.com] provides detailed information on Foundation Repair, Concrete Foundation Repair, Foundation Repair Costs, Foundation Leak Repair and more. Foundation Repair is affiliated with Fine Home Buildings.