CONCRETE SLAB FOUNDATION REPAIR

CONCRETE SLAB FOUNDATION REPAIR HOUSTON

If you live in an area that has expansive clay soil then you or someone you know has probably had their foundation repaired.  Even foundations built on “good” soil can fail but the problem is magnified anytime you attempt to build a structure on soil that significantly expands when it gets wet and shrinks as it dries out.  The reason this happens is fairly obvious once you consider the problem from a distance and over a period of time.  When it is happening to your home, however, it is not uncommon to experience fear and denial about what is going on.
Let’s discuss denial first because it is by far the worst thing you can do when you actually do have a problem with your foundation.  The longer you put off addressing issues with an unstable foundation the greater the expense is to stabilize the foundation.  Think of it like this.  Everyone has bent a paper clip back and forth until it breaks.  Each time you bend the paperclip it gets weaker until it finally breaks in half.  Like the paperclip, as the soil under your foundation gets wet and expands and dries out and shrinks it causes areas of your foundation to move ever so slightly up and down.  So, what happens with the paperclip in seconds happens with the foundation over years of changes in moisture level.  As those areas that are slowly moving in different ways than the rest of the foundation get weaker and weaker you see cracks appearing around doors and windows.  You see doors sticking and cracks in the brick veneer until someday you get a foundation that needs an expensive stabilization plan.

Many times when a homeowner notices possible problems with the foundation they experience inordinate fear that their home is broken or ruined when, in fact, it may just be normal settling or a minor problem that can be corrected now to save a significant amount of money in the future.  This is when it is important to have an engineer or an experienced foundation evaluator inspect your foundation for problems.  Make sure that if you have an evaluation of your foundation done by a foundation repair company that they are reputable and that they offer several different techniques to stabilize a foundation.  The reason for this is that not all foundation repair plans will call for the same type of repair.  You may need something as simple as a drainage plan to something as complicated as a free board lift. (A free board lift is a technique that actually lifts your foundation out of contact with extremely expansive soil.)  If a company only offers one or two stabilization techniques they may have an agenda about what type of plan they want to sell as opposed to what type of plan is best for your situation.

This brings us to your first line of defense.  Maintaining proper moisture levels in expansive soil conditions.  It shouldn’t be to wet and it shouldn’t get to dry, but how do we accomplish that?  The simple answer is with proper drainage and a responsible foundation watering plan.  Anytime there is standing water near a foundation that is built on expansive soil it can mean future trouble. On the other hand anytime the soil near a foundation is cracking and dry it can mean future trouble.  The remedies for these problems can include, french drains, surface drains, rain gutters, downspout extensions, sprinkler systems, soil contouring or grading and chemical soil treatment.  Usually a combination of these methods is required and each situation is unique to the structure and the soil it is constructed on.

If your foundation requires stabilization beyond drainage and watering the various techniques include:

Pressed concrete piers
Pressed steel pilings
Drilled piers
Helical piers
Chemical soil stabilization.

Each of these methods is effective when it is used in the proper context.  Conversely, each of these repairs can be the wrong repair for certain situations.  That is why it is so important to have an evaluation done by a company or engineer that does not have a reason to push you towards one or two specific types of stabilization plans.

I hope this information proves helpful to the people out there who live on the expansive Clay soils that are prevalent in the prairie soils of the mid-west.  Remember, don’t be afraid or in denial.  Get informed.