The Methods of Foundation Repair
If you want to live in a safe and stable home for years to come, you may need to invest in its foundation. After all, a crumbling foundation endangers the entire building that rests upon it. The common problems that plague home foundations include settlement, sagging floors, and failing walls. So, turn to NV Waterproofing & Foundation Repair for home foundation repair services and protect your most important asset.
Since 1986, NV Waterproofing has provided homeowners with foundation repair, wet basement solutions, new home waterproofing, basement waterproofing, and more. We’ve built a reputation for honest services and reliable work, earning an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. We’ve also won the Super Service Award with Angie’s List multiple times in the past ten years and have been a chosen provider for Best Pick Reports. Our team works with the best equipment available and has the training and certification needed for outstanding service. To get a free estimate for your project, please call our office today or fill out our online form.
Common Foundation Problems, Causes, and Symptoms
- Foundation settlement
While the ground beneath your home may seem motionless, it is actually moving. When soil shifts - usually due to moisture or density changes - it causes foundation settling. Many homes experience this problem because the ground beneath them has multiple soil layers with fluctuating densities and moisture levels.The signs of foundation settlement inside your home include drywall cracks appearing around doors and windows, particularly those on upper floors. Also, doors and windows can start sticking in their frames, requiring you to shave an edge down. On your home’s exterior, cracks can appear on the foundation itself.
- Sloping or sagging floors
Sagging or uneven floors inside your home may also indicate a foundation problem. Potential causes include the columns holding your floor up having too much space between them, the soil beneath those columns settling, or the floor joists/girders rotting.
Signs of sagging floors can extend beyond their uneven appearance. For instance, gaps can open between the floor and interior walls. Cracks may also appear around doors as the walls descend. Finally, down in your home’s crawl space, gaps may open between columns and girders, while wood rot appears on the floor joists. - Wall failure
Depending on the type of foundation your home has, wall failure may manifest in a few ways. But, no matter the symptoms, foundation walls can fail when the soil outside of them applies intense pressure. This increased stress usually stems from expanding clay, frost, or moisture under the ground.
For concrete block foundation, signs of failure include horizontal cracking, stair-step cracking, and pushing in at the wall’s top or bottom. For poured concrete foundation, walls may lean in at the top and cracks in the corners.
In a new home, you may avoid home foundation issues with our recommendations. However, these cannot fix long-term problems, which homeowners may inherit when they purchase a home.
How We Correct These Problems
- Foundation settlement solutions
Given how often foundation settlement occurs, quite a few “solutions” for it have developed over the years. However, these solutions have unequal success rates, so we will focus on those that we offer and trust.
NV Waterproofing offers foundation pier systems in two varieties: push piers, which can reach greater depths than our other pier system and are strong enough to lift a house back to its pre-settlement position. Also, helical piers, which are designed for light structures (decks, stairs) and quick installation at any time of year. - Sagging floors solutions
As with foundation settlement, sagging floors are common enough to inspire many “solutions” over the years. Once again, each solution has a different rate of success, so we will spotlight the option that we trust.
NV Waterproofing offers the SmartJack® crawl space support system to correct our customers’ sloping floors. SmartJack® support beams are adjustable, so they can fit in any size crawl space or full height basement. Plus, unlike wooden beams, these steel supports don’t rot or shift over time. - Wall failure solutions
Usually, foundation walls deteriorate over a long period. As outlined above, this process manifests in different symptoms for different wall compositions. But the ideal solution for any foundation wall failure depends on that wall’s specific condition.
For walls that are bowing and/or cracking in the middle, we suggest the CarbonArmor® Wall Reinforcing System. This material has a fabric-like quality but possesses great tensile strength. It adheres to the surface of foundation walls, so installation requires no excavation.
To correct walls with top or bottom portions pushing or leaning in, we suggest the PowerBrace™ Wall Repair System. This mechanism can straighten walls over time, as its steel beams secure to the surface with brackets and can be adjusted as needed. It, also, requires no excavation.
Finally, for tilted, bowing, or buckling walls, we suggest GeoLock® Wall Anchors. This option requires some exterior excavation but can protect foundation walls under intense pressure. Underground, wall anchors reach from a foundation wall to hard-packed soil, bracing the foundation and preventing further deterioration.
Contact NV Waterproofing for Professional Home Foundation Repair!
Every home represents an investment of money and goodwill from its owners. So, it only makes sense that you want to protect yours, and you can do so by caring for its foundations. Should issues arise, reach out to NV Waterproofing & Foundation Repair for home foundation repair services. Since 1986, our team has provided wet basement solutions, crawl space waterproofing, drainage systems, and more. We are confident that we can identify and correct any foundation issues in your home. Call us today at 1-703-690-3889 or fill out our online form for a free project estimate.
