As previously mentioned, each house foundation repair case is different. As such, there are multiple solutions that may be better suited to your specific foundation. Bay Foundation Repair offers the following solutions:
Crawl space jacks can be installed to offer stabilization to your floor structure. Dropped support piers or sagged beams or joists are leading causes of home foundation problems. We can install crawl space jacks that assist house foundation leveling.
In addition to house leveling jacks, we can install supplemental floor support beams. New beams, footings, and crawl space jacks should always be stronger than what is required in order to prevent structural failure. These beams will support your home’s joists ‘mid-span’ and restore strength to your floors. This will reduce the slope and bounce often seen with unsupported floors.
Foundation Push Piers
Foundation push piers are a level up from house leveling jacks because they penetrate through the weakest layer of soil and instead support your home on the stronger layers of soil underneath. We use the weight of the house to drive these push piers down into the soil until we find the strongest layer.
Once the strongest soil layer is found we can begin applying house leveling jacks. With the push piers in place and jacks as support, we can apply pressure to multiple piers and literally lift your house and strategically adjust it to where it has the best chance of natural correction.
We use Titan SP-90 foundation push piers for our home foundation repairs. Each one of these is capable of supporting up to 90,000 lbs. They are also all approved by a licensed professional structural engineer.
Helical Piers
Helical foundation piers are like giant screws or augers that are twisted into the ground to support your home’s structure. The surface area of the spiral coils, (“helices”), is what actually supports the weight of the entire structure.
These piers are more so recommended for new homes. We do not recommend using helical foundation piers on existing structures for the following reasons:
- The install could be ineffective without a proper, detailed analysis of the underlying soil layers.
- Roots, rocks, and other obstructions could provide false pressure readings and throw off the effectiveness of the piers due to inadequate support.
- Helical piers cannot be driven straight down with existing structures. Instead they are driven at an angle which creates a weaker footing in the soil.
Crawl Space Encapsulation
This method would be done in addition to one of the above foundation repair methods. Part of the reason your house could be experiencing foundation issues is your crawl space. If the crawl space is not properly conditioned it could lead to moisture retention, mold, or pest infestation that ultimately can seep into your home’s foundation.
Bay Foundation Repair also works on crawl space encapsulation and can perform the service for homeowners if needed. Our Expert Home Foundation Repair Experts will inform you if encapsulation even pertains to your situation.
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Concrete Underpining
Otherwise known as a “footing underneath your footing,” concrete underpinning involves building a separate foundational layer made out of concrete underneath the existing foundation. We recommend this form of home foundation reinforcement when push piers are not an option due to the structure being too light or there not being enough room for the push pier installation equipment. It can also be slightly more affordable than push piers.