Foundation repair is a job that requires a lot of experience, and hiring a professional can help you get the job done right. It also saves you time and money, and gives you peace of mind that your home is secure.
Find a contractor who has years of experience and is known for fast service.
You can check with local home improvement stores or online reviews to see if a foundation contractor has been around for a long time. This is a good way to find out if they have a reputation for fast and safe work, and if you can trust them with your home.
Look for a company that offers warranties on their work, and ask about the terms. This will give you a good idea of whether the company is financially stable enough to support its work for the long haul.
Referrals are always a great way to find a contractor you can trust, and it’s especially important for foundation repair work. Contact your neighbors or friends who have had foundation work done, and find out if they were happy with the results.
A foundation specialist will usually be licensed and certified by the International Code Council Evaluation Services (ICC-ES). This certification can help you know that the person you hire is qualified to handle your foundation contractor issues.
Typical repairs to a home’s foundation include sealing cracks in the basement or crawlspace. Sealing keeps groundwater and moisture out of these areas, which helps prevent further damage. Hydraulic cement or polyurethane foam are often used for this purpose, although a structural engineer can recommend more invasive solutions if the cracks don’t stop shifting and settling after the sealant is applied.
Pier and beam foundations, which allow a home to rest several feet aboveground, can also be a solution for a problem with the foundation. These systems use piers and support beams that rest on concrete footing that’s buried deep underground. These piers aren’t affected by pressure from the surface soil, and they can be constructed of wood, metal or brick.
The piers themselves may resemble simple cylinders or be formed in a bell shape to provide increased stability. They’re connected to a footing that’s tied into the ground with steel.
Slab jacking is another method for stabilizing a slab-based foundation, particularly in places where the soil has eroded or changed significantly over time. Slab jacking involves drilling holes in the slab and injecting a concrete slurry or dense polyurethane foam underneath the failing section.
This can be a long, drawn-out process that can disrupt your daily life. A foundation contractor will have a team of workers who specialize in different aspects, so they can complete the entire project quickly and efficiently.
If you have a serious foundation issue that needs to be solved, consider hiring a structural engineer instead of a general contractor. A structural engineer will be more familiar with your home’s design and can recommend solutions that closely mimic the original materials used.