Your home is most often one of your largest investments so it’s important to have a stable foundation.

Over time, a home’s foundation may begin to crack, sink and settle.

Have you ever noticed a gap forming between a wall and the floor or ceiling? Do you see cracks in your drywall near windows or door frames? How about cracks in the brick or exterior? Do you notice some of your first level floors sloping or sagging? These are all signs that your home's foundation needs professional attention.

Foundation problems never get better, only worse. Therefore it’s important to address these issues sooner rather than later as they affect three important parts of your life:

  • The safety of your home
  • The value of your home
  • Peace of mind

There are many signs that indicate your home is experiencing a foundation settlement issue.

These include:

  • Stair-step cracking
  • Separating chimneys
  • Problem doors and windows
  • Foundation wall cracks
  • Drywall cracks

Stabilizing your home’s foundation is serious business and it’s important you work with a trustworthy and specialized company. Often times the fix is easier than you think and doesn’t involve a total foundation replacement. Below is a look at some of the best options.

 

Steel Push Piers - These push piers can lift your home back to level, closing cracks and improving the operation of doors and windows. Other advantages include does not require the use of heavy equipment, piers will not rust, and as a below-grade solution, piers are concealed from sight.

 

Helical Piers –Helical piers are suitable for both light and heavy loads and are able to reach greater depths than other options. Many homeowners choose helical piers to stabilize a lighter structure that has settled such as a deck or stoop.

 

SmartJacks – SmartJacks are steel support systems used to permanently stabilize and level the girders and floor joists in a crawl space. They do not replace the existing columns and piers but add strength and stability to what is there. Installation is quick and can be done year-round.

 

Carbon Fiber Straps – Carbon fiber is a material with very high tensile strength making it a great solution

for reinforcing basement walls. This two-part epoxy adhesive ensures an extremely strong bond to the

wall. Stress testing has shown that before the strap would peel away from the wall, the shell of the

concrete block would actually break apart.

 

PowerBrace – This system is another wall option designed to support basement walls and allows for

strengthening over time. This system utilizes a joist reinforcement method that distributes the load

evenly and eliminates the worry of damage caused to wood floor joists commonly seen with other I-

beam systems.

 

Wall Anchors – Wall anchors are a versatile wall repair method because they can be used to stabilize a

variety of problems such as bowing walls, walls tipping in at the top and walls pushing in at the bottom.

They are installed independently of the floor system of your home and can be installed around obstacles

such as pipes, vanities, sinks, and toilets.

 

The damage caused by an unstable, shifting foundation is not something any homeowner enjoys but by

identifying and addressing the problems earlier rather than later, you can save money and protect

against further damage.