Written by Bob McGuire on December 17th, 2008

Foundation Repairs

Repairing the foundation of a house is one of the most serious and potentially expensive home repair projects.  People would like to avoid even thinking about repairing foundations, but these problems can devalue structures and also endanger the building.  Foundation repair is called for when the foundation’s structure is in jeopardy.  Indications of  improper foundation settling are things such as cracks in the walls, ceilings, or above doors; cracks in ceramic or vinyl tile, or cracks in concrete floors.  Doors and windows may stick; there may be floors that are slanted or sagging; siding may become uneven.   Even more serious problems are indicated by the bottom of walls separating from the floor; fallen and/or buckled interior concrete floors; or foundation walls becoming cracked, bowed and buckled.

Determining the source of the problem will dictate the repair.  If your problem is caused by water, concrete-block foundations and older poured concrete foundations would best be repaired with an interior de-watering system.  Working inside the structure is the least intrusive, most effective way to deal with water problems.   French Drains may be used to deal with areas of sub-surface standing water or high water soil saturation.

A very common foundation problem is cinder-block walls that are bowing in the middle.  This is caused by water pressure from the outside.  The bowing can usually be stabilized by placing vertical carbon-fiber straps on the wall from top to bottom every 6 feet.  These carbon-fiber straps are 6 times stronger than steel.  While they cannot push the wall back out, they will stop the problem from getting worse.  While they are not cheap, they are less costly than an exterior dig.

A common poured-wall problem is uneven settling,  where one part of the wall will sink faster and deeper than another part of the wall causing wide cracks that you may even be able to put your fingers into.  This is sometimes accompanied by wall bowing.  These are usually repaired with carbon-fiber “stitches”, plus filling the cracks with structural epoxy.

The failure may be in the foundation itself.  The mix of cement, sand, gravel and water, which makes concrete varies.  Some concrete mixes are just not as strong as some other mixes can be.    If you need a concrete foundation repair, the job will normally require 2-10 days.

Though foundation repair may not be something you want to think about, it is an issue that many homeowners face, and is usually needed when the livability of a residence is impacted.  Repairing foundation problems can be costly, which is why it is important to fix the problem sooner rather than later, before the problems get worse.  Foundation repair is not a do-it-yourself project, so if you think that there is a problem with your foundation, call a foundation repair contractor for an evaluation of your need.  Call a repair expert like Oakbridge Construction, or an engineer.

Oakbridge Construction has experience the area of foundation repair. Call us now at 248-834-0050.