Did you recently call us to repair a sinking foundation and now you’re wondering what’s next?
This is a complex foundation repair and it’s something homeowners can’t do on their own. Furthermore, if they don’t deal with the issue early, it can affect a home’s structural integrity.
Foundation problems are more common than you think. It’s estimated that one-quarter of homes in the United States will experience some type of foundation damage in their lifetime.
This blog post is meant to describe how we deal with sinking foundations. Keep reading below to learn the early signs of a sinking foundation and how our team will fix it.
Is My Foundation Sinking?
First of all, you should understand that both older and newer homes can have a sinking foundation. Sometimes, it could be the result of bad home construction, but most of the time it has to do with the soil under your home.
Seeing cracks in your interior or exterior walls is a major red flag that something is wrong with your foundation. Uneven floors, bowing walls and bursting pipes are other signs that it’s time to call a professional.
Chances are, something changed in the soil under your home. The most common cause is soil desiccation. This happens when clay soils go through times of drought and the soil shrinks rapidly. Eventually, it pulls away from the home and is no longer supporting or holding it in place.
This is why homes can begin to sink.
Using Pressure Piers or Helical Piers to Repair a Sinking Foundation
If settling patios, sidewalks, or garage floor slabs are your problem, the repair can be done quickly, easily, and inexpensively by injecting urethane or slurry under the slabs.
But, if your home is sinking, we’ll have to go much deeper than that. Homeowners with serious instabilities in their foundation will need to install either push piers or helical piers.
A pressure or push pier is a steel pile driven into the soil. We use hydraulic machinery to get the pier into position and then attach it to your home’s foundation. The standard helical pier is 7 feet long, but we drive it as deep as needed to secure your foundation.
Even though these piers are the best option, it’s important to note that costs may vary depending on how deep they need to go. The repair may also damage some of your landscaping. You’ll want to factor that into your budget.
The two types of piers we use for our residential foundation repair services are galvanized to resist the elements. They are estimated to last over the life of your home and are warrantied that way.
Fix Your Sinking Foundation
We may sound like a broken record here, but never delay if you suspect a problem. You need to repair a sinking foundation as soon as possible.
United Structural Systems of Illinois, Inc. provides home foundation repair services throughout the entire state. We have years of experience in repairing foundation cracks, sinking houses, bowing walls, leaking basements or crawl spaces and other specialty foundation services.
Call us today at 847-382-2882 if you have any questions about choosing a foundation repair service or if you’d like to schedule a free consultation.
