Lockport, Illinois is a city that is located about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. Because of the location of Lockport, Illinois, it often experiences plenty of unpredictable weather in the forms of: extreme summer and winter temperatures; heavy thunderstorms, winter storms, and even tornadoes; and periods of drought or flooding. All of these weather conditions can be fatal for the concrete foundation underneath your home or business. If you start to notice signs of a foundation problem - bowing or leaning walls, sloping floors, wall cracks, or sticking windows or doors - contact a professional contractor from United Structural Systems right away.
Many foundation issues in Illinois are caused by shifting soil underneath the home. In some cases, this shifting soil is the result of poor soil compaction when the structure was built, but it can often be caused by moisture in the soil or fluctuating temperatures. Heavy rains can lead to the soil washing away and eroding, leaving gaps beneath the foundation. These gaps can also be formed by soil shrinkage, which often occurs during dry, hot, drought-like periods. Alternatively, hydrostatic pressure buildup form too much water in the ground could be pushing on the foundation, causing it to shift, crack, or sink. These are all common causes of foundation problems that we can fix.
To fix a settling foundation, the cause of the settlement must be determined. If the foundation has started to sink into voids or spaces under the concrete, the solution is to use mud jacking, the injection of a grout material beneath the foundation, to fill spaces and lift the concrete. For shifting foundations or those that have settled unevenly due to poor compaction, helical piers or steel push piers may be driven under the foundation and used to lift and stabilize the structure. Foundation walls or basement walls that have started to bow or lean inward can be pulled back into place using soil nails or helical tiebacks, which are sunk into the ground next to the foundation and attached to the walls to provide opposite pressure.
In addition to offering foundation repair services to stabilize your home, we also offer basement waterproofing solutions to keep your home dry and healthy. Basement waterproofing from USS can help stop issues such as:
Some methods to prevent these problems are interior waterproofing, exterior drainage systems, sump pump systems, and vapor barriers. Exterior drainage systems work to reduce groundwater and pooling water in your yard to stop leakage. Interior drainage systems can help to reroute water in your basement. The sump pump system ties these two systems together by collecting water from the interior and pumping it outside of the home. Vapor barriers are a great solution for wet crawlspaces, as they can be installed to prevent moisture from getting through the concrete.
Contact our team today to find out more about our professional solutions in Lockport, Illinois.
