Foundation issues can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare, threatening the structural integrity and safety of your home. Addressing these problems promptly and effectively is important, but with so many repair methods available, choosing the right one can be daunting.
So let’s break it down and explore the best and worst foundation repair methods, focusing on solutions that offer long-term stability and options that may fall short. This guide will help you make an informed decision based on your needs and to protect your home and investment.
The Best Foundation Repair Methods: Piering Systems
Piering systems are our #1 choice, and the industry leading solution for structural issues. The reason why? Piers can ensure a permanent solution, and they also address other issues related to foundation settlement such as uneven floors, water leaks, cracks and gaps in your home, and further settlement.
Here are the best piering options for foundation repair:
Push Piers
- Permanent Solution: Push piers are a tried-and-true method for addressing foundation settlement issues. They are driven deep below the soft soils to reach stable soil or bedrock. These work as extra strong legs for your home, ensuring a lasting solution with no more sinking.
- Load Capacity: Capable of supporting heavy loads, push piers are ideal for both residential and commercial properties.
- Minimal Disruption: Installation is relatively quick and causes minimal disruption to your property, allowing you to carry on with your daily routine.
- Versatility: Suitable for various foundation types and soil conditions, push piers provide a robust solution to foundation settlement in homes, buildings, decks, patios, concrete steps, and more.
Push Piers
- Quick Installation: Helical piers are screwed into the ground, making the installation process fast and efficient.
- Versatility: These piers are the most versatile and can be used in different soil conditions and for various types of foundations, offering a flexible solution. Where stable soil can’t be reached with push piers, helical piers can provide stabilization.
- Minimal Disruption: The installation causes minimal disruption and small excavations, reducing the risk of damage to your property.
- Permanent Solution: Like push piers, helical piers address the root cause of foundation settlement, providing a long-term fix.
The Worst Foundation Repair Methods
When it comes to foundation repair, there are lots of other repair options to choose from, but they won’t always solve the problem. These methods of repair can be considered as a temporary fix but won’t guarantee that your home will stop settling.
PolyFoam or Slab Jacking for foundation
- Temporary Fix: These methods involve injecting foam or slurry under the foundation to lift it. While they can provide immediate results lifting the sunken areas, they do not address the underlying issue of soil movement and can fail over time.
- Water Risks: The injected material can create voids or pockets, leading to further instability and potential future problems such as water leaks.
Concrete Piles
- Limited Depth: Concrete piles often do not reach the necessary depths to find stable soil or bedrock, limiting their effectiveness.
- Susceptibility to Movement: These piles can be a victim to the same soil movement issues that caused the problem in the first place, leading to potential to fail over time.
Sealants or Crack Repairs
- Surface-Level Fix: Sealants and crack repairs only address the appearance of foundation issues rather than the cause. They may temporarily stop water infiltration but do not prevent further foundation settlement.
- Recurring Issues: Since these methods do not address the root cause, cracks and leaks can reappear, leading to repeated repairs and increased costs over time.
Why Choose Our Piering Systems?
At True Level Concrete, we specialize in advanced piering systems that offer permanent solutions to foundation problems. Our push piers and helical piers are designed to address the root cause of foundation settlement, ensuring long-term stability for your home.
Not only that, our repair methods help address all the other issues caused by settlement. Our piering systems can help fix:
- Sagging, sloping, or uneven floors
- Gaps in walls and floors
- Cracks in drywall
- Doors and windows not working
- Cracks in foundation
- Chimney separation
By choosing our services, you can rest assured that your foundation issues will be resolved effectively and permanently.
What does foundation repair cost?
When it comes to foundation repair, choosing the right method is important for ensuring the long-term stability of your home. Push piers and helical piers stand out as the best solutions, offering permanent fixes to foundation settlement issues.
Although they are more expensive than other repair options, they ensure to last for years to come instead of just 10-15 years like a temporary fix.
What does a foundation repair project really cost?
A foundation repair can vary in size, materials, and process. Maybe it’s just your concrete steps that need stabilization, it could be half your house, your whole house, or it can be a professional building. So, cost can vary anywhere between $2,000 for small structural fixes to $50,000 upwards for commercial sized projects.
See our Pricing Page for more info.
Why not choose a cheaper fix?
Methods like poly foam, slabjacking, concrete piles, and sealants may offer quick fixes but they can fail to provide lasting results.
These methods can still allow issues to occur such as:
- Foundation settlement
- Water and cold air leaks
- Sagging, sloping, uneven floors
- Doors and windows stop working
- Gaps in walls and floors
- Cracks in walls
- Cracks in foundation
- Chimney separation
Ultimately, choosing a temporary fix for foundation repair can lead to more expensive and time consuming repairs down the line.
For professional foundation repair services that you can trust, contact True Level Concrete today. Our experienced team is here to help you safeguard your home’s foundation for years to come. Get in touch for a Free Estimate.