Methods Used In Foundation Repair

If you have noticed cracking around your windows or if your doors close on their own, you may be experiencing foundation troubles. Have a professional evaluation done at the first signs of cracking in drywall or pooling of water around your home's perimeter. If the foundation is slipping at a quick rate, it will need to be raised up to its original position. Foundation repair is an extensive job that needs to be executed properly so your home does not continue shifting due to poor soil conditions. Here are some of the methods used to repair a faulty foundation. 

Piering

The method of piering is done to lift a home back up to its original position by placing steel piers under the concrete slab the house rests upon. This is often done with soil stabilization so the voids underneath your home are filled in with a durable material. Steel poles are driven into the soil alongside the home's foundation using a hydraulic ram. Hydraulic jacks which are positioned on the steel poles will then push the concrete foundation in an upward position until it is back to a level state.

Slab Jacking

Another method of raising a home with a fault foundation is by using slab jacking. This is done from the interior of the home. Holes are drilled into the cement slab from the bottom floor of the home. A mixture of cement, sand and fly ash is injected into the holes from above. This grout mixture strengthens the soil underneath the slab and pushes the slab back into proper positioning. 

Soil Stabilization

Foundation problems occur when a home is built on top of soil with a high clay content. Clay will expand when it becomes wet and contract when it dries. If your climate fluctuates often, the clay portion of your soil will go back and forth from increasing and decreasing in size. In time, the clay part of soil will stop expanding altogether, leading to shifting of the foundation.

When having your soil stabilized, the properties of the soil under your home is changed to make it more durable and strong. In most cases, the soil is injected with a combination of cement and lime. When this is added to the existing clay content in place, the soil stops compacting. Coal fly ash is another soil additive that is injected into the soil content to help lower water content from within. Contact a company like T Luckey Sons Inc for more information.