What is the Best Foundation Repair Method?
The foundation is one of the most vital aspects of a building structure. It is responsible for holding the weight of the structure as it is in direct contact with the soil. If anything goes wrong with the foundation, the integrity of the while hiding is definitely compromised. As such, you must not hesitate to call professionals to help you take a look at any suspected compromise to your foundation.
In this article, we intend to take you through the essential details on this subject, how to repair Adelaide foundations and the best methods of repair.
There are different types of foundations, which include the traditional, concrete, and the basement type. The most common cause of foundation issues is expanding soil. The meaning of this is that the soil shifts when permeated with water and moves the foundation. As the soil dries, it crumbles, and the foundation goes down, which can cause a crack in its core and ultimately affect the whole building.
Red flags you should not ignore:
As we stated earlier, you must always be at alert for some red flags, telling you there’s a problem within your home’s base. These signs include:
- Cracks: this can show on the walls, floors, or pillars. It would help if you suspected something when you see one.
- Water leak: when you see a visible water leak into your floors, you should suspect a base problem, especially if it is not plumbing-related.
- Wall changes: when you notice any sag in your walls, get an expert as soon as you can.
- Gaps: you should not relate significant gaps to mere temperature change. Do not wait until you are unable to close a room or window. Have an expert look at it as quickly as possible.
Methods of repair
Before a specialist attempts to repair, they must perform a quick inspection of the whole structure and determine the damage’s type and cause. They must also check the soil type and give a full report of their assessment.
It is pertinent to note that the choice of a foundation repair method depends mostly on many factors, including:
- Soil category
- Weather
- Distinct issues
- Build
However, the following methods can be employed depending on the assessment report.
- Slabjacking
- Grouting
- Piering
- Wall repair
- Soil stabilization
- Shimming
- Water repair
Piering
This is the best method for foundation repair, especially if the soil is expansive. It involves the use of metals or, in some instances, steel to strengthen a weak foundation.
The experts will take some piers and drill them into the soil with a ram. The piers are of different types. The push and helical variants are employed here. They will also lift the base with a jack and stabilize it with some brackets.
This repair method is relatively affordable, stress-free, and involves little soil disruption. After the repair, you must have an engineer assess the integrity and stability of the home’s base.
Slabjacking
This is the second most common base repair method after piering. If your home is placed on a slab, this is the preferred type of repair.
Firstly, the engineer creates holes around the damaged area. After that, the holes are filled with some materials using special tools. This ensures that the space under the concrete is filled. As a result, the slab becomes level with the concrete. Finally, the holes are patched, and integrity is restored.
This repair method is also very affordable, quick, and does not disrupt the building or soil. The repair can also be applied to any weak slab in the building.
Apart from these two standard methods, other ways can apply to specific soil and types of damage. In some instances, all that is needed is water management. This is because the probable cause of the compromised integrity is continuous water leakage that eats deep into the foundation.
Lastly, you must be familiar with your home’s structure type and signs of a compromise. The safety of your loved ones should not be jeopardized due to inadequate knowledge. Hence, whether you’re looking to buy a new home or doing a periodic assessment, you must never belittle any red flag. Also, there are renowned repair companies capable of carrying out a full evaluation and repair of your foundations. This is not the time for an experiment or DIY. As such, getting in touch with experts is part of having a good knowledge of what to do. In addition, the integrity of the repair must always be examined before calling it a day.
