Does your home or garage have doors that don't close properly, floors that are uneven, or even water leakage along the baseboards? These can all signal a problem with your foundation. Foundation damage can make a home dangerous and expensive to live in if not corrected early and properly. There are a few methods used to repair foundations, which vary in effectiveness, cost, and appropriateness to the project.
Slabjacking
Slabjacking is a method best used for foundations that are sagging or are cracked and tilting down. During this process, grout is pumped in below the foundation with enough pressure to elevate the broken foundation to its proper location. When the foundation is level, the pump is slowly pulled out, leaving hardened grout below the foundation, filling in any voids or cavities formed by the damage and restoring the foundation to proper working order.
Hydraulic Jacking (Piering)
Hydraulic jacking, or piering, is a popular method for other forms of damage to the foundation that cannot be treated by pumping grout underneath, such as those arising from the soil itself. In this process, steel beams are driven through the foundation and the soil beneath. Jacks are then used to lift the affected area, restoring the slab and allowing for the repair of the soil underneath.
Localized Repair
While many of these processes are useful for larger projects, small, localized issues are extremely common, and can be met with other hybrid methods. When small cracks due to malformed concrete or weather are discovered on the slab, and inspection rules out structural problems underneath the foundation, localized treatment can be far cheaper and more effective. Packing the cracks with cement, or even surgically removing the affect area using masonry blades and recasting the area can restore structural integrity.
Corrective and Preventative Measures
Finally, at the end of any process concerning foundation repair, corrective measures are followed by preventative measures, making sure the issue does not reoccur. In both slabjacking and piering, the soil is treated with certain substances that restore the structural integrity of both the soil and the slab. These substances can vary wildly between application due to the different requirements of each project. The structural integrity of a slab can also be promoted by changing the way the superstructure is mounted. By applying additional bracket points, counterweights, and other devices meant to evenly distribute the weight across the foundation, further damage can be prevented.
For more information about foundation repair or for an inspection of your foundation, contact a local contractor like Quality Foundation Repair Ltd.
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