Are you looking to repair your home’s foundation?
The foundation of your house is an essential component. After all, it ensures the structural integrity of your home. Any issues affecting your foundation can threaten the stability of the entire building.
That’s why it’s so important to immediately address any concerns regarding your home’s foundation. It pays to take care of any smaller problems before they grow into more costly challenges in the long run.
In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the repair process that is often undertaken to efficiently fix a foundation. Read on to learn more about how we can take care of your foundation repair needs in five steps.
What Does the 5-Step Foundation Repair Procedure Involve?
The 5-step foundation repair starts with a foundation inspection. The aim is to understand the type and extent of the damage. Then you’ll receive a contractor estimate that shows how much you are likely to pay for repairs.
That estimate is going to cover the expenses associated with additional contractor services. The third step involves getting a structural engineering report. This isn’t always a requirement, but you may have to get one.
The fourth step ensures restoring the full integrity and function of your home or commercial property’s foundation. The final step is devoted to cleaning up the site after all the procedures have been successfully finished.
An In-Depth Look at the Various Steps
Let’s take a look at the particular steps leading up to the completion of your foundation repair in a more in-depth way. These activities are categorized into five steps as well.
Step 1: Preparing
The first step is all about preparation. We’ll lay down the tarps to get the repairs started. Any obstacles or obstructions will be removed from the foundation’s perimeter. Should it be necessary, we’ll temporarily remove the utilities as well. This is an essential procedure that has to be finalized before anything else can take place.
Step 2: Hole Digging
The next step involves digging holes around your foundation. In case of the need for interior piers, we’ll dig holes straight underneath your home. This step can take longer than the others, depending on the extent of the digging required.
We need to peel back the material on top of your foundation and break out the sections of your foundation if it’s a concrete slab type. This is a crucial step necessary to complete before the installation of piers.
Step 3: Foundation Lifting
Now it’s time to install steel or concrete piers. At this time, our workers may have to enter your home during the installation of interior foundation piers. However, if only the exterior piers are installed, no home entry will be is necessary.
The workers will start slowly lifting the structure. Your foundation will be elevated with the help of hydraulic jacks and steel or concrete piers that are installed under the foundation. Your home is going to be positioned on top of the piers. This is carried out to ensure steady stabilization.
During this process, we may add steel shims under your foundation, depending on the overall needs and circumstances.
Step 4: Hole Covering
The fourth step is executed to ensure that all holes around or under your foundation have been completely filled with soil that was removed during the start of the repairs. Since water compresses the soil, you’ll find a higher pile of soil around your foundation after the repair procedures have been finished.
Excess soil shouldn’t be a cause for alarm. The soil starts sinking slowly into the holes as more time passes. It can take quite a while to reach full compression. More often than not, this takes up to a year or two.
Step 5: Cleaning Everything
The last step is all about cleaning up around the foundation. After all the repairs have been finalized, it’s time to remove the debris, get rid of the tarps, and replant all the originally removed vegetation.
The aim of this step is to normalize the look of the area as closely as possible to its initial state.
When Can You Make Cosmetic Repairs After the Finished Process?
The most important focus is getting your foundation repaired in time. The fixes may add decades to the stability of your home’s structure. But you may still discover that some cosmetic improvements are necessary once your foundation has been repaired.
The standard waiting time is 45 days. This is the time that has been estimated to ensure that more than 2/3 of the associated cracks have finished coming together. Anything that remains is bound to stay the same or widen over time.
The waiting period is crucial, as you might otherwise find a need for further fixes after a few months pass. It’s a matter of budget optimization as well. Without going through with the waiting, you’d have no idea which of the cracks disappear without intervention.
In case your slab needed interior repairs, you may need to replace the affected boards and tiles. Some of the backfill may have failed to properly settle even after more than a year has passed. In this case, you should remove the excess dirt. Without removal, that backfill could transfer moisture behind your home’s siding.
Make sure that you won’t have any exterior drainage problems. Even though these may have already been addressed, it pays to be extra cautious. Check that your downspout extends far enough to efficiently drain water away from your foundation.
In a Nutshell: the Foundation Repair Process
Fixing foundation problems is essential, and it’s almost never something you should try to tackle on your own. As a homeowner, you need to tackle the flaws threatening the stability of your entire structure. Fortunately, the 5-step process guarantees a straightforwards and stress-free solution for your foundation repair needs.
If you’re in need of help with any aspect of your home’s foundation, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the experts at Granite Foundation Repair. We’d be pleased to walk you through exactly how we can ensure your home is rock solid and retains its value for years to come.