Home and Living

Basement foundation damage can be caused by building on expansive clay, improperly compacted fill soils or due to improper maintenance around foundations. The settlement can destroy the structures and also render them unsafe. Therefore if there are problems with the foundation immediately get in touch with the foundation repair professional.

Signs of foundation failure

The homes built on expansive soil suffer from foundation distress. The problems occur when the foundation settles causing cracks and other damages like bulging floors, cracked wall and the doors that do not close or open smoothly. The foundation settlement occurs when there are differences in soil moisture. Settlement cracks are vertical. The warning signs of foundation settlement are wall rotation, displaced moldings, cracked bricks, separation around garage door, windows or walls, cracks in the floor, misaligned doors and windows.

Cause of foundation settlement

Those soil types which are highest in clay content are more susceptible to foundation settlement. When unstable soils are used as a base for a foundation, the tendency for movement is transmitted to the foundation. Since soil movement is rarely uniform, the foundation is subjected to a differential or upheaval. The problem shows up in both, slab as well as pier and beam type foundations. There would be no problem if the soil below the foundation swells evenly or uniformly. The problems start when only part of the slab settles. Tripping hazards, rough floors, poor drainage system may also result from concrete slab settlement.

Liquid Concrete Repair (LCR)

Liquid concrete repair system is an epoxy injection system used to permanently repair basement water leaks as a result of concrete foundation leaks and cracks. LCR kit contains epoxy injection cartridges, two tubs of epoxy crack sealer and injection ports. LCR kit includes enough material to repair an eight-foot long foundation crack

Techniques to repair sunken concrete

Past techniques for repair of sunken concrete proved to be futile. However, today, you can do the repairs without having to disrupt the family or business using that building. Today there are not only trained experts but also technology to solve the problem of sunken concrete. The most common methods used to repair are slab-jacking – where the grout is pumped beneath a slab or a beam to produce a lifting force that restores the slab to its original elevation. The other technique is known as hydraulic jacking or piering – this method is applied according to the type of distress being treated. In piering method, steel posts are driven through unstable soil and hydraulic jacks are used to stabilize concrete slabs affected by changes in the underlying soil.