Understand House Leveling and Foundation Repair
What Is
House Leveling?
House leveling is the process of lifting or adjusting a home back to it’s original, level position.
Often times, homes tend to shift over decades of soil erosion and ground movement. New homes are held to a standard of which the foundation should be no more than 1.5 inches deviated from level (per the American Concrete Institute).
Once a home’s foundation moves from level, the goal of leveling is to get the home back to the position it was when it was new. Many homeowners tend to overlook small differences and variations in foundation elevations and end up noticing the problem once the situation is critical. ABC Foundation Repair works with our clients to ensure homes are leveled within a safe and reasonable tolerance.
All traditional houses are built on a foundation, and though the foundation type may vary, they all can face the same issues: settling, cracking, and heaving. Foundation leveling in Texas is generally necessary due to a few common causes: too much moisture, issues with the soil, and improperly installed foundation components.
House leveling and foundation repair are one of the most important repairs a home will need over the course of its life. The weight of your home, and all items within it rest of your home’s foundation. House foundations must be properly designed and installed, and if necessary, repaired to avoid devaluation of your home.
Does My Home Need Foundation Repair or House Leveling?
It is best to request a quote from the pros, however, there are signs that you can look for. Below are a few key points to look for:
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Cracks in your ceiling or walls
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Cracks on the exterior of your house, specifically on bricks or stonework at the base of your home
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Doors are sticking and not opening or shutting correctly
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Your floors seem to dip lower on one side of the house
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When looking at your house from the outside, it’s visibly uneven.
Types of House Foundations
SLAB FOUNDATIONS
A slab foundation is made mostly of reinforced concrete.
It is a thick slab of concrete that is poured directly over the ground where the house will sit.
Standard slab foundations are usually around 6″ thick.
To accommodate for additional weight around the perimeter of the home, the perimeter of the slabs are typically up to 36” deep. The deepest part of the slab foundation is called a beam.
To reinforce the center section of a slab, beams crisscross the middle in a waffle pattern. Interior beams are often 12 feet apart from each other.
Slab foundations are almost always enforced with tension cables or steel rebar rods.
Pier & Beam foundations are made of three main components.
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A concrete foundation covers the perimeter of the house
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Concrete columns are installed inside of the perimeter of the foundation
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Wood beams are placed on the interior concrete columns and on the perimeter of the foundation
As Pier & Beam foundations are more costly to construct than slab foundations, pier & beam foundations are often used for custom built homes or for special situations where homes need to be elevated off the ground (such as homes built on a flood plain).
PIER & BEAM FOUNDATIONS
How Does House Leveling and Foundation Repair
Work?
The process for leveling a house varies depending on the home’s specific foundation type. Each type has multiple methods for foundation repair to bring the foundation to the standard level. Each method for leveling a home’s foundation is unique depending on exactly why the foundation is needing repair. Regardless of the method of foundation leveling used, the end-goal is always the same: a level foundation and a more accurately, a repaired foundation.
Concrete Slab Foundation Leveling:
ABC Foundation Repair utilizes multiple tools to solve different foundation issues. The area around the perimeter of a home may be excavated to allow for installation of concrete pilings, concrete piers, or steel pilings. To prevent the likelihood of soils swelling during and after the foundation is repaired, soil injections are sometimes used.
Pier & Beam Foundation Leveling:
Pier & Beam foundations can be leveled and repaired with the installation of steel or concrete pilings under critical locations under the concrete foundation perimeter. The foundation interior is adjusted by removing or adding shims placed at the top of the interior columns. Often times, foundation and home movement are caused by improperly installed or damaged wooden components.
Experiencing
Foundation Problems?
Are you running into issues with your home's foundation? ABC Foundation is here to help! We've been providing residents of Texas with time-tested, reliable foundation repair options for decades, and have the know-how to get the job done right. Our specialists and repair experts are experienced with both commercial and residential foundation solutions and understand the differences that each unique situation experiences.
Give us a call, if you have nothing to lost but cracks!
Schedule Your FREE Estimate Today!
