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Foundation Crack Repair FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About The Foundation Repair Process, What To Expect With Foundation Crack Repair, And Lifetime Transferable Warranties

Why-HowFoundation cracks, sticking doors, bowing floor, plumbing leak?… What’s going on with my foundation and the soil under my home? Can I wait for foundation crack repairs? What are the foundation repair methods? What foundation repair process to I need? How long will it take, and how will it disrupt my life? What about my home’s value? Any warranties? … Get answers to these and more foundation repair questions here:

If I notice cracks or other signs of foundation or sinkhole damage, can I wait to make repairs?

Not long. Once damage starts to occur, you need to address it immediately to prevent further damage. Our contractors at Foundation Services can give you a FREE Assessment of the damage and provide you with the steps necessary to save your home.

What happens? Once differential foundation movement has caused distress to the foundation, slab and finishes, further foundation movement can cause additional damage to windows, doors, brick, molding and sheetrock. This can also lead to severe water damage if the plumbing or roof begins to leak from stress and pulling apart.

Can a plumbing leak affect my foundation?

Yes. A leak can cause your foundation to heave and drop, and may cause extensive additional damage to other areas of the structure. How? The soil will swell during the early stages of a leak, which can create a visible hump in your floor. Then as the leak continues, the soil will erode and cause a drop in the slab. The shifting foundation upsets the stability of structural elements.

How long will my foundation repairs take?

It depends upon the severity of your problem, the method used to repair it, and the number of piers required if you are using steel piers. Generally, steel pier foundation repairs take just one-to-two days, while concrete methods may require up to 10 days. Foundation Services utilizes the most efficient techniques and its own, customized equipment, meaning you will experience as little disturbance as possible.

Can I live in my home while it is being repaired?

In almost all cases, you can live in your home while the repairs are being done. Ultimately, the determination is made by the insurance company or yourself. There are a few cases where it is inadvisable to stay in the dwelling during repairs.

What do I need to do to prepare before you perform cosmetic repairs to my house or business?

You will need to remove any personal or fragile items from the rooms or cabinets prior to our arrival. If you have any special needs to be addressed, please let us know so we can assist you. Otherwise, we will handle the moving and storage of all other items in order to perform the repairs. We will then move those items back in for you and even help you unpack, if you choose.

How will the foundation damage impact the resale value of my home?

If you do not complete the repairs, the damage will negatively impact the value of your home and make it difficult to sell. Any savvy real estate agent or home inspector will be quick to point out the symptoms of unrepaired foundation damage, such as doors that stick or have a gap, windows that won’t open, cracks in sheetrock and tile, cracks in exterior stucco or brick or garage floors.

On the other hand, competent repairs rendering a foundation that’s “good as new” on stable soil, with cosmetic restoration completing your foundation crack repairs, and backed by our transferable, limited lifetime warranty will give a prospective purchaser a much bigger comfort factor than a neighboring house without any failure signs but also without these guarantees.

Will my lawn and landscaping be damaged during foundation repair?

Rest assured that our team of contractors takes into account the emotional investment in your home. We take special care to protect and preserve your shrubs and landscaping to the greatest extent possible, and can usually insert pins and piers with minimal disruption. When it is necessary to remove certain items, we will put them back.

Realistically, there is the possibility of root shock or other types of stress, which can make replanting certain types of plants more problematical in terms of how well they may withstand being moved. Although it’s rare, some may ultimately die in the process. Should that occur, our team can restore your landscaping after repairs are complete, leaving your property as pretty or better than we found it.

Will I need to call another company for cosmetic restorations to my home after the repairs are completed?

With many other companies, the answer is “yes.” That’s one reason homeowners with sinkhole damage become so frustrated during the process. Having to hire several different teams and make a number of calls is time consuming and often burdensome and costly. But not when you use Foundation Services. Our “one-stop” approach means we are with you through the entire process.

What if I need to have repairs to my home’s interior such as cabinet work?

Foundation Services oversees the entire restoration process and can oversee interior redesign as well.

What if I have a landscaping service that I want to work with after repairs are complete?

Foundation Services can be involved as little or as much as you’d like through the entire restoration process. Many times clients enjoy the fact that we can do it all, but when you have one particular specialist that you like to use, that choice is always up to you.

What is Foundation Underpinning?

Underpinning is a method of repairing structures that have been damaged or have settled from sinkhole activity, buried organics, shrink/swell clay, etc. Underpinning supports the foundation of a structure by transferring the weight of the structure from the foundation, through the unstable soils, to a more stable material below, typically bedrock. Foundation Services uses the premier Earth Contact Products (ECP) for all underpinning projects.

Will I need Drilled Piers for my Foundation Underpinning?

It depends on your site conditions. Very light structures such as a single story frame house, or a very deep limestone with zones of clay or consolidated soils above it, are conditions that may cause an Engineer to require Drilled Piers or Pre-Drilling.

How are Drilled Piers installed to shore up my home?

Foundation Services’ Drilled Piers are installed directly against the wall of the structure with our exclusively designed drilling equipment. Once the Pier is drilled to solid limestone and tested to confirm the load bearing capacity, the Pier can be permanently attached to the foundation and backed by our Limited Lifetime Transferable Warranty.

What products does Foundation Services use for its Piering Systems?

The company is privileged to be in “long-term business partnership” with Earth Contact Products (ECP), the original equipment manufacturer of the patented, fourth-generation ECP Steel PierTM System, Helical Torque AnchorTM and related accessories.

ECP has the finest products in the industry, always uses the newest technology and innovation, and delivers unparalleled customer service. Like Foundation Services, ECP never compromises quality or material or premium workmanship. There is none better.

What does the expression “Concrete Raising” mean?

Concrete Raising simply means raising sunken concrete back to its original level and can be accomplished by a variety of exacting methods. Grouting is pumped under the slab through small holes, filling any voids and gently lifting the slab back into position. There are different kinds and levels of grouting for different soil conditions. Foundation Services does Deep Compaction Grouting, Chemical Grout Injection and Slurry Grouting, as needed to stabilize soils.

What is Pressure Grouting?

Pressure Grouting involves the injection of a low slump grout into the soils at or above the limestone layer to seal the collapsed or eroded limestone, fill voids and compact loose soils. This is performed to stabilize soils in areas that geotechnical engineers discover to have sinkhole conditions, protecting the structures above.

When is Chemical Grout Injection used?

Chemical Grouting is used to stabilize shallow soils near the surface of your residence or pool deck. It is often used in the loose soil directly under your home. Sometimes engineers recommend it to stabilize the upper soils around the perimeter following Compaction Grouting or Foundation Underpinning.

How long has Foundation Services been doing this?

Bobby Hardin was a pioneer in this area in the 1970’s using cast-in-place auger piles on custom homes to stabilize them against movement caused by clay soils. Foundation Services was formed as he began installing more of these piles for other builders.

Seeing a need for structural steel pin pier installations in limited access areas, the company led the way technologically with piers drilled deeper into the ground as needed. It also began using steel pin piers in sinkhole applications along with pressure grouting.

Working with top engineering firms over the years, networking and sharing information, the company has remained at the forefront of technology and innovation in the industry. Its daily services involve pressure grouting, sinkhole remediation, installing pin piers, helical piers and auger cast piers.

Does Foundation Services offer a WARRANTY?

We stand by our work and our products. That is why our underpinning is covered by a Limited Lifetime Transferable Warranty, our cosmetic repairs and restoration work is covered by a one year warranty, and sinkhole related foundation stabilization carries the sinkhole industry’s most comprehensive coverage. Our warranties apply to the property, transferring from one owner to another, free of charge, for the life of the warranty.

This is in addition to Earth Contact Products’ (ECP) 25-year Manufacturers Warranty. ECP makes the strongest steel piers in the industry using the latest technology and most exacting standards in the industry. We are proud to be their “business partner” and use only ECP products for our underpinning projects.

We want to help you with your next sinkhole restoration or new construction project.

We want to help you back on solid ground.

Click Here to Schedule a Free Inspection

Client Testimonials

“…These folks are hard working, helpful, polite, and professional. They will assist you in any way they can… They clean up each day… They explain each days scheduling and the reasons for it… We were relieved to place out home in their hands. It was the right decision….”

— Fred and Sandra B., Ocala, FL