Problem Signs
Solid foundations are needed throughout life as the basis for knowledge, education, relationships, and, most importantly your home. If your house does not sit on a strong and stable foundation, it’s going to have significant problems.
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Bowing Walls
We can straighten your bowing, buckling foundation walls! Our solutions are long lasting, warrantied, and can usually be installed in a day!
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Sticking Windows & Doors
Any opening made in a wall represents a weak point, especially for load-bearing exterior walls. That’s why foundation settlement will often cause cracks around window and door openings.
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Wall Crack
If your walls are cracking due to foundation settlement issues, foundation piers may be your solution. If your foundation walls are failing due to expansive soils, a wall anchor system may solve your problem.
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Uneven Floor
Uneven floors are rarely caused by problems with the floor system itself. Instead, it’s often a settling or shifting foundation issue that has impacted the floor system.
Causes
Here are some ways the soil can impact your home and its foundation
Understanding foundation soils is the key to understanding foundation repair problems. The type of soil your home sits on plays a huge role in the risk of foundation damage you have. Sand and sandy loam soils allow water to pass through, making them more stable and less likely to expand and cause foundation problems. On the other hand, clay soils absorb water, expand, and put pressure on the foundation. This pressure can lead to floor cracks, wall cracks, and other foundation problems.
There are several layers of soil under your foundation, including bedrock, untouched “virgin” soils, and the active zone, which is where foundation problems can happen. The active zone is the area that is affected by moisture and climate change, causing soil to expand and contract. These soil movements can severely impact your foundation, causing bowing walls, wall and floor cracks, and lessening stability. Depending on where you live, the active zone can be a few feet below grade or as much as 30 feet below the surface. Our foundation repair services can solve a wide variety of foundation soil problems.
The soil under your foundation is comprised of several different layers, some of which were disturbed when your foundation was originally dug out. When one of these layers can’t support the weight of your foundation, it will begin to sink and settle. This is a slow process that will not be immediately obvious, but over time it can have serious effects on your home.
Common signs of foundation settlement include floor cracks, stair-step cracks in walls, cracks in interior drywall, and windows and doors that are difficult to open and close. Foundations usually settle unevenly, causing damage to walls and floors that can eventually lead to failure if not addressed. We use foundation piers to stabilize settling foundations and provide a long-lasting solution.
Foundation heave occurs when soils under your home expand and force the foundation upwards. This process is generally caused by over-saturation of soil. Underground water, prolonged or heavy precipitation, poor drainage, and frost heave can all be causes of foundation heave. Foundation heave will cause cracks in floors, bowing walls, and sticking windows and doors.
It’s important to note that although the symptoms of foundation heave and foundation settlement are very similar, the causes are very different and the solution for one won’t work for the other. One easy way to spot heave is to examine floor cracks and see if they form an enclosed loop. The area inside that loop is where the greatest pressure is being exerted. In order to fix foundation heave, we use solutions such as improved drainage, soil stabilization with polymer injections, and mechanical foundation repair.
When your foundation is dug out, the removed soil is backfilled into the empty space once the foundation is poured. Backfill behaves differently than “virgin” soil because it no longer has the tightly packed, watertight properties that undisturbed soil develops over decades and decades. When excess moisture enters backfilled soil, it expands and exerts pressure on your foundation walls. This is known as hydrostatic pressure, and it can cause serious damage to your foundation walls.
Foundation walls that are subject to pressure from expansive soils will bow inwards and develop cracks. If too much pressure builds up over time, the foundation walls could eventually fail. We can repair this problem with our wall anchor system, which will stabilize the wall by tying it to stronger soils and preventing inward movement.
Solutions
Now that you’ve learned about common foundation problems, their causes, and why you should have them fixed, you’re probably feeling motivated to rid your house of them once and for all.
Complete Basement Systems™
Foundation Piers
Strong and stable. Our pier system will permanently solve your foundation settlement problem.
Complete Basement Systems™
Wall Anchors
Secure your foundation. Wall anchors will prevent walls from bowing and cracking.
Complete Basement Systems™
Helical Piles
Helical piles are a steel foundation system consisting of a central shaft with one or more helix-shaped bearing plates, commonly referred to as blades or flights, welded to the lead section.
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Channel Anchor
Channel Anchors are a versatile, effective system that can stabilize walls that are bowing, tipping, pushing in at the bottom, tilting in at the top, or showing similar signs of failure.
FAQs
Even if you notice a small crack, don’t dismiss it. Putting foundation problems on the backburner is harmful to your living environment and your family. But a properly stabilized house has a longer lifetime, and your family will be happier and safer.
There are many ways you will benefit from fixing your failing foundation, but here are two major perks:
Enhanced Structural Integrity and Safety — Everyone deserves a safe and healthy home in which to grow and live. But it won’t be so safe if there are foundation problems. Instead of worrying about someone stumbling on uneven floors or that a wall could cave in, tackle those problems now before it’s too late and they lead to complete foundation failure. Even if you’ve got other projects in mind, remember that it is best to start from the ground and work your way up by having a strong and stable foundation. Protect your home and your family today and for years to come with trusted, sturdy repair solutions.
Improved Real Estate Value — Whether you plan to live in your house for the foreseeable future or sell it in a few years, it’s going to be on the market at some point. And before it is, you need to make sure it’s ready. While there are many home buyers out there who enjoy fixer-uppers, most are looking for and expect a home to be free of problems. Foundation problems can reduce your home’s resale value by 10 to 30 percent, and home buyers could have problems getting a mortgage. A safe and stable home is more attractive to buyers as opposed to a house with cracks and uneven floors. Something Colorado homeowners are required to do when selling their home is complete the Seller’s Property Disclosure form to the best of their ability by disclosing known past or current issues. Some items on the checklist that need to be documented are cracks, heaving, settling, and exterior problems.
Now that you’ve learned about common foundation problems, their causes, and why you should have them fixed, you’re probably feeling motivated to rid your house of them once and for all. Before you head out to your local home improvement stores to stock up on repair supplies, hear us out. No matter how handy you are, foundation repair is serious work, not a DIY project you and a friend can check off your to-do list in a weekend.
We’ve seen what can happen with quick fixes, and the results aren’t always pretty. There’s the potential for injury or something going wrong, and temporary solutions result in the need for more repairs down the line. Instead of wasting time and money on fast fixes, why not correct the problems the right way with reliable solutions from a reputable contractor?
We understand how intimidating it can be to work with a contractor. You’ve probably heard horror stories about incomplete or botched work that did nothing at all to solve the problem and lead to even more issues. But don’t let your knowledge of a few bad apples completely influence your decision.
The best thing you can do is educate yourself and do some research so you are comfortable with who you bring into your home. Learn more about the company and ask for reviews; references; proof of insurance, licenses, and other certifications; a written contract; and examples of completed work.
If you still feel stuck or overwhelmed, don’t panic. The experts at Complete Basement Systems are here to help you!
During your foundation repair journey, we would be honored to have the opportunity to assist you. We will make sure you are in capable hands every step of the way.
When you contact us, we’ll work with you to set up an appointment with one of our certified inspectors so you can obtain a free inspection and estimate. The inspector will visit your home and complete a thorough assessment of your foundation. He will check for cracks and other areas of failure and measure any settlement. During the appointment, the inspector also will discuss his findings with you as well as your goals with a repair project. He will then provide an estimate with recommended solutions tailored to your specific repair needs. He also will take your budget into consideration and discuss payment and financing options.
Please take the time to sit with this estimate and ask your inspector any follow-up questions. Then, once you have decided to move forward with the work and have signed a contract, we will schedule your project with one of our highly skilled crews. The crew will install the best products proven to repair and protect your home. We won’t stop until you are 100% satisfied with the job. We also provide service and annual maintenance opportunities to ensure the solutions we installed are continuing to maintain your home’s safety and structural integrity.
We’ve saved the best for last, so to speak. The matter of cost is one of the most common concerns we hear from homeowners. And rightly so. Your home is a significant investment and your most valuable asset, so you want to make sure you’re using quality, yet cost-effective solutions to protect it.
There’s a lot to consider with repair projects such as the extent of any damage, square footage and material usage. That’s why it is crucial for one of our inspectors to physically visit your house and look at exactly what is going on with the foundation. The inspector will customize the solutions to your specific needs. No two foundation problems are alike. Every home is different and requires its own unique repairs. Our solutions simply are not “one size fits all.” So, what may have worked for a friend or neighbor might not be what your home needs.
To give you an idea, average home improvement spending is around $7,500, and most homeowners pay between $4,000 and $10,000 for foundation repairs. Some average foundation repair product prices are $1,000-$3,000+ per foundation pier, $500-$1,300+ for leveling/slabjacking, and $2,000-$6,000 for sealing/subfloor drainage.
Foundation issues typically are not covered by homeowners insurance. Some policies may cover losses from fires, but many exclude coverage for things like foundation cracks or settling. Coverage may kick in if the foundation was damaged because of other problems like broken plumbing. (Source: SF Gate) If you are concerned with repair needs and insurance coverage, be sure to check with your insurance carrier, as all policies are different.
