June 2006
Steel Piers vs. Concrete For Foundation Repair
The other day I was reading what I could find on steel piers vs. concrete piers for foundation repair and ran across the term “skin friction.” With my heart beating a little faster, I read on.
It turns out that “skin friction” is an engineering term that describes the drag soil has on a pier or piling as foundation repair companies shove it through the ground on its merry way toward bedrock or a hard stable layer of earth.
Pre-cast concrete pilings, due to their diameters, have a lot of “skin friction.” Because steel piers are much thinner they have less drag on the surrounding soil and can be driven a whole lot deeper. The issue is moot regarding poured or drilled piers because you are going to drill a shaft anyway. (more…)
Foundation Repair and Selling the House
There is a woman two doors down from me who wants to sell her house and also needs foundation repair. I’ve not been inside her house but all the signs are there on the outside.
She’s got the tell-tale zig-zag cracks in the brick and a widening crack by the garage door. Word is that she wants to sell the house without getting the concrete slab foundation fixed first.
Across the alley behind me is Bobby who is in the same boat. A painter by trade, Bobby needs to sell the house because he has an ex-wife with lawyers. (more…)
Foundation Repair, How Much Does it Cost?
Calling up foundation repair companies and asking how much it would cost is like lurching your smoking car into the mechanic’s parking lot and asking him how may dollars it will take to fix it without even popping the hood.
Both are going to say “it depends on what’s wrong.”
A major factor in foundation repair cost will generally depend on how many piers will be needed, of what type, and how deep they will need to go to reach bedrock or supportive stable soil. (more…)
Texas Engineers Talk About Roots and Foundation Repair
Given the amount of concrete foundation repair that happens in the Lone Star State, the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers has published a set of guidelines for the evaluation and repair of residential foundations.
The document includes a couple of paragraphs regarding the effects of trees and shrubs near the foundation: (more…)
Tree Roots & Foundation Damage Part Deux
While some Texas concrete foundation repair companies tell us that trees living too close to the house can cause major foundation problems there is a pretty famous garden and landscape expert in the Dallas area who begs to differ.
I’ve heard him say as much on his radio show and the following represents a typical Q&A: (more…)