Repair My Foundation-A Homeowner's Look at the Options » Trade Associations

Is it foundation movement or something else?

Digger — Thu, 25 May 2006 15:02:37 +0000

If you are seeing weird things with walls or floors inside or outside of the house you may be wondering if the foundation needs repair or if something else is going on. Are those cracks in the garage walls the result of concrete foundation movement or because the space has become the rehearsal hall for your teenager’s mind numbingly loud rock band?

The structural committee of the Foundation Performance Association has published a paper titled “Distress Phenomena Often Mistakenly Attributed to Foundation Movement.” The paper makes it clear that the signs of damage to the house, possible causes and solutions are common to folks living in Houston and Southeast Texas and may not apply exactly to those living elsewhere.

With that it mind, it is still worth the read and would arm you with questions to ask concrete foundation repair reps or engineers when you have them out for an inspection.

If the link above doesn’t work for you just go to the Foundation Performance Association website and click on “Publications.’

Consider a Structural Engineer

Digger — Wed, 17 May 2006 20:13:02 +0000

It’s hardly ever a bad idea to seek out advice especially on a project with the expense of concrete foundation repair. In most cases for a few hundred dollars you can hire an independent professional structural engineer to inspect your foundation and recommend a method of repair that’s best for you.

You should look for a professional licensed individual or engineering firm that provides the following:

A thorough inspection of the inside and outside of your home for foundation related issues.

Inspection of the crawlspace, if you have a pier & beam home.

A foundation elevation survey performed and evaluated by a licensed professional engineer.

A drawing of the home floor plan including site information and interior foundation elevation measurements.

An engineer’s written report with recommendations and a repair plan if needed.

The advice should be way less biased simply because the engineer is going to get paid whether you need foundation repair or not. If you do need foundation repair the method he recommends stems from his professional opinion untainted by visions of commission dollars dancing in his head. Or her head.Most states in the U.S. are going to have a governmental licensing authority and most will also have a trade association website where you can search for member engineers. In Texas, you can find structural engineers in the data base of the Structural Engineers Association of Texas. In your state, look for member associations on the national website of the
National Council of Structural Engineers Associations.

Record Rainfall in Northeast U.S.

Digger — Tue, 16 May 2006 21:16:51 +0000

It’s pretty safe to say that once the flood waters recede in Massachusetts, New Jersey and surrounding states, some homeowners are going to need to have their concrete basements and foundations checked for possible damage.
I’ve mentioned the NRWSRC website before. You can search for listings of member contractors in your state.
It’s a place to start.

Foundation Repair Texas

Digger — Tue, 16 May 2006 20:27:53 +0000

If you have a suspect concrete foundation in Texas, the Foundation Performance Association website has a listing of geotechnical, structural, forensic, and civil engineers, inspectors, consultants, concrete foundation repair contractors and related businesses. (FPA) is a non-profit corporation in Texas.

The website says “FPA is a professional organization dedicated to advancing the knowledge and professional standards of light foundation design, engineering, construction, inspection and repair.”
It does not say anything about rattlesnake round-ups. Durn.

Foundation Repair Trade Groups

Digger — Thu, 11 May 2006 14:52:13 +0000

If you are looking for information on concrete foundation repair, here are two foundation repair trade associations with websites:
The National Association of Waterproofing and Structural Repair Contractors (NAWSRC) calls itself “A professional trade association serving the public and waterproofing, structure, and foundation repair industries. Members of the NAWSRC are required to uphold strict standards of practice and cannon of ethics as established by the industry.” There are links to the standards and ethics statements on the website and a search tool to find members in your state.

“The Foundation Repair Association, Inc. is a professional national organization that exists to promote high ethical standards in the practice of foundation repair and to promote cooperation between the foundation repair industry and the government.” Thus sayeth their website.