April 10th, 2007
A foundation repair contractor in Austin, Texas has this warning about warranties:
Read the “lifetime warranties” carefully and you will discover that most contractor’s only obligation is to make adjustments. Think about it…Your house can continue to move with all the resultant interior and exterior damage and all your contractor has to do is make adjustments every 12 to 18 months. To make this situation even more troubling most contractors have an “arbitration clause” in their contract that prevents you from suing them to make things right.
Hat tip to Austin Foundation Repair.
Foundation Repair Information - Slab Foundation Repair
technorati tags:Austin, Foundation, Repair, Warranties
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March 22nd, 2007
It’s weird, but I never thought that Austin foundation repair would really need much of a mention because of the way I think about the geography there. Hill Country, lots of bluffs and cliffs, rocky outcroppings everywhere.
When I think of Austin I picture lot’s of limestone and chalk, not foundation bending shrink-swell clay soils. But that’s what I get for thinkin’.
A few minutes with the Travis County soil survey map from the USDA website proves I have a lot to learn. There are more diverse soil types around Austin than you can shake a BBQ’d rib at.
The soil types that homes are built on in the Austin area change dramatically as you move west to east. It’s the shrink-swell clays in the mid and eastern areas of Travis County that provide Austin foundation repair companies their livelihood. Read more about it here.
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February 22nd, 2007
Some foundation repair contractors also include an option of checking for slab leaks as part of the leveling process. It’s not hard to see that if your concrete foundation had to be lifted a number of inches in places to achieve level-hood there just might be some stress on the plumbing joints under the slab.
A check to make sure that lifting the foundation has not caused a slab leak due to damaged plumbing is not a bad idea. If your local foundation repair contractor does not offer this service odds are good that a nearby plumbing company does. Just tell them you’ve had your foundation raised and need to check for slab leaks.
Can a slab leak cause a foundation to heave or settle or otherwise contribute to differential movement? Like a lot of issues swirling around us hapless homeowners when it comes to our foundations, this one is the subject of debate.
C. Randolf Riddell is a professional engineer based in Houston, Texas and has quite a bit to say regarding slab leaks and foundation repair. It’s pretty technical but worth the read.
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February 21st, 2007
A question that comes to mind in considering steel piers for underpinning your concrete slab foundation is “are they going to rust or otherwise corrode?” Fair question. One of the answers involves using galvanized steel piers.
Another method of corrosion protection for steel piers makes use of powder coating technology.
However, there is a report from the National Association of Engineers that questions the need for such protection for steel piers. The point raised is simple: get a few feet underground and there simply is not enough oxygen available for rust to develop at a fast enough pace to be a concern for the homeowner.
I ran across a couple of websites that talk about this report. You can read it here or here.
As I’ve said before. Opinions vary. On just about everything.
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February 13th, 2007
The money wizards over at MSNBC are saying that consumers will spend 13.7 buh-zillion US dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts this year, an increase over last year’s sales.
So I have to ask, “Where are the Valentine’s Day tie-ins for foundation repair advertising?” I have not heard one radio commercial or seen one print ad from the concrete slab leveling industry jumping on the VD bandwagon to grab their share of the buying frenzy.
I don’t know if it is a lack of imagination in the advertising departments or creative juices running dry but I offer the following script to any foundation repair company that would like to use it. Just fill in your local business name and phone number.
MUSIC MIXED UNDER WITH
SOUND EFFECTS OF MANLY OUTDOOR MACHINES
ANNOUNCER:
Hey guys. If you really want to show your lady how much you care about her and the security of her home this Valentine’s Day, why not treat her to foundation repair?
Show her how much you love her with a matching batch of piers. If there are cracks in your walls and your relationship then make that call today.
Are the doors to your heart and the garage hard to open? Are the windows to the inner you …and the back yard …sticking? Pick up the telephone and take your love for her and that slab-on-ground foundation to the next level.
Nothing says “I love you” like the reassuring underpinning of concrete or steel ramming deeper and deeper, seeking the bedrock of comfort that you both desire.
This Valentine’s Day, don’t waste money on diamonds or furs when she can have the piers and the transferable warranty she’s always wanted. She is sure to look at you in a new light and tell all her friends.
Take that first step and call (the foundation repair experts) today.
LEGAL: (Read really fast)
Not available in all states and not a guarantee of hot monkey humma humma. Ask your engineer if foundation repair is right for you. Piers are not for everyone. Must be 18 to qualify. Residency restrictions apply except for labor.
Just fax that over to the local station and you could get it on the air in no time. Radio production people really love last minute projects and your foundation repair company can still make a difference this Valentine’s Day. You’re welcome and I’m just glad I could help.
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February 2nd, 2007
I live in the Dallas, Texas area where we are bombarded with advertising from foundation repair companies. Some of the ads are more soft sell than others but it seems they would all love to come out, shake your hand, ask how the kids are and give your concrete slab-on-ground foundation a free no-obligation inspection. Some companies specialize in one repair method or another, usually meaning pressed concrete piles or steel piers. Other contractors generalize by offering all types of piers. Most say they will pack up the contracts and slowly back away if they think your foundation is fine.
So a coupon from one of these contractors arrives the other day offering $500 off the total cost of a foundation repair job. So far so good. Now comes the fine print. The discount is only good if you need 15 or more piers and must be taken the same day as the inspection. No pressure there, right? What’s a homeowner to do?
If you have the classic signs of a slab foundation that may need some leveling, things like windows and doors that stick, cracks in the walls inside and out, or floors that seem to slope, here is a prudent course of action:
If the idea of a $500 discount still swirls in your brain you could have that contractor come out last. You’ll have much more information with which to make your decision and you’ll know if the discount is meaningful or a marketing ploy.
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January 29th, 2007
I came home the other day and found a flyer from a local foundation repair contractor hanging from my doorknob. “Knob-spam”, the kids call it. I started to throw it away but then saw the phrase “revolutionary new double pier perma-pile system.” Wow. Say that out loud three times fast.
Curious as to what that meant and frankly, falling for their marketing trick, I rang them up. Of course the person who answered the phone didn’t know but dutifuly passed me on to sales.
I told “Mike” that I had gotten the flyer and was trying to visualize just what the “double pier perma-pile system” would be. I didn’t mention the word “revolutionary” because we all know that is a word that translates into “hype”. No reason to go there.
“Mike” went down the list of common methods of underpinning a concrete slab on ground foundation to level one that has settled: steel piers including helical, drilled “bell bottom” piers and push or “pressed” pile piers.
“Yes, yes, go on,” said I, eagerly awaiting the big reveal.
“What we do,” Mike said, “Is put two stacks or columns of those concrete cylinders side-by-side in the same hole for the same price as one. In other words, we give you two piers right next to each other for the price of one.”
Well, ok, that sounds reasonable. Engineers will say one of the flaws of the pressed pile method of foundation repair is that if one of the concrete cylinders cracks or breaks while being shoved into the ground by those above it, and it happens ten feet under ground, how are you going to know? How do you inspect for that possibility? The engineer who inspected my foundation said this doesn’t happen very often, but can and does in maybe five percent of slab underpinning projects. So having two piles side-by-side in the same hold would seem to cut the odds of having a faulty pier by half.
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January 12th, 2007
If you are pondering which type of pier might be best to repair your concrete slab foundation, a fair question would be “How long is a steel pier going to last?” After all, they are basically steel pipes driven deep enough to encounter either bedrock or a similarly firm and stable strata of soil, then attached to your slab, usually with steel brackets. “Hmmm,” you say. Metal parts in dirt for a long time. Sounds like rust. And you’d be right. Say hello to Mr. Galvanize.
Galvanization is a process whereby carbon steel is dipped in molten Zink, forming a chemical bond to the steel. Galvanized steel products provide good protection against rust and failure when used above or below grade. The next time you are in the car, notice the guard rails, traffic signposts, and bridges. You can tell these items have been galvanized by the unique silver color.
Without the benefit of galvanization, rusting and corrosion of steel piers begin with the first rainfall. For more information on the galvanization process and the benefits of galvanization, you could visit the American Galvanizers Association website. They have reports concerning the corrosion rates of steel in different soil types and other such info to feed your inner geek.
But wait! There’s more!
One of the major players in the steel pier for foundation repair arena uses a different method of rust protection. They roll their own piers and produce “corrosion-resistant polyethylene copolymer thermoplastic powder coated (POLYARMOR G17) steel piers.
The engineer who inspected my foundation apparently thinks those piers are fine because that company is on the list of recommended contractors attached to my foundation inspection report.
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December 27th, 2006
A question that comes to mind is “Should I worry about my soaker hoses being damaged by freezing temperatures during the winter?”
Short answer: “Not really.”
Most soaker hoses are made from recycled tires which is pretty tough stuff. Add to that the fact that soaker hoses are porous by design and should not have much water in them a few hours after they’ve been run. You can also blast the water out with an air compresser or good old lung power.
It’s an excellent idea to cover soaker hoses with a thick layer of mulch. Doing so cuts back on loss of water through evaporation during the hot months and offers protection from freezing weather during the winter. A six inch layer would be a good start.
Of course you can damage soaker hoses by running them while the outside temperatures are well below freezing and yanking on them while they are frozen stiff. But who besides your crazy neighbor would be doing that? Not you. You’re inside enjoying a warm beverage and not worrying about your soaker hoses.
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December 12th, 2006
I was running the soaker hoses around the foundation a few days ago and noticed a pretty bad crack just above the southwest corner of the foundation. Tapping at it with the toe of my shoe caused a chunk of concrete to fall away. I had no idea I possessed such power in my shoes.
I hadn’t paid much attention to this crack because it had been hiding behind shrubs up until a few weeks ago. So I had to wonder if this corner thing means my foundation is critically ill and I should be calling Dr. McPiers.
Not to worry, says R. Michael Gray, P.E. and Matthew T. Gray who have a structural engineering and home inspection firm in Houston.
It’s called a wedge crack.
What is a corner or wedge crack?
The large majority of slab-on-ground foundations will develop what are called corner cracks or wedge cracks. The name comes from the fact that these cracks develop at or very close to the outside corners of the foundation and frequently form a wedge at the corner.
These cracks develop as a result of the expansion of the brick veneer when it is warmed by the sun. When the temperature of the brick veneer rises, the brick veneer wall expands in length and pushes or slides against the slab surface. At the end of a brick veneer wall at an outside corner of the slab, there is nothing to push back and the concrete cracks at each side of the corner, forming a wedge.
Builders will usually place a piece of plastic between the bottom of the first course of brick and the slab; this reduces the friction force when the brick expands and slides against the slab. This has the practical effect of reducing the cracking on the slab at the corners but it by no means eliminates the corner cracking.
These cracks do not indicate anything unusual about the foundation. If the cracking at a corner becomes very bad, the concrete wedge may become loose and even fall off. In extreme cases, the wedge will no longer adequately support the brick veneer; when this happens, the corner will need to be repaired. This is a concrete repair and not a foundation repair.
That’s good to know. What is also good to know is the Gray’s have an fine website that although is targeted to the Houston Texas area still has lots of information that is applicable to anyone who has a concrete slab foundation perched on expansive clay soils.
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