Methods of Repair
Discussion of ways foundation repair contractors do their thing…underpinning with steel, helical, drilled or push piers.
Foundation Repair With Two Types of Steel Piers
SABER is company that offers a lot of services having to do with concrete repair and slab leveling including residential foundations.
If you are checking out foundation repair companies and have questions about about methods of repair and steel piers in particular the SABER website may be of help to you
Their website describes two of the more common types of steel piers on the market today: resistance and helical piers. (more…)
Replacing Lost Moisture Under the Foundation
Another thing Tom the Contractor suggested for reversing the loss of moisture under my slab foundation after the root barriers were installed was to rehydrate the soil. That’s a fancy word for squirting water into the dirt under the house.
One of his crew went all around the foundation with machine similar to a power washer with a plunger attachment. A garden hose was attached and the plunger was pushed a good three feet deep into the soil every 24 inches or so. A valve on the handle controlled the flow of water.
Between the rehydration treatment and a better soaker hose configuration we are getting moisture back into that clay soil.
UPDATE: This was probably not needed given the slab leak that was discovered a few years later.
Trying on Bell Bottom Piers For Foundation Repair
If you’ve been trying to get a grasp on foundation repair jargon and have been hearing the term “bell bottom piers“, the Du-West website has a pretty good explanation.
It has nothing to do with pants.
Another term for bell bottom piers is “drilled piers.”
There is also a drawing on the site to give you a visual idea of the process. (more…)
Twisting The Piers Under Your House Foundation
It’s not very often that a word used on foundation repair companies websites sends me running for the dictionary. It did today, but more on that in a moment.
OK, if you just can’t wait, the word is “thixotropy.”
If you live in a part of the country where you are bombarded with commercials for foundation repair, you’ve probably heard a relatively new trademarked term “Cable Lock Plus ™.”
Here is how the system works, best I can figure. (more…)
Soaker Hoses on Steroids
I’ve been talking about using soaker hoses to keep the soil around my foundation from completely drying up during this blazing hot and dry summer.
If you have shrink-swell clay soil it can shrink away from your concrete slab during dry periods and possibly cause damage.
This morning, I ran across the website of a company that sells what you could call soaker hoses on steroids.
It’s a system designed to water the soil around your foundation good and deep and keep it that way. (more…)