underpinning
Foundation Repair with Pushed Concrete Piers
Earlier this year one of my neighbors (Roy) had foundation repair done on his concrete slab. The hot dry summer drought had done its damage and resulted in some of the classic signs of foundation movement.
You could see separation of the brick veneer away from the window frames in the front of the house and by the garage door. There was a big diagonal crack (half inch or so) in one of the sheet rock walls in a small office inside the garage area. Similar cracks had developed inside the house proper.
With the cost of foundation repair in mind, Roy called three foundation repair companies for bids.
The foundation companies all suggested piers for the front and both sides of the house.The company Roy picked uses pushed concrete piers, a very common foundation repair method in Texas.
Foundation Repair – Steel Piers and Rust
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. (more…)
What’s Not Romantic About Foundation Repair?
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 of the foundation repair companies that would like to use it. Just fill in your local business name and phone number. (more…)
Foundation Repair – Double Your Piers, Double Your Fun
I came home the other day and found a flyer from one of the local foundation repair companies 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 dutifully 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. (more…)
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…)