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Thinking about scheduling a service to level a house in Fort Wayne? It's not every day that you consider the foundation of your home. You walk on it every day, and without a doubt, it delivers without fail. No one gets out of bed and tiptoes through their house, hoping that a floorboard won't cave in or the wall of their home will collapse. This is because a well-built foundation will never have you worry about such things. However, there are times when foundations can give you some trouble.
It is rarely worst-case scenario troubles like the house sinking. In most cases, you will see cracks of varying sizes or water puddles in your basement. Other times, you may experience problems with the doors of your home, windows being difficult to open or close, or floors that feel like they are uneven. These issues mean that a shift has occurred with your foundation, putting your house at risk for structural problems such as collapse. But before your house gets to that point, it would be a good idea to have a foundation expert to level your home in Fort Wayne.
Over time, your house will settle into the soil. If the home is settling too much in one area of the house, this can cause the house to become unleveled. This type of settling is differential settling and can cause cracks that you may see in your walls or uneven floors. This problem usually occurs because of problems with the soil. Either the soil is expanding, pushing part of the house upward, or dirt is eroding and making part of the house sink into the ground.
Another way that the house can experience differential settling is by having tree roots growing near the foundation robbing the soil of all the moisture. One final reason your house may be unlevel is that the builders didn't do a good job compacting the foundation before building the home. All these scenarios can lead to an unlevel house which can impact other areas of your home, including the walls, the roof, the floors, and more. Your foundation will need leveling to prevent further damage.
Some homeowners would prefer just to ignore the problems. After all, it's a problem underground, so it's easy to miss. Unfortunately, in this case, what you don't see can be hurting you. It may not seem like much damage is taking place, but as the problem persists, the issues that it will cause are lining up like dominoes. Walls can start bowing, moisture may begin to attract destructive insects like termites, plumbing problems may start, and, worst of all, the price to fix the foundation problem increases exponentially. Instead of ignoring this problem, it would be best to address it right away before it starts to take its toll on other parts of your home. This is especially important if you ever plan to sell your house in the future. A house inspection that reveals severe foundation problems will minimize your chances of successfully selling your home.
To solve the problems with your unleveled foundation, you will have to get the help of a foundation repair company. They will employ specific methods to get your house balanced. Here are the most common methods for house leveling.
Foundation repair experts will use this method typically when there are large cracks present. They will have to dig under the foundation of the house and install several steel push piers. Wondering how to level a house with jacks? The contractors will also insert steel push piers deep into the ground where the earth is stable and hydraulic jacks push the house up, closing the cracks and making the house level again.
Complete installation time: A few days up to a week.
This process is similar to steel push pier installation. First, foundation contractors will have to dig under the house's foundation and install the helical (spiral) piers. They screw the helical steel piers down into the earth until it reaches stable soil. Next, they lift the home into position, closing off cracks and restoring everything to normal. Once they install the helical piers, the crew puts the dirt back in place.
Complete installation time: Usually takes one day.
Although the two aren't the same, the techniques are similar. Both involve drilling a hole through the concrete foundation and putting material into the hole that lifts it into place, making it level with the surrounding concrete. With mudjacking, the hole is usually bigger, and the material used is sand and cement (concrete slurry). With slabjacking, the hole is smaller, and the material is polyurethane foam.
Complete installation time: Two hours or less.
A foundation wall not adequately built to handle the water build-up outside the foundation wall may start to bow after a while. This is because instead of the water accumulating in the lower parts of the foundation wall and pushing through to a sump pump, the water, along with the soil, continues to build up a hydrostatic pressure on the foundation wall. If left unchecked, this could lead to the collapse of the foundation wall. To prevent further damage from the wall bowing, a foundation contractor can install carbon fiber strips. It is a less intrusive method to fix the problem than using steel beams.
Complete Installation time: Typically about one day.
Fixing the problems with your foundation can range from a few hours up to a week. Once you get any of these techniques done on the foundation of your home, you can rest assured that your home will be level. So, who can help you level a house in Fort Wayne? The Fort Wayne Foundation Experts can! They will inspect your foundation and determine the best technique for getting your home level. Contact them today to schedule an inspection and get a free quote on their house leveling services.
