Sometimes vertical and diagonal cracks in your home can be due to normal settlement and not anything to worry about. But we recommend having diagonal or horizontal cracks, or any cracks that appear suddenly or progress rapidly checked out by a structural engineer. It is always better to catch foundation issues early on.
This homeowner did exactly that, and the engineer they hired found a number of things going on in their Finneytown home. Including multiple vertical and diagonal cracks on the left side and rear foundation walls as well as diagonal cracking of the front foundation wall. The designing engineer of Buyers Protection Group recommended stabilizing the front foundation wall with two counterforts and supporting the rear and left walls with eleven helical piers.
We never know exactly what we will find when we start digging
During excavation we discovered that no footer drain was in place around the perimeter of the home. Perhaps it was this lack of drainage that contributed to the instability of the foundation over time. After discussing several options, we installed new schedule 40 drain pipes to allow water to freely drain away from the home. We also sealed the walls with HLM 5000 and capped with dimple board to further facilitate drainage.
The soil was so unstable at the rear of the home, that we wound up having to use multiple extensions for each pier to reach the stable soil. Once installed, we capped them with Tru-Lift construction brackets. These patented brackets are designed and manufactured by Pier Tech to be lightweight, easy to install, and virtually movement-free.
They create a secure and stable platform for your structure that will not move or rotate. These brackets and piers will keep at least this corner of the home on solid ground for decades to come, possibly even hundreds of years.
To complete this foundation repair we injected 50 lineal feet of foundation cracks with structural epoxy. We then replaced all removed concrete with new concrete and all surrounding soil received seed and straw.
Do you have vertical or diagonal cracks of concern to you? Please reach out to a licensed structural engineer, or contact us if still unsure of your next steps. We are always happy to help.
