Why does Hughes Construction Company require a structural engineer’s report/designs for foundation repairs? And why do we require them to be in place prior to coming out to quote the project? Hughes Construction Company does not design repairs in house. Because of this we do not favor any one system over another. We are an installation contractor and we will install the engineer’s recommended repairs. We want our clients to receive the appropriate application necessary to correct their foundation issues the first time.
This project is an example of why it is important to hire a structural engineer prior to starting foundation repairs. A licensed structural engineer should evaluate foundation issues before hiring a contractor to correct them.
This home had both vertical and diagonal foundation cracking due to foundation wall movement. The homeowner had hired a different contractor nearly 20 years prior to correct these issues. Unfortunately, that repair did not resolve the situation and may have contributed to further damage.
Hughes Construction Company was hired to install a wall anchorage system designed by Buyers Protection Group. Details of the project are provided below:
- Prior to installing new repairs we removed the existing steel pilasters and plastic sheeting in order
- We excavated along the foundation and then re-positioned the foundation wall back as close to plumb position as possible.
- Once the wall was in final position we installed steel angles on the interior, and a counterfort on the exterior.
- A total of 85 lineal feet of foundation cracks were injected with structural epoxy.
After completing the structural repairs we sealed the exterior wall using HLM 500 and reconnected the drainage system. Finally, we regraded the yard to obtain proper slope in order to redirect water away from the home.
This homeowner could have saved money if they hired an engineer the first time around. The foundation repairs installed this time around cost about $8,000 less than the original application. The original application unfortunately cost this homeowner substantially more money in the long-run than necessary.
Click here for more about the benefits of getting a structural engineer involved prior to tackling foundation repairs.
