It’s the end of December and many of us are contemplating goals and/or projects for the coming new year. If your resolution has you considering your home’s foundation issues, please keep in mind that prior to completing any foundation or structural repair projects, it is always best to contact a licensed structural engineer to evaluate your unique situation. This enables “you” the homeowner to know exactly what is necessary for repair services to address your home’s needs.
Hughes Construction Company installs a variety of foundations repairs and structural repairs designed by licensed engineers. See below for a few of the services we provide:
Steel Angles Are used as an after-market solution for anchoring the wood framing of a home to the foundation wall. These are typically installed on homes that do not have sill plates or the sill plates are not adequately anchored to the foundation wall. This type of repair is very economical but typically cannot be installed on block foundation walls.
Brick Angle Also known as a brick ledge angle. Used to support the brick facade on a home when movement of a foundation wall has occurred causing the overhang to exceed 1-3/8″ industry standard
Steel Pilasters A method used to brace foundation walls when there has been foundation movement causing walls to lean inward. The bracing of the walls stabilizes the foundation to stop further inward movement.
Steel Dowels Also referred to as staple dowels. These dowels are installed in conjunction with structural epoxy injections of the crack as a method to reinforce cracks to prevent additional movement. These dowels are typically installed toward the top of larger vertical type cracks.
Counter fort/Buttress A concrete wall poured perpendicular to a foundation wall that is leaning. In the pouring process the counter fort is anchored to the foundation wall to stabilize the structure and stop progression of inward wall lean. These can be installed either on the interior or exterior of home dependent on the site conditions. These can be installed on homes with finished basements to prevent any type of disruption to the interior space. This type of repair is commonly installed on properties with one side of the foundation completely exposed; a walk out basement would be a good example.
Epoxy Injections There are a variety of injection materials available for the purpose of sealing/stabilizing foundation cracks. The type of leak/crack will determine exactly what material will be used for you specific application. All foundation cracks can be injected, except for those found on block foundations.
Tie Rods A form of foundation wall anchorage system where rods are installed to anchor parallel foundation walls to each other to prevent further outward movement. This type of foundation repair is commonly installed on homes that have a lot of foundation wall exposed on the exterior of the home.
Helical Piers An innovative application that permanently stabilizes settling foundations. The round steel shafts are drilled to stable earth using specialized equipment offering a permanent . The home can then be lifted back up to the appropriate elevation once installation is complete. These type e of piers can also be installed with new construction when poor soil conditions exist, which will prevent any future settlement. Also referred to as “underpinning” piers, this type of repair is commonly installed on settling homes, typically with shallow foundations.
If we can be of any assistance with your foundation related resolutions please contact us here.
