Do I need foundation repair?
If you see any of the following, then call your local specialist.
1. Doors not opening and closing smoothly or lopsided
1. Cracks in concrete slab floors
2. Cracks in sheetrock
3. Gaps next to window frames, especially if they appeared later
4. cracks in exterior
Fixing your foundation issues in early stages will keep your home from developing serious structural damage. Get a quote as soon as you believe you have foundation issues, because they only get worse increasing both your foundation repair cost and post repair fixes that follow. A general contractor will give you an idea of full budget needed to fix not only foundation but those other related issues like cracked drywall, mortar, replace flooring, trusses etc. More about that below.
Foundation Repair Estimate
Slab Foundation repair costs an average $20 per sq ft labor and material, and depending on severity a typical job costs between $3,000-$7,000 using concrete pressed piers. Fortunately most residential foundations in North Texas can be repaired with concrete pressed piers systems. However if you job requires steel piers that may double the estimate. If you don’t know what you have, don’t worry, a good contractor will let you know what you need.
Pier and Beam Foundation repair involves a pier & beam and pier pad/blocks/footing reshimming and can be ranges anywhere from $2000 to $10,000 depending on the extent of rotten wood needing replacing. We can get a pretty good idea of that amount before work begins.
Various types of piers exist to meet different needs. You may opt for adjustable piers in case shifting occurs after foundation repair, a popular long term solution. A good confident contractor will offer workmanship guarantee Warranties for all residential and commercial foundation repair services will also offer you peace of mind for the longer term future.
What Is Foundation Repair Like?
Slab Foundation Repair involves drilling holes about and four feet deep and three feet across and one foot under slab. Flower beds, trees and bushes may likely get in the way, and so to avoid damage we do everything possible to save your plants, by either pruning or digging them out to replace them later. However, we don’t pretend to be plant experts so please do relocate plants you care about all around perimeter of your house before work begins.
Plumbing issues rarely result from foundation repair. However, foundation repair involves lifting the foundation and then carefully lowering it down. Due to the original foundation problem your foundation may have sunk previously and created some pressure on plumbing underneath, which may potentially compromise them further during foundation repair. Thankfully its not too common, but we do recommend nevertheless calling a plumber afterwards to make sure all is well. For peace of mind you may consider a handy app called PhynPlus that alerts you to any new leaks real time, which may save you a lot of time and money trouble shooting the spot!
Hold off all exterior and interior remodels for a while until foundation repair is complete. That includes roofing!
During foundation repair, expect a few noisy days from heavy equipment and power tools. The entire house will be shifting, so things hanging on walls will move. More importantly that also means that more drywall cracks will form during the repair, especially going from windows to ceiling and floor. You may see new gaps between floor and door frames. Depending on severity you may need to replace a few or a lot of cracked floor tiles. Trusses, grouping of beams or other elements that create a rigid structure of the building, may need to be replaced.
Naturally, you are correctly assuming that exterior cracking will also appear or become more extensive. Exterior cracking typically involves mortar between bricks and siding. A general contractor will give you an estimate for both the foundation repair and these potential touch ups before work starts. Following completion of your foundation repair, Wait! is the name of the game. Before commencing your non structural touch ups inside and out, you need to summon some patience and sit on your hands so as not to have to repeat small repairs twice. Allow your building to settle into its permanent position, which takes a few weeks to a few months.
Tips to Avoid Foundation Repair
As a contractor I can attest that you and I certainly have much better tasting fish to fry than foundation repair! It helps to know a few things that can help you significantly prolong your current foundation status quo. The key here is acting proactively.
First off, watch for and fix any outdoor faucet connection leaks next to your foundation, relocate sprinkler heads that spray on your house, check for and fix drainage issues, or install gutters. Mortar is permeable and will eventually allow water do its black magic if you do. This applies to slab and pier and beam. Also, watch for tree roots and remove young tree saplings next to your foundation, as that is a lot easier and budget friendly than tree removal.