7 Common Foundation Repairs (Resolve Engineering)

Have you spotted any of the following in your home?

• Cracks in your foundation

• Cracks in your slab(s)

• Cracks in your drywall

• Cracks in your brick

• Cracks in your tile

• Doors sticking

• Sloping or bulging floors

• Water intrusion

All of these items can indicate possible foundation issues, but it can be difficult to figure out what exactly is occurring without the help of a professional.  Oftentimes, clients go to foundation repair companies first because they offer free inspections.  This is understandable, but clients may run into an issue when multiple foundation repair companies give them different recommendations and add to the confusion.  It is best to have a foundation inspection with a licensed Professional Engineer to look at your home prior to performing any foundation repairs.  Foundation repairs can be costly and can even cause damage to your home if installed incorrectly or in wrong locations.  That’s why a licensed Professional Engineer can be helpful in preventing unnecessary foundation repairs.  These licensed professionals are trained extensively to diagnose foundation issues.  The minimum requirements to become a Professional Engineer are the following as stated by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).

Foundation Issues:

Most commonly, foundation issues arise in one of two ways.  Foundations can settle or foundation walls can bow or tip. 

Settlement:

Vertical movement, or settlement, in your foundation can occur due to improperly compacted soils, moisture levels within your soil, undersized footings, or various other factors. Many of these are structural issues but some are normal movement within the structure. In the Kansas City area, clay soils are common, and the soil can expand and contract with moisture changes giving the illusion that there are structural issues when in reality your home is structurally sound.

Bowing/Tipping Foundation Walls:

Bowing or tipping occurs when lateral movement is taking place in your foundation wall.  This movement is generally caused by hydrostatic pressure being applied to the wall. 

If any of these issues are occurring in your home, Resolve Engineering can help diagnose the movement and provide recommendations on any necessary repairs. 

Types of Foundation Repairs:

Once you have discovered foundation issues in your home, there are a few options for repairs, depending on the diagnosis of your foundation issues.

1. Grading and Downspout Extensions:

Although grading and extending downspouts do not seem like foundation repairs, they might be the most important repair that you can do before issues become a structural concern.  Grading your home and extending downspouts to redirect water away from your home will help ensure that your soil is stable and will limit the amount of hydrostatic pressure and water intrusion that the foundation will encounter.  Whether you have a licensed Professional Engineer do an assessment or not, you should monitor and repair any areas of concern to ensure positive drainage away from your home.

2. Push Piers:

Push piers are typically installed when there is excessive settlement in the foundation.  These are essentially large “nails” that are driven into the ground until bedrock is encountered. These piers are placed directly beneath your perimeter footing and have a large axial capacity to ensure your foundation is stable.   

3. Helical Piles:

Helical piles act similarly to push piers and are used when there is excessive settlement in the foundation.  Piles are essentially large “screws” that are drilled into the ground until a certain torque value is met.  These are also placed directly beneath your perimeter footing and have a large axial capacity. 

Deciding between push piers or helical piles is highly dependent on the type of soil, type of structure, clearance availability, allowable disturbance, and the quality of the foundation.  Your licensed Professional Engineer can help you decide what the best repair is between push piers and helical piles, if necessary.

4. Wall Braces:

Wall braces are steel beams that go up against the interior face of a foundation wall.  They are anchored or embedded into the basement slab at the bottom of the brace, and they have a connection to the joists at the top of the brace. 

5. Wall Anchors:

Earth plate wall anchors are essentially two plates that are connected by a threaded rod.  On the inside of the foundation, a threaded rod is drilled through the foundation wall approximately 10 to 15 feet into the yard.  The threaded rod will have one plate on the interior face of the foundation wall and another plate in your yard.  These plates are tightened to ensure a uniform bearing surface with either the wall or soil.

6. Carbon Fiber:

Carbon fiber is a strap of carbon fiber fabric that is used to help prevent bowing walls.  Carbon fiber has a large tensile strength which makes them a great application for bowing walls.  Carbon fiber is generally anchored between your slab and your foundation wall at the bottom connection and anchored to your sill plate at the top connection.

Wall braces, wall anchors, and carbon fiber are all used for lateral movement in walls.  These are interchangeable in certain applications, but in most cases there are some products that will work better than others.  A few considerations are bowing or tipping walls, soil type, walkout basements, condition of the wall, type of wall, condition of the joists or sill plate, and distance to property line.   

7. Other Repairs:

Foundation walls can also be waterproofed if there is excessive water intrusion.  There are numerous waterproofing methods that are effective.  If foundation walls have too much movement, they can also be excavated and pulled back to plumb position or they can be replaced. 

Summary

Although foundation issues typically only consist of vertical movement or lateral movement, there are many factors to consider such as which structural repair is appropriate, if any.  The cost for foundation repairs can be very high, which is why it’s important to get an unbiased licensed Professional Engineer to inspect your home before performing any foundation repairs.

Contact Resolve Engineering and we will come do an assessment of your home, put together a report on exactly what needs to be repaired, and ensure that you do not spend any more money than necessary.