Different types of foundations will benefit from their own forms of foundation repair serving San Antonio. Your contractor should be able to make the necessary repairs, but the actual process will vary depending on the type of foundation in question. Take a look at this video clip for a quick overview of repairing a pier and beam foundation.

Your pier and beam foundation keeps your home level and prevents walls, floors, doors, and windows from sustaining damage due to shifting soil. If your existing piers are still in decent shape, your contractor may use them to adjust the level of the home. While the foreman checks door openings and measures the level, jacks will be placed at certain lift points. If it turns out that the existing piers don’t provide the right amount of support, your contractor might dig a new footing and fill it with strong concrete.

A slab leak is a serious situation for any homeowner. Slab leaks are defined as any plumbing leaks that occur underneath the foundation slab of your property. When your plumbing develops a slab leak, you may need to set up foundation repair and waterproofing services for your home. To determine when it is time to call in the experts, it is important to be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of a slab leak. For example, when your home has a slab leak, you may notice the sound of running water in your home, even when all of your water is turned off. Additionally, you may also find unusual cracks or hot spots along your floors. Fortunately, a contractor in San Antonio can help you diagnose and repair a slab leak on your property. From drainage correction to waterproofing and more, a foundation repair technician will be able to offer you the services that you need to completely restore the foundation of your home.

Lintels are structural devices that are used to support brick, stone, or other types of masonry work. If you have noticed that the lintel areas around your garage, doors, or windows have begun to sag or break, you will want to schedule immediate repairs. A company that offers foundation repair and waterproofing near San Antonio can also provide you with concrete correction services. By trusting your lintel repair to a qualified contractor, you can feel great knowing that your home’s masonry is in great shape. Read on for quick guide on what you need to know about lintel repair.

Assess the Damage

The first step of lintel repair is to take the time needed to fully assess the damage. Typically, lintel problems are caused by improper initial design. Your contractor will need to check to see where the initial problem took place, and what has caused the structural issue. This information will be invaluable when it comes time to design a new lintel support system.

Remove the Problematic Areas

After the damage has been assessed, it will be time to remove the damaged areas of the lintel. In order to keep the structural integrity of your property intact, your contractor will need to make sure that the lintel is supported by an exterior brace. With the lintel properly braced, your contractor can remove any damaged mortar, bricks, or other materials. Additionally, the damaged area can be cleaned out and prepared for the repair procedure to take place.

Replace the Damaged Lintel

Once the problematic areas have been properly removed, it will be time to replace the damaged section of lintel. In order to secure the lintel into place, your contractor will use a series of very heavy duty bolts. After the bolts have been drilled into place, the lintel will be returned to its proper positioning. To finish the job, your contractor will smooth a matching mortar product over the surface of your lintel.

When you build a home, there are several different foundation designs your builder can choose to implement. A pier and beam foundation is a common type of foundation, particularly in older homes. This construction design uses a combination of piers, which are anchored in the ground beneath your home, and beams, which run the length and width of your home, to essentially support the structure of your home without requiring it to rest directly on the dirt beneath it. Pier and beam foundations are an older design, but still remain popular because of their simplicity and their stability, particularly in areas where the ground contains a significant percentage of expansive clay. While a well-built pier and beam foundation should experience few problems, aging or poorly-designed pier and beam foundations may develop problems that require foundation repair. If you think your home may need pier and beam foundation repair near San Antonio, this work should always be performed by a contractor experienced with pier and beam foundation construction and repair to ensure that repairs are completed properly to protect your home and your foundation from further damage.

Your foundation, while strong and stable, is vulnerable to damage caused by excess water. Over time, water can wear away the material of your foundation and affect the ground around it, leading to serious cracking, shifting, and settling that requires professional foundation repair to address. If you are suffering from a water problem affecting your foundation or basement, the success of your waterproofing solution will depend on a combination of barrier and drainage solutions; your professional contractor in San Antonio will examine your home and its existing drainage to determine how improved drainage will protect your foundation from future damage.

Protect Your Foundation

Proper drainage is essential for a healthy foundation. When water is allowed to pool around your home, it will affect the ground and the materials that make up your foundation. This excess water is the cause of cracking and deterioration of the foundation itself, while also destabilizing the earth that supports your foundation and your home. Proper drainage will prevent water accumulation in the area immediately around your home, instead funneling it away from your house so it cannot cause wear and tear on your foundation.

Waterproof Your Basement

Basement flooding is a common problem in homes across the country. A wet basement can increase your risk for developing a mold problem at home, while flooding can also damage any items you have stored in your basement, including HVAC and water heating equipment. Proper home drainage will eliminate the risk of basement flooding and is a frequent component of the basement waterproofing process. Investing in drainage correction is a cost-effective and long-term solution that will protect the value and condition of your basement, as well as the belongings it contains.

If you’re suffering from basement flooding and foundation damage, drainage correction can put an end to these problems. The general contractors you hire to complete your foundation repair will consider all the causes of your foundation damage to take the proper steps to address this issue.

Everyone needs a strong foundation upon which to build, whether that be a relationship, career, or your home. Every once in a while that foundation may crack. It’s better to repair it sooner than later, but so many people allow the myths of foundation repair to stop them from taking action, or influence them into a poor decision. Don’t let these myths get the best of you when making your choice on foundation repair in San Antonio .

Myth: It’ll Be Too Expensive

When it comes to foundation repair, there is the possibility it will be expensive, as with almost any home repair. In regards to foundation repair, it’s not always going to cost you thousands of dollars. The problem may only require a simple solution, such as drainage correction or filling in a crack. With cost in mind, once you’ve received your quote, don’t wait long to take action. Maybe the solution is inexpensive, and you don’t feel urgency to have the problem repaired quickly. Maybe the quote you received was higher than you hoped for, and you want to wait until you’re more financially secure. Both outcomes have a high possibility of costing you more money in the end. Foundation problems usually get worse over time; don’t hurt yourself more just because of price.

Myth: I Found the Problem—Let’s Fill the Crack and Be Done!

This is a combination of two myths: foundation cracks mean you’ve found the root of the problem, and if you fill up the crack you’ve solved that problem. Yes, filling up cracks with epoxy is usually needed and part of the repair your contractor will do, but those cracks might be a symptom of a bigger problem. That bigger problem may be on the other side of the house where the cracks aren’t showing because that’s where your soil shifted. There may a multitude of reasons, but the cause and reconstruction of your foundation repair needs to be left to the experts, your foundation repair contractors.

If you are planning on doing any work on your home, foundation repair serving San Antonio may come first. Alternatively, you might have already noticed a problem with your foundation that led you to research general contractors who can put your mind at ease. Understanding how pier and beam foundation repair works can help you achieve a clearer idea of the structural integrity of your home as well as make an informed decision when it comes to choosing a contractor. Keep reading if you are interested in taking a closer look at how pier and beam foundation repair works.

Pier and Beam Background

Pier and beam is a specific type of foundation, and there is are specific ways to go about repairing it; fortunately repairing a pier and beam foundation is typically less invasive than repairing a concrete slab. If you are a homeowner with this type of foundation, you might encounter a problem regarding the soil under the foundation or the construction of the foundation itself. The soil under the foundation might be affected by poor drainage, which can cause the soils to crack, or the foundation might have been built on cedar piers that have deteriorated. In either case, the repair is geared towards making the foundation stronger.

Shoring Technique

If the walls of your foundation have begun to crack, then they are likely dealing with the maximum amount of stress that they can withstand. When this is the case, your foundation repair team can use shoring techniques to bolster the strength of your foundation. Adding new treated beams and/or floor joists can allow your foundation to support the additional weight without cracking or sustaining further damage. The extra support will also grant more surface area to your footing, further addressing the issue.

Installation and Strengthening

Although it is helpful, shoring is not always a sufficient solution to a damaged pier and beam foundation. Your foundation repair specialists can also use new monolithic piers to level out your foundation and bring your home or office back to a pre-damaged state. The foundation repair team will use new monolithic piers to correct the elevation differentials.