A lintel is a supportive beam that sits across the top of a door or window, either as decoration or for load bearing purposes. In most homes, the largest lintel lies across the top of the garage door. If your garage door’s lintel weakens over time or if there is insufficient support for it, it can result in cracks or other damage to the surrounding bricks. These problems won’t just affect the appearance of your lintel; they can also be hazardous. The stability of your lintel may also be compromised if it was not properly installed in the first place. If you notice that your lintel is sagging or cracked, it’s a definite sign that you should contact a professional for help as soon as possible. If it’s time to call for lintel repair , an experienced contractor in San Antonio can provide you with the expert repair services you need.

Whether your basement is finished and livable or used for storage, you might want to consider waterproofing near San Antonio. Your contractor can offer different types of waterproofing services in order to keep your foundation in place and prevent mold from growing in your space. This precautionary step will also help keep your belongings dry, secure, and safe from water damage. Continue on if you are interested in learning a little bit about the importance of basement waterproofing.

Protect Your Foundation

The purpose of basement waterproofing is to keep moisture out of your home, workplace, or commercial building. The foundation of your building is what keeps it stable and secure, so you should always do what you can to keep it in shape. An unstable foundation can result in sloping floors, bowing walls, and doors and windows that won’t close properly. All of these issues can continue to become worse and worse, which could severely compromise the efficiency, comfort, and even safety of your building. If you want to keep your basement as safe as possible, talk to a professional contractor to have it waterproofed.

Keep Your Property Safe

Storing belongings in your basement can be a great alternative to leaving them outside, but without basement waterproofing, the difference may be negligible. Certain pieces might be okay to withstand the elements, but much of what you might need to store is probably vulnerable to water damage; this is especially true when it comes to document storage. If you plan on storing anything important in your basement, it is a good idea to have the area waterproofed so that you can protect it from the effects of stray moisture.

Prevent Mold Problems

No matter what you keep in the basement, you don’t want to keep mold there. However, it only takes a little bit of moisture and the right environment for a mold problem to spring up. Once it does begin, it can spread all over your space and contribute to a variety of health problems. By waterproofing your basement, you can substantially cut down the chances of dealing with a mold problem.

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.

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.