Foundation Repair
Permanently address foundation settlement, wall cracks, and structural instability with JES Foundation Repair's lasting foundation repair solutions.
Get Your Free EstimateFoundation Problem Signs
Your foundation supports your house, so it’s crucial for your safety to maintain it. Here are some signs that your foundation needs repair:
Nail Pops
Learn how to repair drywall nail pops with tailored strategies that deliver lasting results. JES Foundation Repair offers free inspections and professional, long-term solutions.
Drywall Cracks
Drywall cracks often signal more than cosmetic damage; they may indicate foundation issues. Learn how to repair drywall cracks and why prompt action protects your home. JES offers free inspections.
Cracks in Basement Floor
Discover the causes and solutions for basement floor cracks in this comprehensive guide from JES Foundation Repair.
Foundation Wall Cracks
A crack in the foundation wall can be a warning sign. Discover the reasons behind these cracks and the ways to address them.
If you notice wall cracks in your home, they may indicate a larger foundation problem. Together with drywall nail pops, uneven floors, and sticking windows, signs of potential foundation failure might be all over your home. If you think that yours is in trouble, call the experts at JES Foundation Repair for a comprehensive inspection of your home. We have proven solutions to restore your foundation and the warranties to back them up.
Causes of Foundation Damage
There are numerous reasons your house may have these problems. Most of these causes stem from the ground.
Expansive soils create foundation damage. Expansive soils, including, clay soil, shrink-swell, and heavable soil, are all different names for the same thing. Expansive soils are responsible for more damage to buildings than any other natural hazard.
This type of soil contains minerals like smectite clays, which absorb a lot of moisture. As the expansive soil soaks up water it expands – up to 15 times its dry volume. Furthermore, the expanded soil then pushes against your foundation and creates cracks or waterproofing problems.
In fact, as the expansive soil dries, it shrinks. The soil shrinkage gives your foundation room to move around. Consequently, this extra room removes the support from your foundation and will cause cracks, settling, and other foundation damage. The pressure of expansive soils against your foundation can exceed 30,000 pounds per square foot.
Deep foundations require a type of foundation repair that has support columns, pillars, or piles. These piers are driven deep into the ground or until they reach bedrock. This is done to provide additional stabilization when the surface soil can no longer support the weight of your home.
These types of foundations require solutions which address problems like settlement or stair-step cracked bricks. For example, if your home has cracked bricks caused by settlement, push piers or resistance piles may be installed. The piers are installed beneath your home’s foundation footing and then driven into bedrock or stable soil.
The piers are installed into stable soil or bedrock because it prevents further settlement and movement. Furthermore, the resistance provided by the stable soil can even help lift your home back to its original level.
When the soil your home is built on can no longer support the weight of your home, the structure will start to settle. An expert may recommend installing a deep foundation system to stabilize your home.
Deep foundation soils and deep foundation systems are best understood by starting with the ground. Soil is made up of obvious layers which have different qualities and are a good indicator of how deep you need to extend your foundation.
The top layers of soil compress and easily compact – this is where settlement occurs and where you’ll find problem soils like expansive clay. The deeper soil layers, like parent rock, are stable and less likely to move. This is why a deep foundation pier system is installed into competent load bearing soils or bedrock.
Award-Winning Service
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Jeff Oliver certified field inspector visited my home recently, He was very informative and kind. I appreciated his level of knowledge and…
Jeff Oliver certified field inspector visited my home recently, He was very informative and kind. I appreciated his level of knowledge and that he was willing to share
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The team,of Gaston Ellis, Thomas Jackson, and Derek Trask were a delight to get to know and experience their expert talent of work. They…
The team,of Gaston Ellis, Thomas Jackson, and Derek Trask were a delight to get to know and experience their expert talent of work. They worked tirelessly over the course of 3 days to take equipment and supplies to a basement with no outside entrance. They kept my house as free as possible from dust and debris. I would give them a 10+++ if possible.
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JES just wrapped up our foundation work – a 3 day project – during the coldest days of the year! The crew was friendly, communicative, and…
JES just wrapped up our foundation work – a 3 day project – during the coldest days of the year! The crew was friendly, communicative, and as far as I can see they did a professional job and left the workplace tidy. Time will tell if the job was effective, but so far, so good! Many thanks to the whole crew – Osman Ochoa, Alejandro Vazquez, Cristian Castro, and the supervisor, Rudi Gonzalez!
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Mike b dante m Brandon Bryan c . This group of young men came and put a new sump pump cage and sump pump. Very respectful friendly and kept …
Mike b dante m Brandon Bryan c . This group of young men came and put a new sump pump cage and sump pump. Very respectful friendly and kept us aware of everything they were doing. Thank you guys appreciate your hard work and defication.
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Excellent work by Anthony, Colten, Daniel, Jorge, and Kyle. Competent and efficient. Very professional and courteous. Would hire them again.
Excellent work by Anthony, Colten, Daniel, Jorge, and Kyle. Competent and efficient. Very professional and courteous. Would hire them again.
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Foreman Zach R and C Williams did an excellent job. They kept us informed, worked swiftly and made sure we were satisfied with the result….
Foreman Zach R and C Williams did an excellent job. They kept us informed, worked swiftly and made sure we were satisfied with the result. We can’t thank them enough and are beyond satisfied with JES.
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Joel from JES provided top-notch, speedy service to repair a broken pump in my basement and run a new pipe through a tight crawlspace and…
Joel from JES provided top-notch, speedy service to repair a broken pump in my basement and run a new pipe through a tight crawlspace and out of the side of the house. Was a really tricky job, but he got it done right and took the time to communicate with me what the plan was at every step of the process. Very professional approach and results.
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What an awesome experience we had with Groundworks and their representative, Kristian! Unfortunately, the work we wanted done couldn’t be…
What an awesome experience we had with Groundworks and their representative, Kristian! Unfortunately, the work we wanted done couldn’t be done because of California codes and regulations, The experience with Kristian was everything that I had expected after listening to the owner of Groundworks on several podcasts, It is obvious this company culture is excellent and customer service first, a rare thing in today’s climate. I highly recommend Groundworks if you’re looking for thoroughness, excellence and quality.
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I am very please with the service I receive from JES. All of the technicians are great. Today James Cook came out to check my jacks and…
I am very please with the service I receive from JES. All of the technicians are great. Today James Cook came out to check my jacks and he was very professional and informative and a great representative of the companies brand.
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We are very pleased with Jes Foundation Repair. Greg and C.J. did an excellent job. They were friendly, fast and professional. Our…
We are very pleased with Jes Foundation Repair. Greg and C.J. did an excellent job. They were friendly, fast and professional. Our sidewalk is now level and safe.
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Maynor, Osman and Jose did a great job- communicating well, working hard, doing the job properly and finishing sooner than expected. ??
Maynor, Osman and Jose did a great job- communicating well, working hard, doing the job properly and finishing sooner than expected. ??
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Bryan r Chris m. worked on my driveway today. They were great! They took the time to explain all the steps to me so I felt comfortable …
Bryan r Chris m. worked on my driveway today. They were great! They took the time to explain all the steps to me so I felt comfortable about the job. They were kind and very professional. I would definitely recommend them because of their superb work ethic. Thank you.
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The crew that worked at our Ballard Drive address did an excellent job. Ibrahim was exceptionally polite and respectful. He would give an…
The crew that worked at our Ballard Drive address did an excellent job. Ibrahim was exceptionally polite and respectful. He would give an update at the end of each day and was perfectly correct on their target date to complete.
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JES did a great job fixing our front porch. It had begun to settle and sloped towards the house, which allowed water to leak into our…
JES did a great job fixing our front porch. It had begun to settle and sloped towards the house, which allowed water to leak into our basement during heavy rains. JES lifted the front porch and adjoining sidewalk and filled in some significant voids with the poly foam. They finished it off with some nice sanded caulk that looks much better than what was there before. Time will tell if the problem has been fixed. Will update the review after the next storm to see if the basement stays dry. All the employees from JES were friendly and professional, communicated well what to expect, and cleaned up after themselves. Working with this company has been a great experience. A note to potential customers: there is a $1600 job minimum for them to come out. Our original problem probably would have been less than that, but they inspected the sidewalk and foundation to see what spots needed improvement that they could add to the job to get us up to the minimum amount. I called another company that does similar work and they had a similar job minimum amount. We feel this was money well spent to solve our leaking basement problem, and we would have had to spend a similar amount with another company anyway.
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Wow what an inspection! What started off as a call for a simple concrete slab lift, turned into a full home walk through. Jeanne's…
Wow what an inspection! What started off as a call for a simple concrete slab lift, turned into a full home walk through. Jeanne's explanation of everything was thorough and educational and I was left with a more holistic understanding of my home's foundation and it's issues/solutions. Her expertise on the matter is clearly very valuable and well earned. I look forward to working with her and JES to improve our home!
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James did amazing! Definitely recommend him and this company — only thing I didn’t love was that I had to pay for an hour and a half for…
James did amazing! Definitely recommend him and this company — only thing I didn’t love was that I had to pay for an hour and a half for him to go get a part ($325) and drive back to my house. It took him about 15 minutes tops to fix the drain and I wish it was more cost efficient. I had to send a picture beforehand and wish they would have brought the part the first time. But all in all would recommend James!!
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I got several estimates for my structural repairs, and chose JES.Full structural repairs only took 8 days including encapsulation!Sent me…
I got several estimates for my structural repairs, and chose JES.Full structural repairs only took 8 days including encapsulation!Sent me nearly daily pictures. Very professional!!Foreman called me every morning with their ETA, and were always on time.Excellent work, and cleaned up incredibly!Highly recommend.Thanks Chad, Justin, Tiger and all the crew!
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Mr.Aric Banks Was very courteous, approachable, and professional throughout his entire visit. He kept us updated on his arrival time, which …
Mr.Aric Banks Was very courteous, approachable, and professional throughout his entire visit. He kept us updated on his arrival time, which was later than expected because of delays at previous appointments. We expressed some concerns regarding some changes And past issues in The basement of our 200+ year-old house. He respectfully acknowledged our concerns and relayed them to the office during the visit. We hope to continue to have Aric return as needed for future inspections.
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Andre Williams came and performed my one year free inspection. One word- OUTSTANDING!!
Andre Williams came and performed my one year free inspection. One word- OUTSTANDING!!
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The team who fixed our support beams/foundation was wonderful. I can’t say enough good things about Freddy Zavaleta, Walter Zavaleta, and…
The team who fixed our support beams/foundation was wonderful. I can’t say enough good things about Freddy Zavaleta, Walter Zavaleta, and Jaime Salas who did the repairs: they were friendly, timely, and did wonderful work. Also, the permit team at JES really helped us when we still hadn’t received word from the city and it had been 6 weeks (and my husband and I had been sleeping on the couch and floor because the support beams were so bad under our room). Thank you to the entire team!
Foundation Repair Solutions
At JES Foundation Repair, we know that with each problem your foundation is facing, they require a tailored solution that’s customized to its needs. Our variety of solutions and products offer something for every issue and our certified experts will be happy to explain which one is best for your home.
IntelliJack™ Crawl Space Jacks
Need to fix sagging floors? JES Foundation Repair's IntelliJack™ support system stabilizes uneven floors and restores structural stability.
IntelliBrace™ Wall Repair System
Discover how the IntelliBrace™ Wall Repair System from JES permanently stabilizes and straightens bowing basement walls.
Helical Piers
Discover the lifelong stability helical piers offer against foundation settlement, installed by the team at JES Foundation Repair.
Wall Anchors
JES Foundation Repair's wall anchor system stabilizes foundation walls and prevents further deterioration. Learn more here.
Is Foundation Repair the Right Solution for Me?
If you see cracks in your walls or basement floors, drywall nail pops, or a tilting chimney around your house, it’s time for foundation repair. If your foundation is failing, your whole home is at stake. If ignored, it will only get worse.
These foundation problems arise because of the soil around your home contracting and expanding between dry and rainy days. Foundation repair will help you fight against these conditions and keep your home safe and sound for years to come. If you have questions about whether or not foundation repair is right for your home, call your local experts at JES Foundation Repair. We’ll be happy to find the solution right for you.
FAQs
Slab foundations are inexpensive and easy to build, making them a popular foundation choice for many. Unfortunately, they are capable of settling just like any of the slabs on your property.
- How Slab Foundations Settle
Slab foundations settle in the same way your driveway or patio slabs settle—due to soil displacement. A negative yard grade and poor yard drainage all contribute to foundation settling, even with slab foundations. The signs are a lot harder to detect, since homeowners can’t observe the damage to their slab foundation in the same way they can their crawl space or basement.
Besides soil washout, a big factor in foundation soil displacement is pressure. Sandy soils are a lot looser and shifty than clay soils, and because they are less dense, displacement is easy when they have to support large weights. As a house is used over the years and heavy furniture is moved about, the foundation has to support more weight. Over time, this does affect the soil.
- How Settled Slab Foundations Are Repaired
Like any slab on your property, you don’t have to replace a slab foundation once it settles. JES can stabilize and even lift your settling slab foundation using slab piers. They are steel rods that transfer the weight of the house to the competent, load-bearing soils below. Because your slab will no longer rely on loose soil, slab foundations will perpetually support your foundation.
PolyRenewal™ can also be used on a slab foundation. Polyurethane foam is able to support over 100 tons of weight, so it’s more than capable of lifting your foundation. Polyurethane foam can’t always be used for slab foundations, and, sometimes, slab piers are required. You would have to talk to your local foundation expert to determine which one you need for your settling slab.
The specialists at JES Foundation Repair offer a wide variety of solutions for you, depending on what part of your foundation needs repair. If you are looking to realign and stabilize your bowed-in foundation walls, you may want to look into the IntelliBrace™ system, JES Foundation Repair Wall Anchors, or the Carbon Fiber Wall Repair. The IntelliBrace consists of a number of incredibly sturdy I-beams that are installed on the inside of your foundation wall to prevent them from buckling inwards even more. The JES Foundation Repair Wall Anchors are installed underground, directly into the hard, densely packed soil so that it can support your foundation wall from below. The least invasive method goes to the Carbon Fiber system, which has a lightweight, sleek, and non-stretchy design constructed to repair cracks and even provide your foundation wall with much needed stability.
If you are mainly experiencing sagging foundation floors, you may want to look into the various Pier Systems or even the Crawl Space IntelliJack™ Support System. There are 3 pier systems to choose from: the Slab, Helical, and Push Pier Systems. Each pier system is catered to both the type of foundation problem, as well as the space constraints of your landscape. Although the IntelliJack™ was made primarily for sagging floors due to crawl space problems, it can also dually work to support foundation floors that are sinking as well.
Sometimes, the amount of water that builds up around your foundation walls can result in immense pressure against your foundation structure. The SMART VENT Flood Vents offered at JES Foundation Repair provides an alternate pathway for this water so that it does not accumulate onto your foundation wall. This can prevent buckling and structural damage. This water can then be removed via other drainage systems in your home.
Helical piers stabilize a foundation by transferring its weight from weak, shifting soil to deeper, stronger load-bearing soil. Once installed and attached to the foundation, they help stop further settlement and provide long-term support.
Determining the warning signs of foundation problems tends to be a bit tricky for homeowners. It can often be confused with general structural issues that can be fixed with simple solutions that you can do right at home. However, DIY repairs are always highly discouraged because it can be risky and cause potential injury.
Some of the warning signs of foundation problems include:
- Sinking settlements
- Tilted chimneys
- Buckled or cracked walls
- Wood rot around your home perimeter
- Sagging floors
- Uneven doorways and window frames
The foundation of your home is named the foundation for a reason. It is responsible for maintaining many of the structures within your home. Usually, when there is a problem sign in one place, another may appear. It is important to keep an eye out before more drastic problems occur.
Yes, a sinking chimney can indicate foundation problems, especially if the chimney shares a foundation with the home. Foundation settlement, soil movement, or deteriorating support beneath the chimney can cause it to separate from the house, crack, or lean. A professional inspection can determine whether the problem is isolated to the chimney or also affects the home’s foundation.
If you’re dealing with a settling foundation due to soil washout, then you might want to know what your options are. If you do some research, then you’ll hear talk of concrete piers for your foundation, which are meant to stabilize your home so that it won’t settle anymore.
However, concrete piers as a foundation support system are outdated and unreliable. There are plenty of modern options for your foundation that last longer than concrete piers and actually give you bang for your buck.
- Why Concrete Piers Don’t Work
Concrete piers are not capable of lifting your settling foundation. The way they are made and put into place does not allow contractors to exert the required pressure to lift your foundation back into place. What they are meant to do is simply stop the settling and keep your home in its current position; however, this isn’t even a guarantee. This is because the foundation should not rely on the pier system itself to stay stable but rather on the load-bearing soil deep beneath your property.
Concrete piers are not able to reach load-bearing soil depths because they cannot be made long enough to do so. The longer and thinner the concrete pier is, the less weight it’s able to support due to its low tensile strength. Making it bigger won’t help either since the bigger the pier is, the more likely it is to experience skin friction. Once a concrete pier feels the pressure caused by the skin friction, it crumbles under the weight of the house.
- What You Can Do About Foundation Settling
At JES, we offer multiple solutions that are able to reliably stabilize your foundation and possibly lift it back into place as well. We have helical and push piers, as well as slab piers for slab-on-grade. They are long rods made of galvanized steel that are attached to your foundation and buried deep underground. Because of their sleek design, they are capable of reaching load-bearing soil and transferring the weight of your foundation to those soils. These pier systems can mechanically exert pressure onto your foundation until it’s stable once more.
If you have a slab foundation, then we have another repair option for you. You can use PolyRenewal™ to lift your foundation back into place like you would any other slab. It depends on the needs of your home, but utilizing polyurethane foam can lift your foundation until it’s even again without the need for excavation or heavy machinery. The device we use to inject PolyRenewal™ is handheld and small, meaning that it can be used in smaller areas, like your bathroom, if need be.
Wall anchors are one of the most common repair products used to prevent bowing walls from collapsing and return them to their original positioning. Installing these anchors is relatively straightforward, and our team has the tools, skills, and training to give you the results that you need from your wall anchor installation process.
It starts with an assessment of your home and the damaged walls, of course, at which point we will map out the ideal placement for each wall anchor and figure out how many will be needed to get the right result. Once we know where the anchors are going, excavation will begin both inside and outside of your home. The earth anchors will need to be placed in the earth around 10 feet from your home, while holes will be drilled into your foundation walls, so that steel rods can be driven through and connected to the earth anchors. Once they are connected to the anchors, the wall plates can be mounted and connected.
Once the wall anchors have been fully installed, the excavation points can be covered and the interior plates can be disguised. At this point, the damaged wall will have been stabilized and there will be no risk of the wall collapsing expectedly. However, if you are to straighten the wall in question, you will need to have the wall anchors tightened or adjusted a few times. Professionals will do this slowly to prevent causing more damage to the wall.
The Benefits of Foundation Repair
Here the biggest benefits of foundation repair:
Increased Market Value
Structural damage can dramatically decrease your home’s resale value. Repairing your foundation can ensure your home’s value stays where you want it. It reassures future homeowners that it’s safe for them and their families.
Enhanced Structural Safety
Foundation problems compromise your home’s safety. Repairing it will ensure your entire home’s structural integrity for decades to come. Our experts can inspect your home for signs of damage and provide solutions that will enhance its structural integrity.
Improved Living Environment
Foundation cracks can let more moisture into your home, causing mold and mildew growth. A particularly toxic strain of mold, black mold, can be extremely harmful to people with respiratory issues. It can also cause allergies, and in some cases, asthma attacks. By repairing the cracks in your walls and making sure your foundation is stable and secure, you can literally breathe easier.
Common Foundation Repair Tips & Mistakes
Helpful Tips for Foundation Repair:
- Beware of Tree Roots: Expansive tree root systems can compromise your foundation. As they grow, they may butt up against your foundation and crack it. Try to plant any new trees or landscape features at least 20 feet away from the perimeter of your home. This will ensure your foundation is safe from damage.
- Properly Grade Your Yard: It’s important to keep the grading of your landscape in mind. You want a positive grade. Positive yard grade sends water away from your home. Negative grade sends it back towards it. Positive grade can save you from massive foundation problems.
- Maintain Your Gutters: Cleaning out your gutters is an important part of keeping your foundation from cracking. Your gutters prevent rainwater from diving straight down onto the perimeter of your home. Clogged gutters mean potential water damage. A little bit of routine outdoor housekeeping can save you a lot of money.
Mistakes to Avoid:
- Ignoring High Energy Bills: By not fixing a foundation crack you could see higher energy bills. Humid air is far more difficult for your HVAC system to manage. Your AC and heating work to maintain your home’s internal temperature. If you remove the moisture, your system doesn’t work as hard, meaning lower energy bills.
- Ignoring Standing Water: Water near your foundation can threaten it. As the soil gets wet, it expands and begins to push against the foundation walls. This pressure cracks it, and water penetrates it. Install downspouts properly, and extend them at least 8 feet away from the foundation walls so that the water does not accumulate.
- Ignoring Musty Smells: Not only can animals and insects get into your basement, but mold particles can as well. When mold grows, you get that musty basement smell. Mold loves nothing more than a damp, dark space. This can mean worsening allergies or illnesses down the road.
Providing Expert Foundation Repair in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia & North Carolina
Pennsylvania trusts JES for reliable basement waterproofing, crawl space, foundation, and concrete repair services. Contact us for a free inspection!
Top Cities We Serve
Our Locations
8361 Town Center Ct
Nottingham, MD 21236
311 Central Rd.
Suite 2-02
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
2569 Quality Ct
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
7940 Gainsford Ct.
Bristow, VA 20136
309 Quarles Rd
Ashland, VA 23005
2033 Cook Dr.
Salem, VA 24153
456 Old Courthouse Rd
Appomattox, VA 24522
45 W Boscawen St,
Winchester, VA 22601