When it comes to foundation repair, the whens, whats, and whys of the process can sometimes overwhelm the hows. How, though, can you go about repairing a foundation that’s started to crack and leak?
Signs of a Foundation Leak
It can be difficult to tell the difference between a basement leak and a foundation leak right off the bat. The good news is that you won’t have to diagnose your home on your own. Virginia Beach, VA, has foundation repair contractors operating locally who will be able to inspect your foundation and give you a quote on repairs free of charge.
What are some of the signs you’ll want to look for before calling a contractor? The symptoms of a leak or other problem will appear inside of your home first. These symptoms include but are not limited to:
- Bowing walls
- Shifting floors
- Gaps at the joints of your foundation
- Sticking doors
- Foggy windows
- Water-damaged belongings or furniture
- Mold
If you let a foundation leak or problem go for too long, you’ll start to see symptoms of it appearing outside of your home. External signs of a foundation leak or issue include:
- Vertical cracks in your walls
- A cracked chimney
- Cracks running horizontally across your foundation
- Sinking
What to Do When Your Foundation Cracks
If you don’t want to compromise the structural stability of your home, you’re going to need to reach out for professional guidance as soon as you spot the signs of a foundation leak. Virginia Beach’s contractors will be able to provide you with a veritable catalog of potential solutions you can use to secure your home.
Some of the most common foundation repair solutions include:
Push Piers
Contractors will install push piers to support your foundation as the soil shifts around it. These piers will hold your existing foundation in place and will resist the effects of precipitation, contraction, and expansion over the course of several years, as they’re considered the closest you can get to permanent home repair.
Helical Piers
If your lighter structures like your patio or porch are showing signs of a foundation settlement, helical piers can serve as a steadfast option. They work the same as Push Piers in permanently stabilizing your foundation, but these are “screwed” into the ground.
Slab Piers
Slab Piers work and can be installed the same as Helical and Push Piers, but these are specifically for stabilizing and potentially lifting your concrete slab foundation.
Crawl Space Support Posts
For areas of soft, sagging floors above your crawl space, we’ll install a heavy-duty solution. Unlike typical light-duty jack posts, our IntelliJack Crawl Space Support Posts are made of galvanized steel to resist rust and corrosion. Our crawl space support system has an allowable load capacity of more than 24,000 pounds per support jack, and is tested and certified to the highest industry standards. These jacks permanently reinforce sagging floors and floor joists, they can help lift these support systems back to level and can be adjusted if any settlement occurs.
Wall Anchors
Another permanent stabilization solution is our wall anchor system for walls that are cracking and moving inward. Earth anchors are securely embedded in stable soil away from the foundation wall, and they are connected to sturdy steel wall plates with long steel rods, which braces the foundation wall. This stops the inward movement and prevents wall failure. Tightening these anchors over time can help return your foundation walls back to their original positions.
High-Density Polyurethane Foam
Our state-of-the-art PolyRenewal system is typically used for exterior concrete lifting and leveling. But it also can be used inside to help lift and level your garage floor or concrete slab floor, which also can aid in providing some stability to your foundation. However, the other previously mentioned solutions are your best bet for permanently reinforcing your foundation.
Get in Touch with Professional Foundation Repair Contractors
In this era of DIY, it’s tempting to forgo the cost of professional repairs in favor of finding a solution on your own. When it comes to foundation repair, however, DIY is off the table. Not only do you risk damaging your foundation more than it already has been by local weather, but you also risk increasing the cost of the professional repairs you need down the line.
When in doubt, reach out to the certified foundation repair contractors in your area. They’ll be able to give you back your home in little to no time at all.
