There are a handful of ways to repair a home's foundation. These options differ based on the type of damage that was caused to your foundation, as well as the cause of the damage. The following highlights three approaches to foundation repair, which include lifting, bracing, and bolting.
Bracing
Bracing is the most common approach, especially if the damage is particularly bad. The contractor has to excavate a twelve-foot-deep, ten-foot-long, eight-foot-wide hole next to the foundation area that is damaged. Then his/her crew will use engineered braces made for foundation repair to fix the foundation rift. The braces are wedged into this hole and up against the broken foundation wall. The braces are bolted to the wall on both sides of the break, and then the break is patched. The braces and the foundation wall are then buried with soil again (after the concrete patch is cured).
Lifting
Lifting is the second most common approach to fixing a foundation. It is used when a corner of the house appears to be sinking down and dragging the rest of the house after it. The contractor excavates that area to the bottom of the foundation wall and injects an amount of cement under that area of the house to push the corner or wall upward to meet the rest of the house that is on a slightly higher level. The crack or cracks in the foundation are pushed closed and pushed back together. Then the contractor may opt to use a cement/concrete patch to seal the hairline crack that still exists after the house's foundation has been lifted.
Bolting
Bolting requires a more extensive process to lift the entire home upward. When the whole house is up off the foundation, wood braces are placed underneath. Concrete slab plates are part of this bracing system. Then the floors are bolted to these bracing systems. Because the foundation is now braced with the bolting system, the house could shake violently in a number of earthquakes and never be moved or broken. This approach is more commonly used with slab foundations, but it has been used in special circumstances with basement foundations as well.
Talk to the Contractors
Talk to several contractors before hiring any one contractor. Ask them what foundation repair approach would work best with your home and the area in which your home resides. An unexpected approach may be the answer if your home lives in an earthquake zone. For more information, contact a foundation repair company.
