foundation repair solutions

First steps in evaluating your concrete

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May 17  |  Blog  |   Foundation Repair Solutions

Does your home show signs of slab failure?

It’s important to evaluate your home at the earliest sign of foundation damage. This can minimize home foundation repairs and expenses for your family, while ensuring your house remains safe and secure.

For a free in-home evaluation, simply contact Foundation Repair Solutions. In the meantime, however, be aware of these key indicators that could lead to serious problems with your home foundation.

Outside of your home, check for:

  • Cracks on the foundation concrete at the base of the home. In some cases, small cracks may simply be cosmetic. Have these evaluated by a professional, since they could be a sign of future problems.
  • Roof leaks. This could indicate a shift in the foundation if your shingles and other roofing materials are otherwise in good condition.
  • Drainage problems and standing water. Water collected near the foundation can cause the soil to expand, creating pressure and damage.
  • Diagonal cracks along mortar joints in the brick veneer. This shows shifting and stress are separating the brick from one another.
  • Separation around the garage door and other exterior doors. A shift in the home’s foundation creates stress on walls and door joints, which will show up as separation and cracks. You might notice that doors do not close smoothly, as they once did.

Inside your home, look for:

  • Sticking doors. If a door has begun to stick, or if it looks like it is no longer hung properly, this may be a sign of a foundation problem.
  • Window problems. Sometimes, a window might not open unless a great deal of force is applied. Other times, windows refuse to stay open. A stiff, sticking or loose window may be an indication of trouble.
  • Cracks in interior walls. These are particularly important to notice at the joints where walls meet ceilings, doors or other walls. Cracks might show the joints are pulling away from one another.
  • Cracks in the fireplace. Foundation stresses can create cracks between bricks and tile.
  • Nail pops. While nails protruding from wallboard can occur under other circumstances, they can also be a sign of a shifting foundation.

If any of these signs are apparent, call a professional immediately for a foundation inspection. Once they begin, foundation problems do not go away on their own. In fact, if you wait before addressing these problems, they will grow more difficult and expensive to repair.

Some foundation repair companies offer a free inspection and repair estimate. You have nothing to lose by being proactive. Make the call today, and ensure your foundation lasts a lifetime.

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How Texas soil can affect your home’s foundation

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May 15  |  Blog  |   Foundation Repair Solutions

In North Texas, homeowners worry about their home’s foundation. This concern is not quite as prevalent in many other parts of the country as it is here in Dallas and Fort Worth. Why? It all has to do with the quality of our Texas soils.

North Texas is on the northern edge of the Texas Coastal Plain. Because of this, the soil is largely made up of thick clay. Clay soils expand and contract with the weather. When it rains, clay expands, moving outward and upward. During drought, clay contracts, shrinking and leaving cracks in the ground.

How much does Texas soil shrink and expand? Here in North Texas, most soil has a high level of plasticity, meaning its ability to shrink and swell. In fact, our soil has some of the highest levels of plasticity in the world.

Across the southeastern two-thirds of Texas, the soil has been rated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as having high swelling potential and containing less than 50 percent clay. A band that runs right through the North Texas area, however, is even worse off. Through Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties, the soil has high swelling potential and also contains more than 50 percent clay.

When soils swell and shrink, the structure and its foundation will rise and fall. Over time, the foundation works its way deeper into the ground, making it settle. Of course, when a house settles, it doesn’t do so evenly. One part of the foundation might settle more than another part, and the home is no longer level.

Texas soils can also harm home foundations because of clay’s tendency to hold water. A heavy rain might leave standing water on the property, since clay doesn’t drain as well as other soil types. If water is allowed to collect around a foundation, it can cause one side of the foundation to heave or sink. In addition, water that is saturated and does not drain cannot support a heavy structure. This can also cause a foundation to fail.

So how can you deal with Texas soils?

  1. If you have any concerns, call Foundation Repair Solutions today for a free in-home estimate. Don’t wait until the damage becomes worse.
  2. Ensure water is draining away from your foundation.
  3. Check your gutters and downspouts to be sure they are clear and directing water away from your home.
  4. Provide consistent moisture around your foundation. This can be achieved with soaker hoses and maintenance of grass or mulch around the home.
  5. Check your plumbing periodically to be sure there are no leaks, which could cause heaving and contraction of clay soils.
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Basement Draining Solutions for Bad Weather

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April 4  |  Blog  |   Foundation Repair Solutions

Basement Draining Solutions

When your home has a basement, the concept of foundation damage goes to a whole new level. Heavy rain and snow can result in a flooded basement, while water collecting outside the home can cause problems with foundation walls.

That’s why homeowners with basements need to understand their options for basement draining solutions, plus follow key home maintenance tips that will keep their foundation safe and sound.

First, let’s talk about basement drainage solutions that work, and why they are so important. Basement drainage is an important part of keeping your home in good condition. When water pools in the basement, it can cause a wide range of problems including destroyed flooring, rotten baseboards and trim, and foundation instability.

Basement flooding can be the result of a wide range of problems, including heavy rain or snow, plumbing problems and poor exterior drainage. Typically, water enters the basement at the joint where the floor meets the wall.

There are several basement drainage solutions in the marketplace, including:

- Interior basement drainage systems, much like French drains, are installed under the basement floor along the perimeter of the foundation. This does not prevent water from coming into the basement. Instead, it catches water that seeps inside and channels it back out and away from the home. Water is collected and drained at the most common point of entry, which is below the slab. That way, water is drained away before it can rise to the point where the wall and floor of the basement meet. The basement is kept dry, and water damage is prevented.

- Exterior basement drainage systems are also similar to French drains, and they are installed around the exterior of the foundation. First, waterproofing is applied to the basement walls. Drains are dug and filled with gravel to promote drainage. Water is then guided away from the home, sometimes with the assistance of a sump pump.

- Sump pumps can be used in several ways. In many instances, they are installed in a basin below the basement floor. They pump water away from the house. A backup battery is key, however, so that water does not collect in the event of a power failure.

- A moisture barrier provides waterproofing for the basement. Typically, the moisture barrier is painted on basement walls, which prevents moisture from leeching through the concrete and into the home.

Homeowners with basements also can follow a few simple home maintenance tips to help keep their basements high and dry:

- Install gutters around the home. Keep them clear, and ensure that downspouts guide water away from the home.

- Check the slope of your property. Ensure that the ground slopes down and away from the foundation of your home, so water will drain away and off of the property.

- Do not plant large trees or bushes close to the foundation, where roots can penetrate the concrete and damage the basement.

Follow these basement draining solutions to protect your home’s foundation. If your home foundation might be affected by the recent severe storms in the DFW, schedule a free in-home estimate with Foundation Repair Solutions!

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