foundation crack repair Archives

4 Questions to Consider Before Investing in Foundation Crack Repair in Morrisville, North Carolina

Are you in need of foundation crack repair services in Morrisville, North Carolina? Morrisville is a beautiful area with a great community, but the state is known for having very acidic soil. This has a tendency to expand and cause cracks in the foundation of homes and buildings here. There is a strong likelihood that at one point or another, you will need some form of foundation crack repair performed on your home or commercial business. With so many different options available, though, how do you know which one is the best for your current and future needs? Luckily, we’re here to help. Here at POWER Lift, we’ve compiled a list of four questions you should ask before investing in foundation crack repair in Morrisville, North Carolina.

1. Which part of my home is in need of repair? – Ceilings and walls are two of the most common areas of structures to display foundation related-cracks. However, you may also need foundation repair services to be performed on a smaller part of your home such as the porch, deck, or stairway. If this is the case, you should opt for helical piers. This form of foundation repair is best for these smaller areas because it can provide elevation and stabilization to the structure without adding unnecessary stress.

2. Where is Your Home Located? – North Carolina may not be known for severe weather, but it is known for its poor soil quality. As mentioned above, North Carolina’s soil is highly acidic, making it prone to expansion that can contribute to foundation cracks. Fortunately, POWER Lift Foundation Repair offers services that can help to correct damage caused by the poor soil quality surrounding your home. Mud-Jacking and Pressure Grouting is one option that will help to fill in the cracks and consolidate the soil below grade. Another option is High Density Polyurethane Foam Injection. This method is one of the newest and most advanced forms of foundation crack repair. In addition to repairing foundation, it can also act as a soil stabilizer.

3. Will I Need to have construction work done on my home? – Sometimes, rather than having your foundation repaired, you just need to have it stabilized in preparation for construction. You wouldn’t want to start new project with a weak support system. Pre-construction piers are ideal for stabilizing add-ons on buildings and homes that are about to undergo construction.

4. What material is the foundation made of? – The material of your foundation can influence the type of repair service you need performed. Concrete is the most commonly used material for foundation and High Density Polyurethane Foam Injection and Concrete Pumping are just two of the most common methods to repair it. However, for brick foundation you should probably look into masonry repair services. This form of foundation repair can involve both replacing broken bricks or, in cases where replacement is not recommended, tuck pointing cracked joints in the bricks.

Regardless of which form of foundation repair you decide to go with, you’ll be guaranteed to have the highest quality service when you choose POWER Lift Foundation Repair! We offer all of the services mentioned above and more! Call us today at 800-562-5438 or fill out our contact form for your free price quote!

4 Questions to Consider Before Investing in Foundation Crack Repair in Morrisville, North Carolinaadmin2015-03-18T20:33:08+00:00

3 Things Raleigh Home Buyers Need to Keep in Mind

If you’re looking for a home in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, you probably think that you have most of the major things figured out. You have a few good neighborhoods in mind, you’ve thought about how it will affect your commute to work, and you may have even talked to a few potential neighbors to learn about the area you’re going to be living in. You already know that you need to find a home that fits your budget, but there are some other things you can do during the moving process that can save you from a lot of headaches in the future. At PowerLift Foundation Repair, we’re here to help you plan! Here are some things we think you should keep in mind during the buying process:

Always get your potential property surveyed

You never know when putting in a new shed or expanding your driveway can cause a border dispute so, before moving, you need to know exactly how far your property extends. Have a survey performed so that you know what you’re buying, and you won’t accidently upset your new neighbors. A property survey could also help you get a better idea of how much your property taxes will cost. Your tax amount is partly based on how much property you have, and obtaining an accurate map of your holdings can be beneficial in case there are any problems.

Never buy a home without performing a foundation inspection first

You’ve probably heard a lot of stories about how a good home can only stand on a solid foundation. Homes and foundations are good metaphors to use when talking about stability, mainly because foundations are crucial for the permanence, value, and livability of your home. Never buy a home without having someone come out to inspect the foundation first. Foundation crack repair could be done relatively quickly, but if you don’t handle the problem, it could cause more issues down the road.

Remember that big homes require a lot of maintenance

Your dream home may have six bedrooms, a pool, and a sprawling lawn and garden, but when you dream about your big home you probably don’t think about the work required to maintain it. Too many people make the mistake of buying a home that’s too big for them to realistically care for, and their property ends up losing value because of neglect. Unless you can afford to pay people to care for your home, only buy something that you can manage yourself.

There are a lot of things to think about when purchasing a house in Raleigh, North Carolina. For foundation work, specifically, contact us here at PowerLift Foundation Repair! We have the means and the expertise to help you create the home of your dreams.

3 Things Raleigh Home Buyers Need to Keep in Mindadmin2015-02-28T16:28:37+00:00

The Steps to Fix Foundation Cracks for Good

No Chattanooga homeowner wants to see cracks in the walls of their home or deal with a problem foundation. But when these problems happen, it’s important to repair the foundation as quickly as possible—and properly. Fortunately, at POWER Lift, we know that foundation crack repair is easier than many people think. It can be done in three steps:

Step 1: Determine if your cracks are caused by a shifting foundation

It’s possible that cracks could be caused by other issues, such as water damage. Fortunately, it’s usually easy to tell if the cracks in your home are caused by an uneven, settling foundation. In masonry, this often manifests as rows of blocks “pulling apart,” especially near the corners of the home. It can also show up in the form of cracks in interior walls of the home. Some of the surest signs of a foundation problem are actually not cracks at all, but subtler signs: uneven floors and shifting doors and windows. If doors and windows won’t close properly, or if the floors have any tilt to them, you can be certain that the cracks you’ve spotted are caused by a foundation issue.

Step 2: Have your house lifted and piers installed

There is only one method that stops the problem for good and that is raising the foundation. Foundation cracks are caused by settling (i.e. when part of the foundation is sinking into the ground). By raising it up and installing piers (supports) below it, the settling can not only be corrected but also prevented from happening again.

However, not all kinds of foundation piers are the same. Seek out steel piers that can be driven deep into the ground so that your house will ultimately be supported by bedrock. Other methods – like sliding concrete blocks under the foundation or “cable linking” multiple blocks – do not provide deep enough support and will not ultimately stop the problem.

Step 3: Patch cracks where needed

Once your foundation has been shored up with steel piers, you can simply patch the cracks wherever you find them. Masonry will often go back in place after being shored up, but fresh mortar can be applied between blocks. Plaster or filling compound can be used on interior walls and then touched up with paint. Note that patching the cracks without shoring up the foundation will not help, as they will pull open again.

What sorts of cracks have you observed in your home? Do you think they’re related to the foundation? Call or contact us at POWER Lift to see if your home requires foundation repair!

The Steps to Fix Foundation Cracks for Goodadmin2017-12-08T19:38:57+00:00

Understanding Foundation Crack Repair

With a wet climate, shallow foundations, and very mixed soil types, North Carolina has more than its fair share of foundation cracks. But good foundation crack repair can be hard to find, and this is especially true when you don’t know how it works or what sets apart a good job from a bad one. That’s why at PowerLift Foundation Repair, we’re providing this complete guide to foundation cracks—and how they should (and shouldn’t) be fixed.

To start with, let’s look at exactly what foundation cracks are and how they’re caused. That will help us understand the issue much better. Foundation cracks may appear in the concrete slab of a foundation itself, but they may also appear in many other places. Interior or exterior walls may crack (especially near doors), masonry may start to pull apart with gaps between the bricks, and floors may start to slant. All of these symptoms are caused by the same thing: settling.

Settling happens when the weight of a house pushes it down deeper into a soft underlayer, like soil, gravel or clay. This settling rarely happens uniformly across an entire foundation; it is most common in concrete slab or pier style foundations that don’t reach deep down into the earth, but it can also happen to houses with basements in some circumstances.

The only solution to settling and the cracks that it causes is to raise the house up and level out the foundation. This is done by shoring it up. It’s important to understand that there is a difference between properly shoring up a house and simply putting the

equivalent of a shim under it. A shim—a concrete block, for example—will just continue to sink into the ground and the settling will continue in short order.

Instead, new piers have to be sunk under the house. In order to successfully fix the settling, they need to go deep enough to hit bedrock. Concrete pads and “cable lock” configurations rarely manage this. Instead, steel shoring piers are needed. Once in place, they can stop settling long-term.

There is a myth among homeowners that this kind of process is expensive. The truth is that the cost is not much higher than the shim method and, unlike it, a steel pier should be a permanent or long-term fix. That means that you only have to pay for foundation repair once, instead of over and over every few years.

Until your house’s foundation is properly shored up, fixing the cracks themselves won’t help—they will just reappear once again. After the piers are installed, however, cracks can be mended and the house will be as good as new. If your North Carolina home needs help, call or contact us at PowerLift Foundation Repair!

Understanding Foundation Crack Repairadmin2015-01-13T15:29:38+00:00