Foundation Repair

From imperfect construction to hydrostatic pressure from the earth to the entire weight of the house, the foundation of your home continually deals with pressure from all sides. When outside pressures becoms too much for the foundation, your home faces a variety of problems ranging from superficial to possibly devastating. Many Basement Systems dealers specialize in foundation repair and basement wall reinforcement as well as basement waterproofing.

Foundation Flaws Created During Construction

“If a house is new, then the foundation must be strong.” This is, unfortunately, a very common misconception with new homeowners. The truth of the matter is that it is not uncommon for new homes to have cracks in their foundation. Regardless of your home’s age, every crack is a separate problem in your foundation that could potentially be compromising the structural integrity of your house. If pressure created the cracks and is not addressed, then it will continue to add strain to an already weakened structure. The continued weight of the home will forever continue to load its burden upon the foundation.

Four reasons a new foundation can form cracks:

1. The natural drying, hardening, and curing process of concrete creates vertical cracks on some basement walls as the substance dries and hardens. Depending on conditions during the installation of the foundation (including the temperature of the air, the density of the particulates, the temperature of the concrete, the humidity of the day, and various other factors) concrete curing can take up to ten years, although year's one to three is when curing cracks typically occur. During this time additional cracks can form, with the first cracks often forming within the first two weeks of the walls being constructed. Many of these cracks will not pose a significant structural concern, but all foundation cracks should be monitored and taken seriously. Click here to go to concrete.org and read an article about the factors that can make newly poured concrete stronger or weaker.
2. The concrete foundation undergoes severe stress when it’s first laid. To save time and money, foundations are always backfilled before the concrete has time to harden and settle. The impact upon the walls from the sudden pressure of backfill - combined with impacts from rocks striking the outer foundation wall as the area is filled - can easily damage the wall. Until the construction is complete, the foundation is not protected from the temperature changes from the outside. This forces the concrete to expand and contract with all temperature changes.
3. When concrete is mixed, vibrating rods are inserted that shake air bubbles in the mix to the top. If this is done improperly or too quickly, large air bubbles become part of the concrete in your foundation. These bubbles make poured concrete foundations weaker. To make matters worse, these air pockets expand and cool at different rates than the cement. This causes further deterioration and cracking of the cement.
4. If too much water is mixed into the concrete, the concrete is weakened and much more subject to early flaking and spalling.

For more information on basement foundation repair, visit Foundation SupportWorks and sign up for a free foundation repair estimate and inspection.