• Signs of Foundation Problems - What to look for if you think you might have foundation problems
• Causes of Foundation Problems - Understand what may be happening
• Foundation Repair Methods - Learn about all of the repair options

Granite's Residential Division provides a full range of foundation repair, drainage correction and root barrier services to meet your individual needs.

The Commercial Division specializes in foundation repair for churches, apartments, storage buildings, office buildings, schools, restaurants and light industrial.

Granite Foundation Repair's knowledgeable personnel will solve your Concrete Foundation and Pier & Beam foundation problems.

Granite's commitment to you:

• Value for your money
• Professional evaluation and repairs
• Honesty and Integrity

 
Member Foundation Repair Association (FRA)

Member National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI)

Member Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas

 
Why Should You Choose Granite Foundation Repair?

Our mission is to provide an honest evaluation and 'Rock Solid' foundation repair, house leveling and drainage services backed with a fully transferable warranty. We employ highly competent, customer focused personnel using superior materials and repair methods to meet the varied needs of residential and commercial structures in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Not all homes need foundation repair or house leveling.

To keep abreast of evolving foundation repair technology, Granite personnel are members and participants in the Foundation Repair Association and the Foundation Performance Organization.

The Best Foundation Repair Method

The Granite management team routinely consults with leading structural and foundation engineers to study and evaluate the pros and cons of evolving foundation repair systems. Many foundation repair methods were developed for specific structural problems and soil conditions. It is unfortunate that some companies promote a single repair system with celebrity endorsement as "the best foundation repair system" for any foundation problem. No single foundation repair method is suitable for all types of residential and commercial foundations.

To meet your specific needs, Granite provides the industry's broadest array of repair methods. Should underpinning be required, our repair methods include steel piers, helical piers, concrete piers and mud jacking. Root barriers and Drainage correction using surface drains and French drains may be equally important for lasting repairs for concrete slab as well as pier & beam structures.

The Foundation Evaluation Process

When you call Granite Foundation Repair, rest assured that a properly trained evaluator will be dispatched to your house or commercial property. Foundation evaluation and repair is serious business.

A Granite Foundation Repair evaluator will look at the signs of foundation problems, type of structure, age, and the complex interaction of the structure with its environment. Only when all of these factors are taken into account is it possible to develop a proper foundation repair plan that draws upon the best combination of repair methods, including various underpinning methods, drainage solutions and root barriers.

Common Signs of Foundation Problems

The more often recognized signs of foundation problems are: wall cracks, floor cracks, ceiling cracks, sticking doors, cracks in brick, sloping floors that need leveling, loose or cracked floor tile, trim separation, gaps around window frames and garage doors, and interior or exterior cracks in the concrete slab.

Causes of Foundation Problems

Residential foundation and commercial building foundation performance are greatly influenced by their surroundings as well as soil type and compaction when the foundation was built. This is particularly true of the Dallas - Fort Worth area due to our highly expansive, climate sensitive, clay soils. During dry periods the soil may drop as much as 4 inches. During a wet season or due to water leaks or over watering, soil expands and rises, causing foundation upheaval. It is important for a foundation repair evaluator to look for:

• Sources of Water Such as Leaking Faucets
• Neighboring Properties related to Drainage and Watering
• Placement of Soaker Hoses
• Adequacy of Gutter Systems and Drainage Systems
• Proximity to Water including Streams, Lakes, Ponds and Pools
• Impact of Tree and Bush Roots, which may require the inclusion of a root barrier.

Checking For Floor Flatness/Level

Our evaluators will check floor flatness using a precision electronic level. There are reams of studies by professional engineers reporting that very few houses were built perfectly flat. Never the less, the elevation readings of a precision electronic lever are an important tool when used in conjunction with the visible signs of foundation problems.

Problems Unique to Pier and Beam Foundations

Pier and Beam foundations pose some special problems. Interior piers may be concrete cylinders, wooden posts, or concrete blocks. Beams rest upon the piers and support the floor joists upon which the flooring is laid. Provided there is adequate crawl space, the evaluator will look at the structure for:

• Wood Decay due to Water Rot or Termites
• Warped Beams
• Shifted Beams, Which are No Longer Supported by Piers
• Inadequate Prior Leveling with Soft, Wooden Shims
• Uneven or Bouncy Floors
• Presence of Water in the crawl space

Engineered Foundation Repair Plan

Granite always recommends that an Engineering report be prepared by a Registered Professional Engineer. An Engineer's Pre and Post Repair Reports defines the repair plan including pier placement and type, and validates that the repair was performed in accordance with strict engineering standards and applicable municipal building codes.

Limitations of Underpinning

The effect of underpinning is generally limited to 6-8 feet from the installed pier or piling. Outside of the underpinned area the foundation is free to move. When for instance, the left front corner of a square house is underpinned, the remainder of the house can continue to settle. Cracks in brick can reappear in the same areas or at the location of the last installed pier. Other portions of the house can sag, while the underpinned area is stabilized from downward movement.

Underpinning cannot stop upheaval, or upward movement of the foundation due to moisture induced soil expansion common in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mesquite, Plano, Richardson and surrounding areas.

Regions of North Texas with Foundation Damaging Soils

Active soil conditions damage foundations in Dallas - Fort Worth and neighboring cities including Mesquite, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Richland Hills, Denton, DeSoto, Frisco, McKinney, Waxahachie, Cedar Hill, Irving, Plano, Lewisville, Coppell, South Lake, The Colony, Forney, Richardson, Rockwall, Allen, Farmers Branch, Rowlett, Waxahachie and Greenville.

The Foundation Repair Method of Choice

Granite Foundation Repair firmly believes that the repair method with the greatest potential of extending underpinning support below DFW area clay soils is steel piers. Granite's high carbon steel piers are typically pushed to a hard rocky substrate, which may be as deep as 80 feet. Granite's Pre-Cast Concrete Pilings are installed with water injection and pushed to refusal at depths of 10 feet to 25 feet. Poured concrete piers attain a depth of 10 feet to12 feet.

Granite Foundation Repair recognizes that process control is vital for the proper installation of any underpinning system. That is why we have a documented installation process for each pier and piling system.

For Phone Consultation or a Free, No Obligation Evaluation, call us now at 972-504-6644 or 817-909-2016 or contact us at Info@GraniteFoundationRepair.com.