Archive for the ‘Foundation Repair Method’ Category

Should I use a Steel Pier or Pressed Concrete Piling to Repair my Foundation Problem?

Saturday, January 1st, 2011

Steel and pressed concrete pilings/piers are the most commonly use foundation underpinning repair methods in North Texas.

Except in areas of shallow rock, the goal with underpinning should always be to drive it deep enough into the earth so as not to be effected by seasonal changes in moisture. In North Texas that depth is generally recognized by engineers as around 12 feet.

Steel piers are the preferred method for most long term foundation repairs. Steel piers are driven in sections to either load bearing strata or rock.  Depths may be as great as 70 feet.

Pressed concrete pilings are a lower cost alternative to steel piers.   Concrete cylinders are driven to refusal in clay soil. Refusal in the Dallas Fort Worth area typically occurs at a depth of 8 to 15 feet, dependent upon soil moisture and weight of the foundation.   If the installer does not use water injection, depth may be somewhat more limited.

If you can afford the cost differential, always choose steel.    To learn more about the two systems, click here. You will find a very detailed comparison of the systems.

Straight steel pier driven deep to load bearing strata, typically rock. Illustration courtesy Granite Foundation Repair

Straight steel pier driven deep to load bearing strata, typically rock. Illustration courtesy Granite Foundation Repair

Pressed concrete cylinders are driven to load bearing strata. Typically compressed clay. Illustration courtesy Granite Foundation Repair.

Pressed concrete cylinders are driven to load bearing strata. Typically compressed clay. Illustration courtesy Granite Foundation Repair.

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Posted in Foundation Repair Method, Helical Piers, Pressed Concrete Pier or Piling, Steel Pier for Foundation Repair, foundation repair methods | 1 Comment »

What is the Best Foundation Repair Method for my slab house in the Dallas Ft Worth Texas area?

Saturday, December 11th, 2010

Before we can advise you on the best foundation repair method to fix your problem, we need to understand the nature of you problem.

In North Texas foundation problems typically arise from either settlement or heave.

Heave is caused by the expansion of clay soil. Expansion occurs when the moisture level increases in clay.  Heave may be induced by poor drainage or plumbing problems.

Settlement problems may arise from improper soil compaction, slope failure, or soil erosion.

Soil erosion is caused by either a plumbing leak or bad drainage.  Soil erosion problems are relatively rare.

Slope failure is common in hilly regions or near streams or in coastal areas.     Slope failure is relatively uncommon in much of the Dallas Ft Worth Metroplex.  There are some problematic hilly areas and houses near streams which require careful evaluation.

Often, soil settlement arises from soil consolidation.   Consolidation problems arise when the property developer fails to adequately compact the clay during site preparation.  Clay is exceptionally hard to compact.

The Foundation Repair Association has developed a program to train inspectors to look to the root cause of the foundation problem, be it heave or settlement, before making a specific repair recommendation.

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Why are pressed concrete pilings or piers used for foundation repair?

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

Almost half of failed house foundations in the North Texas area have had foundation repair using pressed concrete pilings.

When properly installed, pressed concrete pilings provide good long term stability.  They are a practical, low cost alternative to steel piers.

Steel piers are often better than pressed concrete piers in the Dallas Ft Worth area, as they are consistently driven to rock.  Click here to read an article which compares the two foundation repair methods.

Here  are  4 reasons why pressed concrete piers are  offered by many foundation repair companies that do not offer steel piers for underpinning a foundation.

  1. The cost of steel pier installation equipment is 5 times the cost of pressed piling foundation repair equipment.  This means that the cost of getting into the repair business is much cheaper for companies that offer only pressed pilings.
  2. The cost of material for a typical steel pier underpinning is 3 times that of pressed concrete pilings.
  3. Most contractors do not have adequate facilities to manufacture steel pier brackets and cut high carbon tubular steel sections.
  4. Less scrupulous contractors can take short cuts with pressed concrete pilings, greatly reducing installation time and cost.

In areas where the distance to rock is over 100 feet, such as much of Houston, pressed concrete pilings are a good solution for foundation repair.  Pressed concrete pilings seldom go deeper than 10 to 15 feet in most of the Dallas Ft Worth Metroplex due to the high density of clay soil. Pressed steel piers go through clay like a hot knife through butter, to provide a consistently reliable foundation support system.

In dry conditions Granite Foundation Repair will water inject the soil.  Water injection provides maximum pressed concrete piling depth, which equates to best long term performance.

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Why are steel piers usually preferred for foundation repair in North Texas

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

3 reason why steel piers are the best foundation repair for slabs that need underpinning in our area:

  1. Steel piers are almost always driven to rock or a solid load bearing strata while concrete cylinders are driven to refusal.
  2. Steel piers provide minimal stress to the foundation during the driving process.  This is because steel piers are one-fourth the surface area of pressed concrete pilings.
  3. The installation process is independent of the work crew.  Compare this with pressed concrete where the depth of the installation is sharply dependent on the skill and integrity of the installation crew. You can’t level a foundation with steel piers until the steel has gone all the way to rock.   Installation depth varies from 10 feet to 70 feet for steel piers.

For a detailed comparison of steel and pressed concrete pier foundation repair methods, click here.

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Is there an advanced foundation repair method That will Restore my Foundation to Like New?

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

In many cases, the latest advanced foundation repair methods in general use in the industry will come close to restoring your foundation to like new.  The professionals at Granite Foundation Repair work with you to select the most reliable, proven, and advanced foundation repair method that will meet your foundation repair needs at an affordable price.

Sometimes we find that foundation repair has been postponed for far too long.  There is a general rule of thumb used by engineers that regardless of the advanced foundation repair method used, only one half to two thirds of elevation loss will be regained. This is particularly true when foundations have dropped in excess of four inches.

The reason for an inability to regain all of the elevation loss is that in addition to foundation movement, walls, ceiling and roofs have moved.  With time and heat, the wooden members tend to take a rigid set.  While we can lift a foundation in minutes, it will take weeks for the rest of the structure to adjust to the new foundation elevations.

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I Need to Know More About Advanced Foundation Repair Methods

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

Foundation repair contractors are know to over hype advanced foundation repair methods.  There are fundamentals, and there is fluff.

In the Dallas Ft Worth area, the most advanced foundation repair is the one that provides long term results for your foundation problem at an affordable foundation repair cost.

Over the past 20 years, there have been significant advances in foundation repair for houses sitting on clay and black gumbo soils that are so prevalent in the Dallas Ft Worth area of North Texas.  For most houses, the foundation repair method of choice is either a helical steel or straight steel piling.  Coming in second is pressed concrete pilings, which tend to be lower in cost.

For a comparison of pressed concrete pilings and steel pilings, turn to the article here.

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Granite Foundation Repair Describes the Problems with Mudjacking a Concrete Slab Foundation

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

There is no doubt that mudjacking can be used  to lift a concrete slab foundation.  The process entails pumping a slurry of portland cement and soil under high pressure through holes drilled into a concrete slab.

In many cases, mudjacking is the least expensive method of foundation repair, and the most expensive method of foundation repair. Rather than lift the structure with underpinning, the slurry is pumped through holes drilled in the slab and spaced 3 to 6 feet apart.

As its name implies, mudjacking can be used to “jack up” or lift a sagging foundation.

Four reasons why you don’t want to have your house mudjacked.

  1. As a void fill process after foundation lifting, it can lead to serious foundation problems in clay soil regions of Texas. When a void is filled between a lifted slab and the ground, better watch out.  Should the clay soil moisture increase due to a plumbing leak or heavy rain, the ground will swell. Pushing upward on the void fill material gets translated into pushing upward on the slab, causing the slab to heave.
  2. When lifting a house, if the mudjacking technician loses attention for a minute, the house can be over lifted.  There is no economical way to remove the excess cement/soil slurry mixture.
  3. A mud jacking slurry can find its way into a weak septic line.  In one instance, the slurry went all the way to the main sewer line in the street.  That became a $16000 problem with city.
  4. Plumbing is seldom cemented into the slab. The voids around a water pipe can allow the mud jacking slurry to enter the wall, rising until the sheetrock blows out.   It has also been know to raise bath tubs and shower pans.

The bottom line is that Granite Foundation Repair will never recommend mudjacking. It is far to easy to cause extensive house damage when using mudjacking to void fill or lift a house.

There are several valid purposes for mudjacking including:  lifting patio additions, lifting driveways, and lifting sidewalks.

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What is The Correct Pier Spacing for Foundation Repair for a Concrete Slab House?

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

The Foundation Performance Association has established guidelines for foundation underpinning in Texas.

While there are a lot of specific rules, and some exceptions, here are the five generalized guidelines for pier spacing:

  • Pier separation along exterior walls no greater than 8 feet for a single story, and 6 feet for a two story, regardless of pier type.
  • A two foot by five foot masonry fireplace shall be supported by 3 piers for single story and 4 piers for two story.
  • In a wall setback  situation, such as a front porch with entry door, a setback of more than 3 feet and less than 9 feet shall require a minimum of 4 piers.
  • A monolithic wing wall of more than 3 feet shall require a support every 8 feet.
  • Piling/pier supports shall be placed at each corner where an exterior wall changes direction, with at least one piling support on each side of the corner piling.

When pier/piling spacing guidelines are not followed, often in order to save cost or discount a foundation repair, the foundation may later fail.

Granite Foundation Repair is a member of the Foundation Performance Association.


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Discount Foundation Repair in Dallas Ft Worth Texas/ Part 3 in a Series

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

This is part of a continuing series. Don’t be mis-lead by deep discount foundation repair .

A disreputable foundation repair company will short drive piers/pilings. Saves on material cost and installation time.   It is easy to drive short pilings in clay soil when concrete cylinders are used.  And for a couple of years, all will look fine.  But don’t be mislead.  Read on:

Pressed concrete piling depth is achieved by using hydraulic force against the weight of the house.  The dryer the clay, the more force is required to achieve pier depth.   The goal in driving pilings is to drive downward to the zone of minimal seasonal moisture variation, or rock.  At the zone of minimal seasonal moisture variation, the pier provides maximum long term support.

Four most concrete slab house repairs, at Granite Foundation Repair, we prefer steel pilings, which always drive to rock.  A lot can be done though to drive concrete cylinders/piers/pilings to maximum depth.  During dry weather, there are several tricks that a discount foundation repair company can use to level your house while attaining a pier depth of 3-5 feet.  This depth is good enough to lift the house, but not to provide long term stability.

What is the foundation repair company’s warranty and remedy for a sinking pier?  ADD MORE STEEL SHIMS. That often fails to stop future subsidence.

Here are 3 ways to achieve maximum depth, maximum stability, which the discounter will avoid:

1. Water injection:  At Granite Foundation Repair, we typically hydrate dry clay soil in 3-5 spots per pier using high pressure water injection.

2. Slow, steady hydraulic driving: A patient installation crew member can achieve 2-5 more feet of depth by using a slow push.

3. Don’t take breaks: When the drive of a single piling is interrupted for more than about 20 minutes, the force to resume the drive increases exponentially with time.  During a drive, a cone of soil occurs at the end of the concrete pier. When the drive stops, the cone disappears.  Resuming the drive means overcoming the forces of flat clay resistance.  Also, during a continuous drive, clay particles slip past the porous concrete. Stop the drive and the clay sticks to the cylinder.

Good stable foundation repair is as much about the process as it is about the base material.  Discount foundation repair is all about taking shortcuts to save the installer money.  In the long run the homeowner may have a lot more problems as a result of deeply discounted foundation repair.

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Patented foundation repair method – is this best?

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Your foundation needs repair, and one company offers a patented foundation repair method at a higher cost.  Is this good?

In areas like Plano, Dallas and Fort Worth, the soil and the structure determine the best foundation repair method.  About 6-8 years ago at a membership meeting of the Foundation Repair Association, one company spokesman was asked.. why did you get a patent on XYZ? The response.. we needed a marketing edge.

A marketing edge is not what you need.   You need the foundation repair method that meets the needs of your house, your situation.  We are not saying that the patent is without merit.  We are saying that the problem dictates the best foundation repair method.  One patent will not solve all of the problems in the Dallas Fort Worth region.

A foundation on deep sand seldom needs any type of repair.  A foundation on deep clay would be best served by lifting the whole structure off the clay.

It is seldom practical to perform a whole house lift. Furthermore, the structural benefit of a whole house lift seldom warrants the cost.

When a foundation repair company tauts, our method is best because it is patented… watch out. You may be snookered.

At Granite Foundation Repair we offer the broadest selection of foundation repair methods, because your house deserves the best foundation repair method for its particular situation. And sometimes, the best method is not underpinning.  It may be as simple as drainage correction.

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Concrete slab foundation repair using a french drain. Is this possible?

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Adding piers is not always the solution to a foundation problem. Particularly a heaved foundation.

Our expansive clay soils  in the Dallas and Fort Worth area wouldn’t be a problem if kept uniformly moist (not wet) all the way around the foundation. When an area of a foundation is consistently moister than the rest of the house, the foundation will heave in that area.

The best way to achieve uniform moisture and reduce or even eliminate the heave in a concrete slab may be a combination of drainage correction, adjusting watering, and by adding a strategically placed french drain.

An effective french drain is typically installed to a depth at least as deep as the bottom of the foundation beam.  This depth assures the removal of sub-surface water.

A french drain will not fix a heaved foundation overnite.  It may take 6 to 12 months to stabilize.  But for sure, a french drain can be a smarter repair than raising the unheaved foundation to the heaved level.

If you are an investor looking to buy and flip a house with foundation problems that include a severe heave problem, you had better allocate a year for the foundation repair.  First fix the water caused problems, the source of the upheaval. Then, after allowing 6 to 12 months for moisture stabilization, determine if the foundation needs underpinning.

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Which repair method is best for my concrete slab foundation in Dallas?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

The best repair method is the one that takes into account the needs of the structure and the objectives of the homeowner.

If your concrete slab house was built in the past 15 years, most often straight steel piers are the best. They are driven to load bearing strata, and I don’t just mean compacted clay.

With older concrete slab foundations, houses are usually best repaired using straight steel or helical steel piers.   Helical steel piers are the preferred method if the concrete is not strong enough to stand up to the driving force required of straight steel.

By comparison, concrete cylinders require 4 times the driving force of steel due to the difference in diameters.  Steel has an end surface area of 6 square inches, while concrete has an end surface area of 28 square inches.   This comes from the equation for end surface area of a cylinder: A=πr2

In general, pressed concrete piers are inherently cheaper than steel piers due to the material cost of steel.   Poured concrete are a little cheaper, but quite destructive to landscaping and with no assurance that they are on load bearing soil or strata.

At leased one foundation repair company markets a hybrid steel and concrete pier priced as if it were the premier foundation repair method in Dallas and Fort Worth.  With good marketing and a million dollar spokesperson, it sells.

As a general rule, steel piers drive consistently to hard load bearing strata. Concrete cylinders, and concrete cylinder pilings mixed with steel will drive to compacted clay.  The cylinders exert too much frictional force to drive as deep as pure steel.

For more info, see a comparison of steel and concrete at Granite Foundation Repair.com

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What is the cost to repair my concrete slab foundation in Dallas?

Monday, October 5th, 2009

A full site inspection is required to accurately assess the cost of foundation repair.  For those of you who want the quick answer, call a foundation repair contractor such as Granite, which serves Dallas and other areas of North Texas.

Here is a list of some of the items that effect the cost of foundation repair.

  • The type of foundation problem – heave and settlement are the two most common problems
  • The cause of the foundation problem - this may include foundation maintenance, soil type, soil consolidation, soil erosion, moisture, plumbing, soil slumping, retainer wall failure, etc.
  • Physical integrity and construction quality of the foundation
  • Foundation type – Generally there  are 4 types per FHA, but more enhancements have occurred as of late.  The building code in effect at the time of construction may not have been adequate for expansive clay soil in Dallas.
  • Extent of the foundation problem. -whole house or localized area of the house
  • Goals of the owner – make it like new, quick fix, partial fix
  • Foundation repair method.

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What is the best foundation repair method for houses in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano and Flower Mound?

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Don’t be fooled by the concept that one foundation repair method is suitable for all foundation problems.  The only thing that one foundation repair method does is to save cost for the foundation repair company.

At Granite Foundation Repair we choose the foundation repair method that is best for the structure.  This selection method isn’t perfect, but it is a lot better than one size fits all.

Concrete slab foundation repairs include the use of straight steel piers, helical steel piers, pressed concrete piers, and poured concrete piers.

Pier and beam foundation repair methods include: shimming, beam replacement, beam reinforcement with steel, straight steel piers, helical steel piers and poured concrete piers.  Note that we have left out pressed concrete piers, as a pier and beam house is usually not heavy enough to support the forces needed to drive concrete cylinders.

The best foundation repair method is the one that best serves your foundation problems, whether you live in Plano,Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Dallas or neighboring cities in North Texas.

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