Foundation Repair Mudjacking

Mudjacking, also called slabjacking, for foundation repair is a process that raises a sunken foundation by injecting a slurry of material below a concrete slab.  The slurry is often a mix of cement and soda ash. Urethane foam injection accomplishes the same result.

This process works fine when the foundation drop was caused by soil consolidation due to poor soil compaction.   It is great for regions of the country that only have sandy soil.

Dallas and Fort Worth soils have a high clay content. As clay dries, it shrinks.  When clay becomes hydrated, gets moist, it expands.

The simplicity of mudjacking is that for a relatively low cost, it will raise a foundation above the lowered soil.   Two of the reasons that Dallas Fort Worth foundation fails are interrelated: clay soil consolidation and clay soil drying.

When mudjacking is performed over partially dry clay soil, it will fill the void between clay and slab, and using relatively low pressure, raise the slab.  A problem arises when the underlying clay hydrates and expands.    Since the void between soil and foundation is already filled with the mudjacking slurry material,  the hydrated clay expansion will push the slab upwards, causing it to heave.  So for instance a slab that had dropped 2 inches and been mudjacked to zero, will now rise 2 inches above zero. The soil heave will cause additional house damage.

Granite Foundation Repair never recommends mudjacking on clay soils due to the potential for unintended heave.  It is also why we will not fill the void that arises when piers are used to lift a foundation. What we do recommend is Steel Pier foundation repair.

By using Steel Piers for foundation repair, results will be long lasting and stable.

Every home is different, and another solution may fit the situation better, however steel piers provide the highest quality result.

Contact Granite Foundation Repair today for more information.

Best Foundation Repair Method – Steel versus Concrete

Steel piers are normally the best foundation repair method over concrete piers for the Dallas Fort Worth area.  Our warranty experience is evidence of that fact.

Straight Steel piers are always driven to shale or bedrock at depths of up to 80 feet.   Concrete Piers are typically driven to a maximum depth of 10-20 feet due to the resistance of expansive clay soils.

Why such a difference in pier depth?  3 inch diameter steel piers are far easier to push into the ground than 6 inch diameter concrete.   Steel piers require ¼ the drive force to obtain the same depth as concrete piers.  For a comparison, try pressing a hammer handle and a high heel into your yard.

Both pier systems depend upon the opposing force, the weight of the foundation, to drive the piers.   The available force for most houses is in the range of 4000 to 8000 PSI.    The best that one can hope for in driving pressed concrete is shallow rock, and that all of the soil is pushed out from the base of the pressed concrete using water injection.

These statements are applicable to areas of shallow shale or bedrock. In regions where the hard surface is hundreds of feet thick, concrete piers are preferable to steel and are the only practical choice. For actual field test results, see the following article:  Comparison of Steel Piers and Pressed Concrete Piers for Residential Foundation Repair

Straight steel pier driven deep to load to rock or shale.  Illustration courtesy Granite Foundation Repair

Straight steel pier driven deep to load to rock or shale. Illustration courtesy Granite Foundation Repair

For your free foundation inspection, contact Granite Foundation Repair today. When deciding on the appropriate foundation repair method, it is important to have all the information before making a decision.

Why use concrete pilings or piers for foundation repair?

Almost half of failed house foundations in the North Texas area, including Dallas and Ft. Worth, have used pressed concrete pilings for foundation repair.

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.  Compare Steel Pier and Concrete Piling 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.

Each foundation is unique and will be evaluated by Granite Foundation Repair for the best foundation repair method. Contact Granite Foundation Repair today for a free foundation inspection.

Steel pier foundation repair in Dallas

Why are steel piers typically the preferred repair method in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas?

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.

Read a detailed comparison of steel and pressed concrete pier foundation repair methods.

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

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.

Discounted Foundation Repair in Dallas Fort Worth Texas Part One of a Series

Far too many companies prey upon homeowners with the lure of discounted foundation repair.  This series of articles will touch upon several ways a foundation repair company can offer cheap, discounted foundation repair.

Part one: Are materials cheaper?  The foundation repair material is only cheaper if the discount foundation repair company uses inferior foundation repair materials.

One way to do this is to use low quality concrete pour samples, given away free by the state and federal highway concrete test houses.  The 12 inch cylinder looks like a normal pier component, but the giveaway is the absence of a hole in the center.  During highway construction, concrete samples are poured and tested for strength.  The lot of samples is retained until all reports are submitted. Then, pass or fail, the samples are scrap for the test house and given away to anyone who wants to cart them off.

So ask to see a sample of the pressed concrete pier before you sign the contract.  Then, be present during installation.

At Granite Foundation Repair we buy from reputable manufacturers who have submitted representative concrete cylinder pier samples to an independent test house.

Patented foundation repair method – is this best?

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.

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

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.

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

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.