Cracks in the building are signs of the poor health of the structure that can happen for many reasons, but the most concerning is when the cracks point to foundation damage. Although we take care of the building by repairing and painting, the focus is always on visible areas. Since the foundation is invisible, seldom we think about looking after it. Damages visible to the building structures in the form of deep cracks at various places like wall cracks, floor cracks, sloping floors, bowing walls, leaning chimney and doors and windows sticking are signs of damage to the foundation that imbalanced the building structure and resulted in the cracks.
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Foundation damage can happen due to faulty construction, the chances of which are quite less. Most damages occur due to soil expansion from heavy rain and flooding that puts pressure on the foundation and damages it. Companies that offer pier and beam foundation repair in the Houston TX area handle all kinds of foundation repair by undertaking some of the advanced repairing techniques described below.
Concrete and steel piers
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At places where the clay soil condition is poor, concrete, and steel piers for foundation repair are highly effective. The process consists of drilling piers about 10-15 feet under the foundation. Another method is to pour concrete into the drilled holes for fabricating the piers. Both drilled and poured piers take about 1-2 weeks to settle and often reinforced with rebars fully. For advanced foundation repair, steel piers are more suitable as it can be drilled much deeper into the ground upto a depth of 60-70 feet.
Soil injection
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Soil injection is also known as injection stabilization, uses potassium ions to alter the soil constitution. This technique is suitable to encounter the expansiveness of clay soil. Injecting potassium-based chemical solutions in the soil helps to create a more stable soil zone. It eliminates the chances of foundation damage from soil shifting and heaving of the foundations. Soil injection is a method of foundation repair that is cheaper than excavating and replacing clay soil during construction. This is the most advanced foundation repair technique as it reduces soil swelling permanentlyand more effective than other techniques.
Helical pilings
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Also known as screw piles, helical pilings are also used for foundation repair. The pilings are drilled into the ground, just like fixing metal screws in a wooden block. The technique requires less effort, which makes it more cost-effective. Helical piers are suitable for repairing pier and beam foundations, which are lighter. The depth and strength of the foundation determine if helical pilings are useful by considering the circumstances as it might not always be suitable. For foundation and house leveling, helical pilings are highly effective.
Mud jacking
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Mud is the other name of concrete in the construction industry, and slab jacking or mud jacking is the process of repairing and raising a slab foundation by injecting concrete under the foundation under high pressure. This advanced foundation repair technique uses a lower strength concrete to repair.
The experts of the foundation repair company can decide which technique will suit your needs at The Architecture Designs.