People are always looking for the best that their money can buy. This goes for everything from a new car to foundation repair services.

It is important to detect warning signs of foundation problems early on. If you spot cracks in walls or floors, call contractors right away. There are several different foundation repair methods available, including slab jacking.

This technique uses low-pressure injections to bond and fill cracks in a concrete foundation wall. It is an extremely effective way of repairing cracks in residential poured concrete foundation walls, and is commonly called “concrete welding.” The epoxy injected into the cracked area is a strong material that will seal off moisture and any other contaminants from entering your home.

Before any crack injections can begin, the crack must be cleaned using a pressure washer or vacuum system. This step is vital to ensure that the surface of the crack will adhere to the injection material. It is also important to clean out any water that may be seeping through the crack. Moisture can damage the injection process and lead to reoccurring leaks, mold, fungus and other unwanted side effects.

Once the crack has been cleaned, injection ports will be installed. These are small plastic tubes that will allow the injection chemical to enter the crack. The injection ports will be placed adjacent to and angled into the crack, creating an ideal delivery system for the injection material. The expert from Accurate Basement will already have determined what kind of injection material is needed and will have the appropriate chemicals and materials prepared before beginning work.

An epoxy surface seal paste is then applied to the cracked wall surfaces, including the edges of the crack. This improves adhesion, prevents water from seeping in around the crack and helps to make the repair job look more appealing when it is completed.

The injection process begins by injecting the injection epoxy from the surface port locations, starting from the lowest point and moving up. A concrete repair professional will monitor the epoxy level and crack filling to ensure that the injection material is evenly distributed throughout the entire crack width. As the epoxy levels drop, the professional will move to a new injection port location until the crack is filled.

For more difficult or larger cracks, it is sometimes necessary to preform a technique known as “v-notching.” This involves opening up (or “v-notching”) the existing crack with a saw or grinder, and then cleaning the opening with a vacuum system. This allows for more thorough injection of the epoxy and is a great method for repairing extremely wide cracks.

Concrete Piers

Drilled concrete piers, also known as piles or caissons, are a foundation repair method that transfers your house’s weight onto a deeper layer of more stable soil. They’re frequently used in new construction to address unstable ground conditions that could cause shifting or settling over time.

In the drilled concrete method, your foundation repair crew will use an auger — a type of heavy machinery that resembles a massive corkscrew — to drill a vertical shaft beneath your house. The length of this shaft will depend on your location and climate. In general, it should be drilled at least a foot beyond the “frost line,” which is the depth where your soil freezes in winter.

Once the holes are drilled, they will be filled with liquid concrete and allowed to cure. When this process is completed, the drilled concrete piers will be structurally sound enough to support your house.

However, drilled concrete piers are vulnerable to water damage. This can lead to rusting of the steel reinforcing bars within the concrete, and it may also lead to concrete spalling. It’s important to know that a drilled concrete pier is not the best option for your home, especially if you live in an area with high moisture content.

A galvanized steel pier is the preferred pier method for most foundation repair projects. They’re able to be pushed deeper into the earth than concrete piers, and they’re a great solution for unstable clay-based soil. In fact, they’re often used in underpinning for concrete slab foundations and are the best solution for a foundation repair project that’s designed to stabilize your home’s sinking foundation and lift it back toward its original, level position. The only drawbacks to using steel piers are that they can rust, and they’re more expensive than concrete piers. However, for many homeowners, this is a minor price to pay in order to have a long-lasting and effective foundation repair solution. These piers can be attached to hydraulic bottle jacks, which can then be utilized to lift your house’s foundation into its correct place.

Steel Piers

Steel piers, also called push piers, resistance piers or deep foundation piers, are another great solution for lifting and stabilizing buildings. They’re often favored over concrete piers because they can be driven much further into the soil. Additionally, these piers can be installed with minimal disruption to the structure’s existing foundation. Whether the structural issues are due to settlement, shifting of the building or erosion of the existing foundation, the use of steel piers can provide a permanent lift that will stop further movement and save your property from potential damage.

This method of repair is particularly effective for homes and business with serious foundation problems. Typically, the warning signs for these issues include cracks in masonry walls or exterior brick, doors that don’t open properly, and floors that are uneven. These symptoms can be quite dangerous and if left untreated, the problem can quickly get worse.

Unlike bracketed piers, which place the pier head on a bracket on the side of the home or business, steel piers are driven directly into the ground. This direct support system allows them to reach deeper load bearing strata or bedrock, and it can significantly reduce the need for future repairs. Additionally, they’re often less expensive than other traditional piering methods and can be a great choice for environmentally conscious property owners.

The installation process for these piers is relatively fast and minimally disruptive to the property. First, the crew will drill small holes into the foundation, either by hand or with a smaller variation of an auger drill. Then, a hydraulic press is used to drive the steel pipes vertically into the soil until they reach a stronger sub-strata beneath the surface. Generally, these piers can be driven up to 75 feet into the ground.

This method of repair has become a go-to for many homeowners in the Dallas area because of its success in penetrating thick Texas clay soils that resist pressed concrete and hybrid steel and concrete piers. Additionally, steel piers can be installed with a 75% smaller access hole than concrete piers.

Wall Anchors

Wall anchors are a foundation repair technique that’s used to help distribute the weight of something mounted on a wall or in a crawlspace. Like mudjacking, they’re an alternative to the more expensive and time-consuming polyurethane injection method for lifting interior concrete foundations and floors.

Home inspectors, the FHA, HUD and engineers often recommend wall anchors for homes that have suffered from bowing walls due to excessive lateral pressure on the house’s foundation. They are an effective solution for stabilizing a foundation while allowing the homeowner to continue living in the home during repairs.

There are many different kinds of drywall anchors. Some, like standard plastic expansion anchors, are hammered into pre-drilled pilot holes while others are designed to be installed with screw drives without the need for any pre-drilling. Most come with a set of instructions that should be followed carefully.

Another popular type of drywall anchor is the self-drilling anchor, which has a drill tip and wide screw fins that allow it to sit tight in a stud or hollow wall. It’s also available in metal, which has more holding capacity than plastic.

A snap toggle is another type of drywall anchor that’s easier to install than traditional toggle bolts. Unlike other toggle bolts, the wings of a snap toggle are permanently locked in a small plate at the end of its body. It’s a little more tricky to remove than other toggle bolts, but with careful application you can pull it out of the hole and reuse the old wall hanging hole (provided it wasn’t damaged by the toggle bolt).

Finally, a molly bolt drywall anchor is a heavy-duty option that looks a bit like a metal version of an expansion anchor. They require a bit more effort to install, but they’re very durable. The pointed end of a molly bolt spreads open in the entry hole when a screw is driven into it, which provides a wider hold pattern behind the wall. It’s important to use a large enough hole for a molly bolt, so be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.