Prevent Settlement Sinking with Foundation Repair
Many Davenport homeowners need foundation settlement repair at some point, and it’s important to be able to identify the signs before the problem becomes worse.
Telltale signs of foundation damage include:
- Wall and floor cracks
- Tilting chimneys
- Sticking doors & windows
- Uneven interior floors
Our foundation settlement repair experts in Davenport can help you identify foundation issues and recommend a solution to fix it. Contact us today to schedule your free estimate!
Some types of soil are stronger than others.
There are usually a number of different soil layers underneath a house. Foundation settlement can occur when one of these soil layers can't support the weight of the home.
The Importance of Identifying Foundation Problems
Serious foundation problems often develop over several months or even years before they may become noticeable, but it’s important to try and identify these problems sooner rather than later. Even subtle signs of foundation damage can be identified and could save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run. If you notice your Davenport home is developing wall or floor cracks, a tilting chimney, sticking doors or windows, or uneven interior floors; give us a call.
Signs of Foundation Settlement
While some signs of foundation settlement may be obvious, others may be harder to notice. Below are the most common signs of foundation settlement that every homeowner should keep an eye out for:
STAIR-STEP CRACKING
If your home has a brick exterior, keep an eye out for stair-step cracks between the bricks. This is a very common sign of foundation settlement as the pressure from the settlement causes the bricks to separate and crack between the mortar.
TILTING CHIMNEYS
A tilting chimney is a sign of foundation damage. If you notice your chimney separating from your home, your foundation could be settling into the ground and pulling the chimney away from your house.
DAMAGED DOORS & WINDOWS
If your doors and windows are jammed or starting to crack in the corners, this could be a sign of foundation damage. The pressure from the settlement is causing damage around your doors and windows and making them difficult to use.
SLAB FLOOR CRACKING
Cracks in your slab floor could be a sign of either foundation settlement or just settlement of the slab itself. Nevertheless, if you notice floor cracks, it’s best to get it inspected right away in case it becomes a serious problem.
DRYWALL CRACKS
Cracks in your drywall are an obvious sign of foundation settlement as the pressure from the settlement sinking causes your walls to crack.
Concrete Underpinning: Concrete
At MidAmerica Basement Systems, we install foundation piers to fix your failing foundation and provide permanent stability. Depending on your home’s situation, we offer three different kinds of piers: push piers, helical piers, and slab piers. Our Davenport area foundation settlement repair specialists will determine which type of pier is best for your home during your inspection.
Push piers connect the foundation to strong, stable soil or bedrock.
Foundation piers attach to the base of the foundation with special brackets and extend through settling and unstable soil layers, transferring the weight of your home to competent soils or bedrock.
Push Piers
Foundation push piers include straight, steel piers that at drilled deep into the ground until load-bearing soil is reached. The piers are then attached to your foundation with brackets to support your home’s structure. Once the piers are installed, the weight of your home is transferred onto the piers and our crew attempts to lift your foundation back to its original place.
Helical Piers
Helical piers are steel piers that have blades attached to them, resembling a large screw. These types of piers are essentially “screwed” into the ground with hydraulics until competent soil is reached. Foundation brackets are then attached to the footing for a secure position. At this point, your home is transferred onto the piers and we attempt to lift it back up.
Illustration of foundation helical piers stabilizing a home.
Like push piers, helical piers are attached to the foundation by mounting a bracket. Helical piers include rotating blades that are advanced (or screwed) into the soil.
Slab piers can stabilize a settling concrete slab.
When the soil beneath a concrete slab shrinks or settles, the slab itself is also likely to settle, often cracking in the process.
Slab piers restore stability by connecting the slab to competent soil at greater depth. Slab piers are not appropriate for supporting foundation walls or repairing damage caused by foundation heave.
Slab Pier
Slab piers are used for concrete floors that have settled to support the slab and lift it back into place. They are straight steel piers that are drilled deep into the ground until competent soils are reached. After the slab is stabilized, we pump grout into the soil to fill any voids.
Foundation Repair Methods We Don’t Recommend
There are other foundation settlement repair methods that we do not recommend using. Many other companies use these methods, but we have found that they are much more disruptive, expensive, and do not offer a permanent solution like piers do.
Total Foundation Replacement
We recommend avoiding a complete foundation replacement whenever possible. If your foundation is too far gone it may need to be replaced, but often times it can simply be repaired rather than replaced. After replacing your foundation, you may face settlement in the future and be faced with the original problem. Piers permanently stabilize your existing foundation to prevent any future settlement.
A complete foundation replacement in La Salle. The house is placed on temporary supports while the foundation is excavated and replaced.
Concrete Underpinning
Concrete pinning is a very invasive process that does not guarantee a permanent solution. This involves excavating around your home and installing concrete footings beneath the existing footings. Eventually, this can fail and leave you with an even bigger problem to fix.
Concrete underpinning failed to stabilize this house. Eventually, the homeowner had to invest in a different, more permanent solution for their home.
Concrete Piers
Concrete piers are installed similarly to steel piers, but they come with many shortfalls. The concrete piers can crack, are difficult to install straight into the ground, and difficult to reach load-bearing soils. Steel piers are a much more effective solution than concrete piers.
Concrete piers are too big and blunt to be driven deep into the foundation, so they usually don't extend to competent soil.
These piers can crack under pressure, and they often install unevenly or crookedly under your home.
Your Foundation Repair Experts in IL and IA
Contact your foundation repair experts at MidAmerica Basement Systems today to schedule your free inspection! We proudly serve Peoria, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Waterloo, areas such as Dubuque, Iowa City, Clinton, Moline, East Peoria, Rock Island, and nearby.