Foundation Stabilization

Are the floors in your Northern California home sloped or uneven? If so, your home may need foundation stabilization repair. These techniques restore the foundation, potentially lifting your floors to their original position.

What Is Foundation Stabilization?

Foundation stabilization is a repair method used to correct differential foundation settlement, a condition where a foundation sinks into the ground unevenly. Expansive soil often causes this sinking foundation.

Though most structures naturally settle after construction, differential settlement differs from uniform settlement. Uneven sinking, or differential settlement, causes a sinking foundation and structural issues. See the graphic below for an illustration of uniform vs. differential settlement. 

Differential settlement impacts the entire structure, leading to noticeable issues such as uneven floors, misaligned doors and windows, and wall cracks. Various foundation stabilization methods, including pier and underpinning repair, are used to correct these issues.

Repair experts can determine whether these techniques will benefit your home.

How Foundation Stabilization Works

The foundation stabilization and repair process includes:

• Small excavations, typically 3’ x 2’ squares, are made along the affected foundation area, approximately six feet apart. We benchmark the foundation pier locations in the regions required for future maintenance evaluations.
• An engineered piering system begins the pairing process. Resistance or helical piers involve installing a galvanized steel pier bracket on the foundation.
• After the bracket is installed, we will hydraulically drive the steel pipe into the soil until it reaches the load-bearing strata.
• Next, we will hydraulically lift the foundation using a synchronized hydraulic system to restore it to level.
• Polyurethane foam injections are often used where significant lift or voids are beneath the foundation. Slab foundations may benefit from polyurethane injections, while crawl spaces may not require them. Instead, these foundations may require screw jack installation to lift the interior flooring and match the desired level of lift.
• Finally, we backfill the pier locations with the excavated soil. If the contract specifies concrete removal and replacement, we address that, completing the project.

Foundation stabilization and underpinning repair aren’t as daunting as they may seem. Underpinning a foundation is a minimally invasive procedure, and in most cases, only a portion of the foundation has experienced settlement. This means that only the affected area may require foundation stabilization, making it a targeted and efficient solution.

Does My House Need Foundation Stabilization?

Foundation stabilization and underpinning repair correct differential settlement, which is often the underlying cause of wall cracks, uneven floors, drywall cracks, and other damage.

Bay Area Underpinning: Expert Foundation Stabilization Solutions 

Bay Area Underpinning has the expertise and specialized foundation stabilization methods to restore your home’s foundation. Contact us today for a free inspection and repair cost estimate.