Over time, your home’s foundation tends to “settle,” sinking further into the ground as a result of changes in the soil or the structure of the home itself. While this is eventually inevitable, it is still an urgent problem. It’s important to level the house, usually through the use of heavy-duty piers and anchors. Unfortunately, these methods are not all equal and some may not be the right choice for your home. Let’s break down some of the house leveling methods and techniques available to determine which one is the best for you:
Concrete Slab Leveling
Concrete slab leveling seeks to level the house by lifting the concrete slabs that hold up the foundation. This is often done by mudjacking or slab lifting foam. This is a more affordable option, as well as a faster option. But fast and cheap are not always the best choices for your home. While we recommend slab lifting foam for concrete steps and walkways, this does little to fix major foundation sinking — after all, this is the foundation of your home as a whole. This also doesn’t help if you have a pier and beam foundation.
Push Piers
Push piers are made up of hollow pipes or concrete cylinders that are pushed into the ground using a hydraulic ram and fastened to the foundation with brackets in order to use the weight of your home to push these into the ground. This method is good for fitting in tight spaces and works well with heavy structures, because the piers are pushed into the ground rather than pulled down by a helix. However, they’re less helpful for lighter loads like a one-story house or garage, as lighter structures won’t offer enough resistance to push beyond the active zone. For this reason, they often fail!
Helical Piers
Helical piers, unlike push piers, “screw” into the ground. These heavy-duty steel piers use hydraulic pressure to dig deep into the ground until they reach solid soil strata. From there, proprietary brackets are attached to the piers — and your foundation — is lifted using a special jack. These piers are very versatile as they can be used regardless of the weight of the structure. They use precise technology to reach the soil strata, straight where they need to go and not an inch less.
Whatever your foundation settling issue might be, helical piers are our go-to to level the house and repair the foundation. They’re strong, precise, and offer the least amount of stress to your home. Interested in lifting your foundation? Contact Childers Brothers, Inc. today for more information or a free quote.
