Pier & Beam versus Slab Foundation, Part 2

This is the second part in our multi-part series of posts, "Pier and Beam versus Slab Foundation." Be sure to read the first post in this series, if you haven't already.

In our last post, we discussed pier and beam foundations (sometimes called post and beam foundations), including what they were, and their pros and cons. In this post, we'll covered the basics of slab foundations.

The Basics

Slab foundations are usually the easiest (and thus the least expensive) foundations to build. The slab is a flat concrete pad poured directly on the ground. This takes minimal site preparation, very little formwork for the concrete, and less labor to build than a pier and beam foundation. Slab foundations work well on level sites in warmer climates (like what we have here in north Texas and southern Oklahama). Slab foundations can be problematic farther north because when the ground freezes during winter, this freezing may shift the slab. This may damage the structure sitting on the foundation, plumbing running through and under the foundation, and the foundation itself.

How Slab Foundations are Constructed

In most cases, the perimeter of the slab is about 2 feet deep. The interior of the slab can be as little as 4 or 6 inches thick. Below the slab sit a 4 to 6 inch layer of gravel. To keep moisture from the ground rising through the gravel to the slab, a 4-millimeter sheet of plastic is placed. Reinforcing bar (rebar) is laid out in a grid framework (supported a few inches above the plastic sheet) and the concrete is then poured over everything.

This type of foundation is commonly called a floating slab since it "floats" on the soil. What holds the foundation in place is the deeper layer of concrete around the perimeter of the foundation.

In places with common and severe winter freeze, the concrete along the perimeter extends below the frost line.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Slab Foundation

Slab foundations offer the following advantages:

• Slab foundations usually take less time to construct.
• Slab foundations require less prep work of the site.
• Typically, slab foundations cost less, due to the two points above.
• Since there is no crawlspace under the home, there's no risk of animals getting underneath the structure.
• Since the slab sits on the ground, entries and exits to and from the structure are close the ground -- perhaps only a step or two. This is good news for those with disabilities or other restrictions that makes steps difficult to navigate.

On the other hand, there are a few drawbacks to slab foundations:

• Since the plumbing and gas lines (if applicable) run directly through the concrete slab, it's more expensive to fix these problems below the home. Also, shifts in the foundation can break pipes (fresh water, sewer lines, and gas).
• Once a foundation has failed, it can be more expensive to fix the foundation since piers have to be sunk below the home. (In contrast, a pier and beam already has piers, which may only need adjustment.)
• Slab foundations cannot be used in homes where a basement will be built.
• Slab foundations cannot be used in areas with significant or prolonged freezes. The seasonal upheaval and other shifts can destroy a slab foundation.
• Concrete slabs can crack. These cracks can range from minor annoyances to major problems.

Concrete slabs can be a good choice for your home or business, but it has to be done right from the get-go, and only for the right type of conditions. If you have quesitons, feel free to contact us or shoot us a question.

Pier & Beam versus Slab Foundation, Part 1

The two most common types of building foundations in north Texas and southern Oklahoma are pier & beam foundations and slab foundations (also known as "slab on grade" foundations). As a rule of thumb, most foundations for homes built during the 60's and before are pier and beam while those built later are slab foundations. So, why the change in foundation types, how exactly is each type of foundation constructed, and what are the pros and cons of each? We'll cover each question over the next several blog posts and, as always, you can ask us your questions about foundation construction, repair, and maintenance and we'll give you the answers.

Pier and Beam Foundations

Pier and beam foundations (sometimes called post and beam foundations) have a crawl space (typically at least 18 inches) between the home and the ground. The base of the building is uses a series of beams supported above the ground via piers. This type of foundation takes longer to construct than a slab foundation, but allows easier access to heating and plumbing utilities. (With a slab foundation, it may be necessary to break through the concrete slab foundation to service or repair plumbing and such.)

Since the piers separate the structure from the ground, the foundation is less susceptible (as compared to slab foundations) to damage from the ground shifting. When ground shifting occurs and the foundation needs adjusting, the piers are more easily adjusted than is a slab foundation.

The advantages of a pier and beam foundation are:

• Provides easy access to service plumbing, electrical and other issues under the house.
• In many cases, pier and beam foundation problems can be less expensive to fix than problems with slab foundations.
• Some remodeling projects and home additions are more easily accomplished with pier and beam homes than with slab foundations.
• Since the structure isn't resting directly on the ground and air is a natural insulator, the temperature within the structure may take less energy to maintain. That is, your home isn't sitting directly on the cold hard ground during the winter and, thus, your heating bills can be less.
• Many people feel that floors supported by a pier and beam foundation have a bit more give and are therefore more comfortable. This is not to say the floor rebounds like a trampoline as you walk across it, but there is a difference according to many homeowners.

The disadvantages of a pier and beam foundation include the following:

• Pier and beam foundations take longer to construct than slab foundations. This increases the cost of the home or other structure.
• Floors supported by pier and beam foundations may creak and move.
• Broken vent screens and insufficient other barriers may allow bugs and rodents to get under the structure.
• Pier and beam foundations have to be vented properly to reduce moisture. Sufficiently high moisture levels can lead to mold, rotting wood, musty smells.

In our next post, we'll discuss slab foundations.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Do Steel Piers Rust?

"Do steel piers rust?" That's not an uncommon question.

The short answer is "No."

Steel piers are galvanized, which prevents rust. When steel is galvanized, it is dipped in molten zinc, which forms a chemical bond to the steel. Galvanized steel products gain good protection against rust and failure when used above or below grade. You can tell when an item has been galvanized, due to its unique silver color.

Wikipedia has a pretty good, technical description of galvanization. You can read it here.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

A Great Soaker Hose Tip

In our last post, we discussed soaker hoses and regulating the moisture around and under your foundation. This time around, we have a tip for a problem many people have when using soaker hoses.

What do you do if, by the time you've connected all your soaker hoses together, there's not enough pressure at the end of the last hose?

The first thing you need to do is understand why this occurs. The pressure is dropping at the end of the hose because there's too much hose for the amount of pressure provided at the water spigot. By the time the water reaches the farthest lengths of the hose, the pressure has dropped so much that the water isn't forced out the tiny perforations in the soaker hose.

The next thing to do is to see if there are additional water spigots you can use. Instead of stringing all your soaker hoses from one spigot, split your soaker hoses among two or more. If you're afraid of using all your spigots for just soaker hoses, you can purchase multi-headed spigots that attach to the spigot coming out of the wall. That way, you can hook up the soaker hose and still have a connection free for other uses when you're not using the soaker hose.

If you can't use additional spigots, you can alternate traditional hoses with soaker hoses. Since a traditional hose doesn't lose water from the tiny perforations like a soaker hose does, then it maintains a higher pressure through its length. With a combination of soaker hoses and regular garden hoses, you can reach the farther parts of your foundation and still maintain adequate pressure. You may have to run two sets of alternating hoses (call them Line A and Line B). Make sure when setting the two lines that where Line A's soaker hose(s) alternate with Line B's soaker hoses. When it comes time to use the soaker hoses (about once or twice a week, depending on soil conditions), connect Line A and run for 30 or more minutes, then disconnect and run Line B for 30 or more minutes. In this way, you'll water the entire perimeter of the foundation, yet each hose is only responsible for half the task.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Soaker Hoses, Revisited

With all the rain we had in September, you might think we're nuts to be talking about soaker hoses again, but there's a good reason.

Soaker hoses are one of the best tools in the homeowner's toolbox for regulating soil moisture. Now that we're approaching the end of summer, it's a good time to get outside and check your soaker hoses for proper placement and overall condition. Make sure the soaker hose is buried about three inches deep and about six inches from the edge of the foundation so that the soil is soaked evening.

Do not place the hose against the foundation. Water placed next to the foundation (say, provided by a soaker hose placed against the foundation) runs through the cracks and pools at the bottom of the grade beam. (The grade beam is the thick portion of the foundation that is under the exterior walls.) The accumulation of water at the base of a foundation over time can reduce the soil's capacity to bear a load. When the soil loses enough load bearing capacity, the foundation will sink and your house can be damaged!

While you're checking the soaker hoses' position, don't forget to check the condition of the hose. Soaker hoses are pretty simple things. If you find a leak, tape it using duct tape (or similar tape -- ask at your local hardware store for appropriate substitutes). If the soaker hose is cracked or leaking from one of the fixtures or connections, replace the hose. The few dollars you spend on a new hose is a whole lot let than you'll spend on foundation repair.

Do you have questions about soaker hoses and your foundation? Then ask us!  In fact, you can ask us anything about foundation construction, repair, and maintenance. We love questions, so ask away!

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Root Barriers, Revisted

What's a root barrier and why is it important? Root barriers are physical barriers that redirect tree root growth downward, thus eliminating surface rooting that can damage foundations, sidewalks, driveways, and other hardscapes.

Remember, roots travel away from the tree trunk as the tree searches for water. Often times, tree roots gravitate towards the building foundation. Once roots reach the foundation, they may press into the foundation and break it, lift it, lower it, or otherwise shift it. Each of these movements can cause significant damage to your foundation.

Also, note that the roots can suck the moisture from the soil, thereby leaving it dry. Dry soil contracts, which can cause the foundation to shift. This is another unpleasant and damaging side effect of tree roots interacting with your foundation.

A root barrier can prevent roots from causing this damage to your foundation.

Root barriers surround the structure and prevent tree roots from getting under the foundation. While you may consider a root barrier a "nice to have" rather than a necessity, keep in mind that root barriers are usually much, much less expensive than foundation repair.

Ace Foundation installs a tough, flexible material designed to resist cracking due to soil movement or new root pressure. (Other foundation repair companies may use concrete or plastic (corrugated vinyl, for instance), but we've found these to be less reliable than the material we use. If another foundation repair company recommends concrete, think back to any number of sidewalks you've seen, cracked and pushed up by tree roots!

Learn More with Our Root Barrier Video

We've prepared a great video which shows exactly what root barriers are and how they protect your home or business' foundation.

Watch the Video

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Piers for Pools (cont'd)

This is the second part of a post concerning foundation piers for swimming pools. If you missed the first part, take a look at last Tuesday and get caught up.

Steel piers are the preferred choice when installing or augmenting piers for swimming pools. The advantages you get with steel piers for home and commercial & industrial foundations apply to swimming pools, as well. Steel piers don't require curing time like concrete does, so construction time is reduced. Steel piers require a smaller "footprint" when they are constructed. Steel piers are incredibly sturdy and a proven reliable solution.

One important thing to note about piers for pools is that the piers shouldn't be anchored to the pool. Why, you ask? Because the pool must be free to move a little bit. The pool is going to move no matter what; the key is that it's only allowed to move so much before it is stopped or stabilized. If the pool is anchored to the piers, then when the soil around and under the pool expands or contracts and pushes or drops the pool a bit, the pool is going to crack where the piers are anchored to it. This is because the pool is trying to move but is tied down at the piers.

Be sure to check out some of our slide shows for piers for pools and let us know what you think.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Piers for Pools

We've talked about piers for pools before, but now's a good time to recap. If you have a swimming pool, then no doubt you've had a chance to enjoy it. Did you notice anything different about your pool while you were out there?

For instance, does the water line appear to be at a kilter? In other words, is it not level? If this is the case, then part of the pool is higher than the other, which gives the appearance of the water being lopsided. It may be subtle, maybe an inch or two across the entire pool, or it could be more pronounced. Whatever the degree, this means that one end of the pool or the other has shifted up (down). Much like when you hold a glass of water and tilt the glass, the water stays level but runs diagonally across the glass, your pool is tilting and the water appears to run diagonally (though, not as dramatically as that glass of water).

This is the same behavior as when part of the foundation of your house lifts or drops. It means that the soil in or around your pool (or building foundation) has swelled or shrunk and the foundation has moved as a result. And, just as with your house, the shifting of your pool can cause problems. Sometimes the problems are cosmetic. For instance, the lip of the swimming pool can rise above or drop below the surface of the sidewalk or deck around it. On the other hand, more serious problems can occur, such as stressing and breaking the plumbing or creating cracks.

What can you do when this happens? Well, you can address it just as you would with your residential foundation or commercial foundation: You can level and stabilize your swimming pool with foundation piers. You can prevent further problems and correct existing ones when your swimming pool is back to level and no longer moving in unpredictable directions and amounts. Adding piers to the pool or augmenting existing piers with new ones is the best way to protect your investment in one of the most expensive additions to your home, and it insures that you and your family can enjoy your pool -- rather than regretting it.


In our next post, we'll discuss the specifics of steel piers for swimming pools.


Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com. Or, feel free to ask us anything! We love questions -- and we've gotten some really good ones lately. Fill out our Ask Us Anything form and look for your answer in your email. Plus, we'll update this blog and our websitehttp://www.acefoundation.com with the questions and answers we've received and given over the last few months.

What to Do After Your Foundation Has Been Leveled

We discuss quite often how to maintain your foundation and prevent foundation failure. Just as important, though, is knowing what to do after you've had foundation work done. Below are tips you should follow after your foundation has been leveled.

1. Maintain a consistent moisture level in the soil adjacent to the slab foundation. You can keep the moisture content consistent by evenly watering next to the foundation slab, especially during dry periods. There are a couple of ways to do this.
   
   First, use a buried foundation watering system with the water line buried twelve inches away and at the depth of the grade beam. The system should have a rain cutoff switch and a flow control box with a filter (the filter prevents sediment from clogging the line).
   
   Or, put soaker hoses around the edge of the foundation, seven to twelve inches from the grade beam. Remember to use the soaker hoses on a schedule or buy a battery-operated, programmable timer.
   
   Of the two methods above, the second can waste more water due to evaporation and run-off. Finally, keep in mind that watering the foundation does not fix existing foundation problems -- it's only a maintenance method.
2. Make sure water drains away from the slab perimeter. Eliminate all standing water near the foundation slab. This evens out the moisture content underneath the slab and lessens soil movement beneath the slab foundation.
3. Be sure large trees near the concrete foundation slab get plenty of water. Avoid high growth of dense vegetation near the concrete foundation slab, as well. When you water trees -- especially in dry periods -- you help even out the soil's moisture content beneath and around the foundation slab.
4. Make sure that the slab is at least three to four inches above the finished ground, including flowerbeds and other landscaped areas. The flowerbeds should slope away from the slab. This prevents water from draining to underneath the foundation and keeps water from pooling at the edge of the foundation.
5. Make sure the plumbing system, potable water lines, and sewer lines are checked periodically for leaks. A licensed plumber can perform these tests for you. Remember, water leaks cause differential moisture content and ultimately contribute to foundation failure. 

We hope you find these tips useful. A lot of them are also good maintenance ideas even if you haven't had your foundation leveled. Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Waffle Slab Foundation

Waffle slab prior to concrete being poured.

In our last blog post, we discussed post-tensioning cable foundations. This time around, we'd like to discuss another development in building foundations, waffle slab foundations.

Waffle slab foundations are formed when beams are poured throughout the interior until the pattern resembles a waffle. While the jury may still be out when it comes to how effective post-tensioned cable foundations are, waffle designs have shown themselves to be more likely to create a stiff foundation which results in the whole house moving, rather than just a certain portion of it.

Another view of a waffle pod slab prior to concrete being poured.

Waffle pod foundation construction uses less concrete than traditional methods of edge beam and internal beam. This keeps construction costs down. Labor costs may be reduced, as well, since significant trenching (which is labor intensive) can be eliminated.

Unfortunately, this type of foundation requires more piers than traditional slab foundations when it comes time to level things. More piers means more expense. Please keep this in mind when you are considering the savings in construction — you may end up giving it all back when it comes time to fix the foundation.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Post-Tensioning Concrete Foundations

Traditional rebar (but blue!) in place and ready for concrete to be poured for a foundation. Photo by Flickr user GeekMojo

Traditionally, concrete slab foundations are reinforced with steel bars, called re-bar (or rebar) -- short for "reinforcing bars." This technique of reinforcing concrete and similar materials originated in 1867 with a French florist named Joseph Monier. His experiments in making a stronger flower pot ultimately led to embedding reinforcing bars in the pots as they were formed and before they were kiln dried.

Post-tensioning concrete foundations are the next wave beyond traditional concrete slabs. With post-tensioning slabs, high-strength steel strands or cables, typically referred to as tendons, create a grid of steel cables that actively support the slab. Traditional rebar construction is "inactive" only really helps keep the slab intact after the slab has cracked. Slabs with post-tension cables are usually thinner and this can cut down on curing time and, ultimately, construction costs.

Post-tensioning being used in the construction of a concrete bridge for a highway. Photo courtesy of the Kansas Department of Transportation

Post-tension concrete foundations are used not only in home construction, but in commercial construction. Since this method combines structural integrity and thinner pads, office buildings can have thinner floors but retain comfortable ceiling heights, which in turn reduces total building height and weight load.

Caveats

With all that said, one must keep in mind that post tension foundations do not solve the underlying soil's ability to handle moisture. That is, just because a home or business is built on a foundation with post tension cables, it doesn't mean that the soil on which that foundation rests quits expanding and contracting as the moisture content changes. Post tension foundations can still shifting or even failing. You must still perform essential foundation maintenance, such as maintaining a consistent moisture content within the soil, keep tree roots at bay, and watching for signs of foundation failure like cracks in the wall, stuck doors and windows, wrinkled wallpaper, and popped or loose floor tiles.

If a builder tells you that a post tension foundation solves all your problems and you'll never have to worry, then run — don't walk — and find yourself another builder! Remember, the builder is trying to sell you the house, but you're the one who must live with the purchase for years to come.

Have questions or want more information? Then visit us at www.AceFoundation.com or give us a call at 972-272-1900.

Save That Paperwork!

Did you recently have your foundation repaired? If so, there's a few things you need to do.

However, the number one thing you need to do is file away the paperwork from the repair job.

Put the paperwork somewhere safe yet easily accessible. There are a variety of reasons you may need it, including:

• If you see new signs of foundation failure
• Have a homeowners insurance claim that might be related to the foundation
• You sell your home

You should include in the paperwork the following items:

• Any receipts and invoices for the work performed
• The original estimate
• Any drawings and descriptions of the work performed
• The warranty

In a pinch, you can always call the foundation repair company that did the work and ask them for a copy of the paperwork if and when you need it, but it's much easier and quicker if you can put your hands on the paperwork yourself.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

4 Reasons to Fix Foundation Problems Now

• Foundation problems never improve — they just get worse and worse. Once a crack appears in the foundation, it's nearly guaranteed that the crack will grow in size. Indeed, where there's one crack, there's probably others. The longer you wait to fix the problem, the bigger (literally) it's going to get.
• Foundation cracks may allow pests and water to enter the structure. Bugs are bad enough, once moisture gets in the home, you have to consider the possibility of mold. Not only can mold cause wood rot, it can cause respiratory problems for you and your family.
• A failing foundation causes all types of other problems in your home, too. Stuck windows and doors, wrinkled wallpaper, cracks in the sheet rock and ceiling, popped floor tiles, warped hardwood floors and gaps between the planks, cracks in your fireplace and exterior brick walls, and a host of other problems. The longer you put off dealing with a foundation problem, the more of these problems you'll face.
• When it comes time to sell your home, any foundation failure will affect the sale price of your home significantly, not to mention the cost of fixing the other problems the foundation failure caused. Keep this in mind, too: Most banks don't grant a mortgage without some promise that a foundation failure will be fixed.

So, there you have it: 4 very good reasons to deal with your foundation problems now. Be sure to call Ace Foundation (972-272-1900) or visit our website and request a free estimate.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

What is Cut and Fill and How It Affects Your Foundation

Cut and fill refers to a process by which a sloping area is leveled prior to constructing a building. Specifically, part of the slope is removed (cut away) and the other area is filled with soil, gravel, etc.

If the fill material isn't compacted properly prior to the structure being built, the fill material will compact on its own over subsequent years. What's unfortunate about this is that a slab foundation will move as the fill material compacts. If the fill material is compacted before the slab foundation is poured, then there's little chance the fill will compact even further on its own.

As for the slope that was cut, there may be problems there, too. Chief among these is that clay soil that may have been under other soil is exposed once the area is cut. This allows water access to the clay and, as we've discussed before, water and clay are not good mixtures. Typically, additional water will cause clay soil to expand and the foundation will heave. During droughts, the clay will lose water and shrink, causing the foundation to settle. This expansion and contraction of the clay soil under the slab foundation spells trouble as the slab bucks up and down on the moving soil.

What can you do to prevent these problems? First, you can ask your builder about compacting the soil. In most cased, it's recommended that soil be compacted in layers no greater than four inches. If a layer of soil to be compacted is greater than four inches, it may be too thick to compact adequately before the structure is built. That leaves the rest of the compaction to occur after your home is sitting on the soil — and you don't want that.

Second, you can be proactive and maintain a constant moisture level in the soil supporting your foundation. This means using soaker hoses during the summer when the soil is dry, proper drainage to keep excess water away from the foundation during the Spring and Winter when rain is more common, and installing root barriers to prevent water-seeking tree roots from invading the soil under the house.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Chimneys and Piers

Just like few people consider foundation piers for swimming pools, few people consider piers and their fireplace chimneys. Why on earth are piers and chimneys even a topic?

Believe it or not, a chimney is a pretty heavy structure. Add to that the fact that a chimney needs to be straight, connected to the house (the fireplace, specifically), and structurally sound to do its job correctly and safely, and you can begin to understand why ensuring that a chimney is properly supported is so very important.

The Foundation Performance Organization recommends that for a mid-sized concrete slab house, four piers are necessary (that is, one pier at each corner of the chimney). If the chimney doesn't have external brick or stonework and is only one story tall, it may be possible to get away with only three piers.

What does this mean to you? Well, for starters, when you are considering a new home being built, you should ask the architect and/or builder about the chimney and its support. If you are buying an existing home, you should make sure the building inspection addresses this. And, if you're getting a foundation repaired, you should make sure that there is adequate support provided for the chimney if the foundaiton repair concerns the area containing the chimney. Always go with your gut -- if a foundation repair contractor tries to tell you that you need less than four piers (or three, if it's a lightweight chimney), then you should seek another contractor.

Do you have a question about foundation repair? Then ask us. We'll give you the answer and share the knowledge with others.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Does Foundation Repair Require a Permit from the City?

Yes, yes, yes!

We'll get this out of the way first off: Look over any bid you get from a foundation repair contract and make sure there's a line item for building permit!

If there's no mention of a building permit in the bid, then ask the contractor about it. If they tell you it's not necessary, you can be 99% sure the contractor is trying to shave the price of the bid. In nearly every municipality in north Texas and south Oklahoma, a building permit is needed when foundation repairs are performed. (Notable exceptions include Rowlett and Rockwall, both in Texas.)

So, what happens if the contractor doesn't get a permit, the work is performed, and the city finds out? First, the city can fine both the contractor and the property owner (homeowner). And, if that wasn't enough of a problem, the city can stop all non-permitted foundation repair work until the proper permit is obtained.

So, again: if the foundation repair contractor hasn't mentioned a building permit, you should ask. Failure to do so could cost you money and delay fixing your foundation!

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

What Are Pressed Concrete Piers?

Many foundation repair contractors used pressed concrete piers. Pressed concrete piers are concrete cylinders that are driven to refusal in clay soil. (In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, "refusal" normally occurs around eight to fifteen feet deep and depending on the weight of the foundation and the soil moisture.)

Why are pressed concrete piers popular with so many foundation repair companies? Pressed piers are usually require less materials and less labor, thus reducing the cost of the job. Other reasons a contractor may suggest pressed concrete piers include:

• The equipment used to install pressed concrete piers is about one-fourth to one-fifth the cost of the equipment used for steel piers. (Viewed another way, it means that someone can get into the foundation repair business way cheaper when all they offer is pressed piers.)
• Along those same lines, most foundation repair contractors don't have a workshop capable of making steel pier brackets or cutting sections of high carbon tubular steel.
• And, finally, it's much easier for "ethically challenged" contractors can take short cuts when working with pressed concrete pilings, thus reducing the amount of time they spend on a job and the cost to themselves.

Here at Ace Foundation, we typically eschew pressed concrete piers and recommend either traditional steel piers or helical steel piers. We just feel that steel piers provide an overall better solution for foundation failures.

Do you have a question about pressed concrete piers? Then ask us! We'll be happy to answer your question and share the answer with others. Get even more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Vetting a Foundation Repair Company

Foundation repair intimidates a lot of homeowners. It's not well understood by most people, it's not glamorous or showy (like getting a new hardwood floor), it's expensive, and there's a lot of less-than-qualified foundation repair businesses out there.

However, choosing a reliable and experienced foundation repair company is just like choosing other home maintenance and repair professionals. You simply do your homework, interview several businesses, and cover your butt. Below are specific steps you can take to make find a good foundation repair company.

Check out the company's website.

Why start with the foundation repair company's website? Because it'll contain clues about the work they do, who they are, and how reliable they might be. Look for the following on their website:

• How long have they been in the foundation repair business? Look for a company that has several years experience. After all, you don't want to be someone's learning experience, do you?
• If a company truly puts the customer first, then they'll offer one or more payment options. A payment option also shifts some of the financial risk from you to them, thus giving you a bit of leverage if you ever need it.
• Does the company offer a warranty and guarantee? Is the warranty transferable to a new homeowner should you sell your house? What exactly does the warranty and guarantee cover? Is a copy of the warranty and guarantee available online? If not, can you call the company and get a copy?

Check out the Better Business Bureau.

Visit the Better Business Bureau website and start your research: http://www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews/. Nearly every reliable home repair and maintenance company is a BBB member. So, if you don't find the company listed on the BBB website, you should think twice about doing business with them.

Once you find the company on the BBB website, check out their profile, looking at their rating. Also, have they won any awards? Are there any customer complaints?

Ask some essential questions:

• Will the piers be installed to a minimum of 12 feet deep, unless they hit rock first? Will the foundation repair company put that in writing in the contract?
• If they promise to go "to rock or refusal", can they tell you how deep it is to rock in your area?"
• Will they put in the foundation repair contract that you and the company will not accept "refusal" that is reached at less than 12 feet deep?
• How are the piers held together and reinforced?
• What do other Independent Engineers think of their piers?

Look for a free consultation or estimate.

A respectable company will offer a free consultation, a free estimate, or both. Any company that charges for an estimate is more interested in taking your money than in your family's home and your peace of mind.

Go with your gut.

Last but not least, go with your instincts. If you feel that a foundation repair company is pushing too hard, doesn't seem to have the right answers, or in any other way raises a red flag with you, reconsider your choice to do business with them. Most of us have a decent sense of what constitutes good business and what does not — Use that gut feeling to steer you in the right direction.

With careful research and common sense, you should be able to pick a good foundation repair company.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

2 Great Videos on Landscaping Drainage and Your Foundation

This will be the last of the videos for awhile, but these two are really important. Both deal with your landscaping, the soil around your house, and how its drainage affects your foundation.

And, here's the second video.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

A Short Video on Foundation Repair

If you have about two minutes, you might enjoy this short video on the basics of foundation repair. This video shows the use of piers for repair, as opposed to void filling or mud jacking. (We at Ace Foundation Repair typically use piers and don't recommend void filling or mud jacking.)

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Pier and Beam Video

Here's a video we found that we think does a pretty good job of describing a pier and beam foundation.

Note the reference to the clay soil, which is common in north Texas and southern Oklahoma.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Why Mud Jacking is a Bad Idea

Mud jacking is usually positioned as the least expensive method of foundation repair. While this may be true in the short run, it doesn't always hold up over time. Below are four reasons why you having your foundation mud jacked is a bad idea:

1. Mud jacking may cause serious foundation problems in regions with lots of clay soil (like what we have in North Texas). If there's a plumbing leak or a lot of rain, the clay soil's moisture content will increase and the ground will swell. This swelling causes upheaval on and through the void fill material and, in turn, causes the foundation slab to heave.
2. It's possible to "overlift" the foundation. This happens when the mudjack technician doesn't monitor the amount of slurry used or miscalculates how much is necessary. Once a foundation has been overlifted, there's no economical way to remove the excess slurry or otherwise correct the problem.
3. The slurry used in mudjacking may find its way into the septic line. At that point, you've traded your foundation problem for a plumbing problem.
4. Slurry can find it's way through the slab via the space around plumbing pipes. Believe it or not, the mud jacking slurry can enter a wall and rise until it blows out the sheet rock. Slurry can also push push upbath tubs and shower pans.

Well, three you have it: Four reasons why we don't recommend mud jacking.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Sewer Lines and Your Foundation

An acquaintance of ours is currently in the process of selling their home and, as is par for the course in such matters, an inspection was performed. One of the items that came out of the inspection was a suspected leak in the sewer lines leaving the guest bathroom. Of course, they called a licensed professional plumber who performed the requisite tests and did, indeed, discover there was at least one leak in the sewer system. Ultimately, the plumber had to drill through the foundation, find the exact placement of the leak, and fix it. In the end, the plumber found three (!) leaks, all of which were fixed without much drama.

In this particular case, the leaking sewer line had started to cause a slight upheaval in the soil. Had the leaks gone unaddressed for much longer, though, damage was almost certain to happen. Luckily for both the buyer and the seller, the sewer problem was discovered and fixed.

What makes sewer line problems so frustrating is that they're very hard to detect directly. Were the problem with a fresh water line, you'd see an increase in your water bill and you'd be curious. A sewer line leak isn't going to show up on your water bill or any other utility -- it just sits there under your foundation causing trouble.

So, what can you do? You can keep an eye for the typical signs of foundation problems and, if you think something is up (or down!), call a reputable foundation repair company (like Ace Foundation Repair>) and have them look at the situation. Odds are, they will be able to figure out why your foundation has problems. If it's related to the plumbing, then they'll recommend you contact a licensed plumber, who will fix the plumbing problem. Once that's done, the foundation can be fixed and then your home will be in good shape.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

A Big Commercial Foundation Repair Job

We recently completed a large foundation repair job for a North Texas school district. We were able to capture some pictures of the work in progress! If you have any questions, feel free to ask us.



Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

First Hurricane of the Year

If you remember, we discussed Texas summers and the potential for heavy and sustained rains and, lo and behold, we've gotten our first hurricane of the 2010 hurricane season. Hurricane Alex came ashore last week and we here in North Texas have gotten plenty of rain.

How did your property hold up? Did you take the opportunity to get out and look for puddles around your foundation? Did you get a chance to see how water flowed through and around your property?

We're still expecting rain the next few days, so don't let the next few days slip by without doing a basic look-see of your foundation. Got any questions about what else you should be looking for? Then ask us about your foundation. We love questions and we love answering them. Ask us anything and we'll send you an answer and share the information with others.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

What to do AFTER You've Had Your Foundation Leveled

If you've had your foundation leveled, you may think you're out of the woods. Well, you are for now, but that doesn't mean you can forget about your foundation altogether. You wouldn't get the brakes fixed on your car and then forget basic periodic auto maintenance, would you?

So, what do you do after foundation repair? Easy! You do the same things you normally do: keep the moisture constant, look for signs of new problems, and consult a structural engineer when you are considering additions to your home. Specifically, you should take these steps:

• Make sure the soil around and under your house foundation keeps a constant moisture content. You know the drill, we've covered it numerous times.
• Take time to look over your house and see if there are any new signs of foundation failure. We're not trying to scare you or say that the foundation repair work you've just had done subpar; we saying that if you've had one part of the foundation fixed or level, that doesn't mean the rest of the foundation (or the house) is immune to problems. Look for cracked walls, cracked or popped floor tiles, wrinkled wallpaper, creaking hardwood and laminate floors, and other issues.
• Review your landscaping and make sure you have no trees or large shrubs adjacent to the foundation. If necessary install root barriers.

Remember, you've just spent quite a bit of money and time getting your foundation fixed. Protect that investment and the rest of your home by performing basic foundation maintenance. Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Rainy Season Isn't Over, Yet. (Part 2)

In the last post, we discussed some of the heavier rains we can get even in summer and what you can do about them. Specifically, we discussed drainage and what you can do to keep your foundation in good shape. Today, we continue those thoughts.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, water can still get under a slab. What do you do then? Here's a few thoughts:

Install Moisture Barriers

Moisture barriers are vertical layers of plastic that are buried in the ground. As water flows up against a moisture barrier, it is stopped and prevented from getting under a home.

Install French Drains

French Drains are trenches filled with gravel that have a drain line buried in the gravel. French drains are designed to intercept and remove underground water.

Install Under Slab Drains

Rarely, it is necessary to tunnel under a foundation and install drains in thetunnels to collect and remove water. Drainage tunnels are dug by hand and typically measure 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep.

If you have more questions about what you can do, then ask us. Plus, get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Rainy Season Isn't Over, Yet.

Summer is finally here and it's going to be a hot one, but that doesn't mean no more rain. While we're several hundred miles inland, we still get rains from the occasional Texas or Louisiana tropical depression, storm, or hurricane. What's interesting about these rains is that they're heavy and can last several days. It's rains like this that really put your drainage systems (and ultimately your foundation's well-being) to the test.

Here's a handful of tips to make sure your drainage (and your foundation) are ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at it.

Installs Gutters and Downspouts

These are the first things added as they are the easiest way to drain a foundation.

Adjust Slopes

The next step is, if possible, to slope the ground away from the foundation. Typically a slope of an inch a foot for each 4 to 5 feet is adequate as long as water is not allowed to stand within 10 feet of a foundation.

Installs Drains

If grading is not possible, area drains, drains that collect surface water are installed. In some situations, shallow French Drains are used as a solution.

Water Direction

Advanced's focus is to, when possible, direct water into a street, drainage ditch, or swale. A swale is simply a very shallow ditch that is used to carry off water.

Look for more tips in our next post! Or, get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Use This Checklist Before Signing a Foundation Repair Contract

Since many home owners and other property owners are about to start on foundation repair (and other projects), now is a good time to think about the contracts you may see. Don't ever sign a contract without reading it first or having it explained to you. With that said, there's several things you need to consider before signing that foundation repair contract. Here's a short checklist you can use to see if things measure up.

• Ask an independent structural engineer (or two or three) for recommendations of a good foundation repair business. Look in the local phone book under "Structural Engineers" or search the web. Ask if the structural engineer is independent or under the employment of a foundation repair company. You want an unbiased opinion and recommendation, so you'll want an independent structural engineer.
• Get at least three local references from the foundation repair company you are considering using. Call these references and find out what they think of the price, the service, the clean-up, etc.
• Ask if the foundation repair companies you're considering handle all the necessary permits. It's rare that they'd make the property owner do it -- but be sure to ask. Red flags should go up if they tell you no permits are needed.
• Find out if permit fees are included in the price quoted in the contract. You don't want to be surprised with additional bills or invoices once the work is under way!
• Make sure you understand when the work will start and when it will end. You should have firm dates for both milestones.
• Is the foundation repair business insured and/or bonded? Did they have proof of this?
• Does the contract explain exactly what will be done, how many piers will be used, and a description of other materials used? Does the contract explain what type of piers will be used? Does the contract explain what will be done once the work is completed? Is the foundation repair company responsible for clean-up and so forth? Is the cost of clean-up included in the price given in the contract?
• Is there a down payment required? Do you understand how much is required for the down payment and how the payment should be made?
• Is there a schedule of payments? Red flags should go up if the foundation repair contractor is asking for full payment before the work is completed.

Finally, go with your gut feeling and intuition. If something doesn't feel write about the contract or the transaction or the foundation repair company, then stop and address the problem. Remember, it's your home or business and you will have to live with (or work in) the building long after the contractor is gone.
Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Last Video on Preventing Water Damage to Your Foundation

Okay, one last video and then we'll get back to our regular posts. This video shows a few common mistakes made with landscaping. These mistakes tend to trap water or direct it in such a way that will eventually damage your home. View the video and let us know what you think.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com. And, as always, remember that you can ask us anything about foundation construction, maintenance, and repair.

Video on Preventing Water Damage to your Foundation

Below is another good video about you and your foundation. In this, you can learn about the importance of making sure the ground around your foundation slopes away from your home or business.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Great Video on Pier and Beam Foundation Construction

We found this great video over at 5min.com about the construction of a pier and beam foundation. Watch it and tell us what you think. Don't forget, you can always ask us anything when it comes to foundations.

Pier Beam Foundation

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Differential Settlement

"Differential settlement" means one part of a building foundation moves at a different rate or for a different amount than other parts of the foundation or wall. Differential settlement can damage the foundation or wall with cracks and other symptoms of wall movement. These cracks can run generally up and down or in a stair step fashion (up then over, then up, then over, and so on).

These cracks can appear at anytime during a home's life. Sometimes they appear right after a house is built and the soil is compacting or shifting with the new weight on top of this. This can be indicative of shortcuts taken during construction — either with the piers or with the fill dirt or site preparation.

Problems later on are signs of soil expansion and contraction. As we've discussed before, soil expansion and contraction is a result of uneven moisture content and frequency.

You can read even more about differential settlement at Inspectapedia.com or you can contact us.

What's Going on With the Wallpaper?

Who would think your foundation would have anything to do with your wallpaper? Hang on and we'll explain.

When your foundation shifts — either up or down or back and forth — it doesn't necessarily move the entire house and what does move doesn't always move in the same direction or the same amount! What this means for your walls and floors is that the angles between the walls and the ceilings and the floors are no longer 90 degrees. To complicate things, the walls or ceilings or floors (or two of or all three) can bow out or bend inward. When this happens, your sheet rock may crack or your wallpaper may wrinkle or stretch.

If your wallpaper was picture perfect at one time but now it's stretched or wrinkled, then you may want to consider having your foundation inspected. If you have wall paper problems plus you have one or more doors or windows sticking, or you see cracks in the walls, or you see other symptoms, then it's definitely time for a foundation inspection.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Types of Foundation Damage

A foundation failure can exhibit itself in a number of ways. Some types of foundation damage are easy to see, such as cracks in the wall. Others, however, are not so obvious (loosened plumbing under the house which in turn causes slow leaks). Below, we'll look at several types of damage caused by a moving or broken foundation.

Cracks in one or more walls

If you find cracks in your walls, then that's a sign that there is a fundamental shift in at least part of the wall and one part is pulling away from another or one wall is pulling away from another. This can happen when part of your foundation shifts (by moving sideways, downward or upward, or both) yet the whole structure doesn't move in the same direction at the same speed. In other words, part of the house has moved horizontally or vertically and the rest hasn't.

Stuck Doors and Windows

Doors and windows get stuck in their frames when the frames are no longer square. In some cases, the frame is narrower at one end than the other. In other cases, the frame can be twisted. With the naked eye, you might not be able to see these deformations in the door frame or window frame, but the door or the window can certainly tell the difference. If the door gets lodged in the frame and won't open or it won't close all the way without hitting the frame, then the door frame is out of square. If the window is stuck shut or won't open all the way, then the window frame is not square. Much like the cracked walls discussed above, bent door and window frames can be caused by a foundation shifting. Indeed, bent frames are often found in cracked walls because a shift in the wall can cause a frame to go out of square.

Cracked or Loose Floor Tiles

Homeowners have a surprising capacity to overlook cracks in the walls because the cracks happen slowly. They may even paint over the cracks and ignore them as long as the crack stays covered (usually, not for too long). As for stuck doors and windows, homeowners will mentally note a stuck door or window and learn to work around it. Cracked floor tiles are something altogether different. It's always annoying to step over a loose tile and a cracked tile stares you in the face every time you walk into the room.

Cracked or popped tiles indicate the foundation is buckling, bulging, or sinking.

Creaking Sounds, Popping Sounds

Most of us had been in bed late at night and heard an occasional creak and said, "Well, the house is settling." If your house creaks fairly often and especially if you hear popping noises, then the house -- at least part of it -- is definitely settling! The popping you hear is most likely the joists, beams, and/or studs moving or cracking as pressure is put on certain parts of the structure. You might also hear a floor tile, stone work, and other items cracking or coming loose. This pressure on your home is not good. When parts of the house move one way while other parts move the other way, it means your home is pulling apart or one part is pushing against another. This movement and those strange sounds are often signs of foundation problems.

A spike in you water bill


If your water bill goes up yet you're not using any more water than usual, it's possible that there's a leak in your plumbing. If you've looked about your home and not found any water any where (don't forget to check in the yard, too!), then the leak may be underground. This can happen when the soil shifts and a water pipe cracks or it pulls apart at a fitting. This can also happen when the foundation ships and cracks the pipe or a fitting. Not only does this waste water and run up your utility bill, it can further damage your house by soaking the soil in or around the foundation, causing it to wash away or to push upwards. If your water goes up for no apparent reason, call a plumber and have them run a test.

Ask Us About Your Home


Do you see one or more of the symptoms mentioned above? Do you see anything else that concerns you? Don't forget that you can ask us anything about foundation repair. There's no obligation and there's no sales pitch. We'll answer your question via telephone (if you leave your phone number) or email. So, ask away!

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

A Foundation Repair Nightmare

Usually, we provide you with tips and other useful information concerning foundation repair and foundation maintenance. On occasion, we also post pictures of us at on a job site or here in the shop.

However, today we'll depart from the usual and link to something pretty upsetting: a foundation repair job gone horribly, horribly wrong. It's stories just like this one that remind us to remind you to do the following whenever you engage any type of building professional:

• Be sure you research the contractor via the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Angie's List, and a variety of other sources.
• Read and -- most importanly -- be sure you understand your contract. You did get a contract, right?
• Listen to your gut. If something doesn't sound right or doesn't feel right, then speak up. Remember, it's your house and you'll be there long after the contractor is gone. If necessary, call another professional and get a second opinion before you sign anything and before you plunk down any money.
• Read the warranty thoroughly and make sure you understand it. If there's problems later, you want to be crystal clear on what's expected of both you and the contractor.
• Get references, if possible.
• If any of your neighbors, friends, or family have had foundation work, ask them who they used and if they'd recommend that foundation repair company. Also, ask them about the foundation repair experience and what to expect.

So, with that said, grit yourself and read of this family's terrible foundation repair story. Granted, this story is the exception rather than the rule, but it does a good job of illustrating what can go wrong.

Get more information about foundation repair and our company by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Our Shop

Here's some pictures of our shop, here in Garland (though we serve all of North Texas!).



Do you have a question about us or foundation repair in general? Don't forget that you can ask us anything!

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

It's Time to Find the Soaker Hose!

With temperatures in the North Texas area -- particularly in the DFW Metroplex -- hitting the mid- to high nineties, it's time to run through a list of things to do as summer settles in.

Naturally, you've done the obvious things:

• Air conditioner charged and running, plus new air filter(s) in place? Check!
• Roof vents and attic ventilators uncovered, clear, and ready? Check!
• Swimming pool clean and pumps running? Check!
• Grill cleaned and plenty of charcoal on hand? Check!

Now, how about those less obvious items? How about taking care of the foundation? While not one of the most glamorous things you can do around the house as we get ready for summer, taking care of your foundation is one of the most important. Neglect the simple things like your foundation now and you'll be paying for it (literally!) down the road.

One of the easiest yet most effective ways to ensure your foundation stays in good shape is to regulate the moisture in the soil in and around the foundation. While you can't control how hot it gets, you can control how much moisture is in the soil. To do this, you water the soil around your house foundation on a regular basis throughout the summer and our seasonal drought period. The best tool for the job is a soaker hose, which distributes the water consistently and slowly.

The best way to use a soaker hose is to bury the hose three inches deep. You want to place the hose six inches from the edge of the foundation so that the soil is soaked evening.

Do not place the hose against the foundation. When the soil around your foundation is dried and cracked, water placed next to the foundation (via a soaker hose) runs through the cracks and then pools at the bottom of the grade beam (the thick portion of the foundation that is under the exterior walls). If this condition persist long enough, then this accumulation of water at the base of a foundation can reduce the soil's load bearing capacity. When the soil loses enough load bearing capacity, the foundation will sink and your house can be damaged.

During our hot and dry summers, it's necessary to water more. You'd be surprised at the amount of water necessary to keep a foundation stable during our hot Texas summers. Keep in mind that your landscaping has an effect, as well. One large tree (like our beautiful oaks and pecans, found all over North Texas) can pull up to 150 gallons of water from the soil each day. And, don't forget what bushes, shrubs, and other plants also remove water from the soil.

The trick to using soaker hoses to keep the soil west is consistency. You do not want to water extensively, let the soil dry out, and then water again. If you do that, you are only contributing to the shrink-and-swell cycle of the soil. Be sure to water on a consistent schedule and keep the soil wet. (Be sure to poke a finger into the soil or poke around with a stick. You want the moisture to go beyond just the surface.) You may find it necessary to run the soaker hoses almost daily during the peak of summer.

If you're concerned about your water bill, keep this in mind. Water will cost you cents a day but foundation repair can run into the thousands! Decide which you'd rather bear: a few cents a day or a big wallop in the wallet all at one time later.

So, do some grilling, do some laps in the pool, enjoy your air conditioning and don't forget to take care of your foundation so your home is trouble free and enjoyable.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

See What Tree Roots Can Do to Your Foundation

Have you ever walked down thge sidewalk or the street and seen a flower poking its head out of a crack? How about something larger? In older neighborhoods it's not uncommon to see concrete slabs of sidewalk pushed up and cattywampus by tree roots.

Now, picture all that happening under your house. You may think that because your house is bigger and heavier than a section of sidewalk, it's immune to heaving and other movement caused by tree roots. However, your slab foundation is just as susceptible to damage by tree roots as the sidewalk in front of your house.

What can you do to prevent foundation problems due to tree roots? Well, when you're planning on new landscaping, make sure trees and other plants (even shrubs can damage your foundation) are planted sufficiently far away from the foundation.

To prevent roots from encroaching under your foundation, you should install root barriers. Root barriers stop tree roots from getting under your concrete slab foundation and pulling moisture from the soil, which can cause the foundation to settle. Root barriers can be made of concrete or plastic (corrugated vinyl, for instance). Ace Foundation, however, installs a tough, flexible material designed to resist cracking due to soil movement or new root pressure.

Visit our website to get more information about root barriers and view a great video.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Photo by Flickr user Wouter Verhelst.

What Type of Soil Does Your House Sit On?

If you're curious about the soil on which your home or business sits, there's a few places you can find out.

First, check out the Web Soil Survey. The site is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), specifically the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). According to the site:

The site provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties and anticipates having 100 percent in the near future. The site is updated and maintained online as the single authoritative source.

In this blog post, we'll explore the Web Soil Survey (WSS).

To use the Web Soil Survey, browse to http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/ and click the big green "Start WSS" button. (Note: When we tried it, the map presented after the green button produced an error in Mozilla Firefox but worked just fine in Microsoft Internet Explorer.)

You'll need to enter your address and wait for the system to generate a map. Next, use the AOI ("Area of Interest") tools (see the icons at the top of the map) to draw a square or other shape around the address or neighborhood in which you're interested.

Next, go to the top of the page and click the "Soil Map" tab. If you haven't created an AOI, you'll get an error message. If all goes well, it won't seem like much happened. However, if you'll look at the left side of the screen, you'll see that the WSS has provided information about the AOI, including the county name, number of acres in the AOI, and the "Map Unit Name." (In our tests, we picked an area near downtown Dallas and our map unit name was "urban land.")

Click on the next tab, "Soil Data Explorer." The system may take a moment or two to load the page, but be patient. There are 5 tabs under this report.

By default, information for the first tab, Suitabilities and Limitations for Use, is displayed. The left side of the screen will switch to a list of data categories, including Building Site Development, Construction Materials, Land Classifications, Vegetative Productivity, and Water Management. (There's also Military Operations, Wildlife Management, and a host of other interesting items!)

What we're looking for is a piece of data called the linear extensibility, which is the amount of shrink-swell of the soil. So, click on the tab labeled "Soil Properties and Qualities" and scroll down (on the the left side of the screen) to category called "Soil Physical Properties." Expand the category and you'll find "Linear Extensibility" nine items down. There's no value given here, but there's a good description of linear extensibility.

To get the actual report, you'll need to go to the top of the page and click on the tab "Shopping Cart (Free)." Note that even though you're click on a button titled "Shopping Cart" you do not need to pay for the report if you simply want it displayed on your screen.

Review the parameters on the left side of the page (page size, etc.) and then click on the "Check Out" button (upper left corner). If your web browser has a pop-up blocker installed, you'll need to disable it so the report can pop up.

You can play with the soil explorer and add more information to your report. In any case, there's tons of information to be had with this tool and you'll have access to much of the same data an engineer would do when examining your property and preparing a report.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Do Steel Piers Rust?

Steel piers (and their cousin, helical steel piers) are steel pipes which are driven to bedrock or a firm and stable layer of soil. The piers are then attached to your slab with steel brackets. A common question, then, is "Do steel piers rust?" After all, after all the expense of adding steel piers to fix and stabilize your foundation, you don't want the piers to rust, right?

The answer is "No." There are two reasons why.

Galvanized Metal

First, steel piers can be galvanized and, as a result, don't rust.

Galvanized metal is made via an electromechanical process by which steel (or iron, or other metal) is coated with a non-rusting metal, such as zinc. The zinc simply isn't painted on the steel but rather is deposited and bonded to the steel via electrode position. The long and short of it all is that the steel is protected by the zinc and not subject to rust.

Pipe Thickness and Grade

Galvanization is one way to protect piers, especially in areas close to the coast or where the soil has caustic elements. In North Texas, though, galvanizing the piers (which makes the piers more expensive) isn't usually necessary. Instead, the foundation repair contractor can use pipes of sufficient thickness and grade. For instance, the piers we at Ace Foundation Repair use are predicted to have 100 year lifespan in our soils.

Summary

Depending on the soil on which your home or business is located and other factors, your foundation piers can be protected by either galvanization or by the use of the appropriate pipe thickness and grade. So, rest assured: your steel piers will not rust!

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Photo by Flickr user NomadicLass.

Puddles, puddles, puddles

If we're not there yet then we're pretty close. I'm talking about the North Texas rainy season! Every year, we get a few months' rain and then it's time for a long hot and dry summer.

It's this very cycle that does our foundations in, here in North Texas. The soil expands with the spring rains and then contracts with the summer drought. Of course, as the soil moves it affects your building's foundation, and that's very rarely a good thing.

Over the next month or so, take the opportunity to walk around your home or business after a good rain and look for puddles and how the water drains on your property. Puddles up against the foundation are a bad thing. You want the water to drain away from the building.

There are a variety of ways to fix a drainage problem. Be sure to visit our website and read more about drainage systems and your foundation. We've even got a great video about root barriers and how they affect drainage and your foundation.

And, don't forget: You can ask us anything about foundations. Complete the quick and easy form and we'll get back to you. No pressure, no sales -- just answers.

Photo by hagwell. See more at his Flickr page.

More About Piers for Pools

With summer just about here and backyards and pools all over North Texas getting spruced up and ready for friends and family, it's time to think about swimming pool problems and what needs to be done about them.

Of course, some pool problems are easier to fix than others. For instance, if the pump goes out, then you fix or replace it. However, structural problems with your swimming pool are not so simple.

Structural problems with your pool exhibit many of the same symptoms as foundation problems do in a house. For instance, you may notice tiles popping out of place or you may see cracks in the walls. You may even notice plumbing problems — a sinking or shifting pool can break or bend pipes, causing leaks and other issues.

Piers and Your Swimming Pool

Like your home or commercial structure, a swimming pool requires support. Given that you cannot use a pier and beam foundation for a pool (!), the pool must be supported and stabilized using piers.

Helical steel piers are one option for your pool. Helical piers are steel piers with a helix for driving them into the ground. Of the many advantages of steel piers over drilled piers is that helical piers have a smaller shaft surface area. This means smaller holes in and around your pool and landscaping.

For more information on piers for pools, be sure to see our earlier posts and visit our website.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Plumbing Problems and Your Building Foundation

Your home is a system of connected subsystems. That is, one part of your house stands a pretty good chance of affecting another, even if they don't seem related. For instance, doors and windows that seem to get stuck a lot can often times be traced back to a failing foundation. The shifting of the foundation pushes the door frames and window frames out of square, thus causing the doors and windows to stick.

The relationship we'd like to cover in this blog post, though, is one you won't even see even though it can be right under your feet! What we're talking about is the plumbing located under your foundation slab.

When there's a leak, whether it's in the fresh water line(s) or in the sewer line, the leak adds moisture to the soil under the foundation causing the soil to swell and shift. For the foundation built on this soil, that's bad news indeed! If the leak is small, you might not even notice it, even if it's in the freshwater lines. You might notice your water bill is slightly higher, but it might not be high enough to cause warning bells to go off in your head.

If the leak is in the sewer line, it's even more hidden since such a leak wouldn't result in a higher sewer or water bill.

Finding Out If You Have a Leak

If you have the typical signs of foundation problems, such as stuck doors and windows, cracks in your walls, cracks in your ceiling, loose floor tiles or "popping" floor tiles, then you should contact a foundation repair company. They will inspect your home and decide if the symptoms you have (cracks, stuck doors, etc.) are indeed the result of a foundation failure.

If the problems are due to your foundation, then the next step is to decide how, why, and where the foundation is failing. At this point, it may become necessary to involve a plumber, who can definitively determine where in the plumbing system (if the problem is plumbing related) the leak is.

Your property insurance (homeowners or commercial) company can be very helpful at this point. Not only can insurance help cover the cost of the repair, they can offer several recommendations for licensed professional plumbers. Many insurance policies can pay for tests to determine if there is leakage in the sewer drain lines. Also, an insurance policy may pay for the damage caused by a broken sewer line to a foundation. Unfortunately, many policies don't cover the cost of repairs to the sewer line leaks.

Types of Problems

The soil under the slab foundation will respond differently, based on the amount of water or sewage leaked. Large amounts of sewage or water will create a hump or rise in the soil, pushing the foundation up. Small amounts of sewage or water will compact the soil and create a dip. In either case, the result is the same: You have a foundation problem that needs attention!

In Summary

One source of foundation problems is plumbing. Plumbing leaks add moisture to the soil, creating either a rise in the soil (expansion of soil) or a depression (compaction of soil). Both cases can cause your foundation to move or fail in other ways.

If the foundation problem is caused by poor or broken plumbing, your homeowners or property insurance may pay for tests and damage (but not necessarily the foundation repair itself). Your insurance company may also provide a list of licensed plumbers who can fix the plumbing problem.

Once the plumbing problem is fixed, the foundation problems can be fixed.

As always, if you have questions, remember that you can ask us anything. We're here to help and welcome any type of foundation-related

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

My New Foundation, Part 5

"Know the difference between what you need and what you want."

This may sound simple and deserving of a great big "well, duh", but stick with me.

I am not talking about the differences between wanting gold flecks or needing gold flecks in the wall paint. I'm referring to when it comes to your new foundation, you need to know the non-negotiable, "hill to die on", bottom line outcome you want for your new home once all of the experts are gone and it's just you and your mortgage payment.

Do you want your new home to serve you well for four (4) years, until your last child graduates college, and then you can sell it? Or do you want it to be the last home you'll ever buy and one you can pass down to your kids? Whether or not you actually get what you want depends 100% on your new foundation.

Do you want the slate tile floor to stay beautiful, until you decide to change it, rather than crack all over?

Do you want that gorgeous fireplace made of Hill Country river rock to never sink in the middle of your living room?

Do you want those giant wood beams from an old New England barn to stay in place above your favorite snoozing chair?

You won't stand much of a chance getting what you want in those areas if you don't get what you want in the foundation!

You will encounter experts in every area of home building who will try to save you money and time by convincing you of what you need rather than what you want. For example, when you tell them you want piers that pass through the fill dirt and penetrate twelve feet (12') into the original soil, they may tell you, with great sincerity, how "you really don't need to go through such trouble and expense."

And they may even recount their near perfect track record with foundations to add weight to their argument. To be translated: "I know what I am doing here but you don't; I have poured hundreds of foundations, but this is your first. So, trust me and not your instincts."

Just thank them for their concern and remind them that you said it's what you want, not what you need.

A small but good example of this is when I had my driveway enlarged. I hired a contractor I used in my foundation repair business to do the job. I told him that I wanted the rebar for the new section tied into the old and that I wanted the rebar raised on plastic holders so it would be centered within the new concrete. I had seen too many driveways die an early death because of the practice of putting the reinforcement on the ground and pouring the concrete on top of it. My contractor proceeded to tell me why I really didn't need that; you can guess what my response was. On the day he was going to put down the driveway, I drove by my house. The new area was ready and waiting for the concrete truck, with the rebar lying on the ground!

Needless to say, I put a stop to the concrete pour until he raised the rebar like I wanted. He was not very happy about the extra labor or the concrete truck wait fees he had to pay.

It has been over fifteen (15) years since and that driveway has very few cracks and still makes a great basketball court for my grown sons and their friends. I have found that home owners have pretty good instincts for spotting when a contractor isn't doing something correctly, but they often don't act on them.

I can't tell how many times a homeowner and I have been looking at their failed foundation and had the following exchange:

Me: "Why didn't your contractor do such-and-such to prevent this problem?
Them: "I really wondered the same thing, but I thought he or she was the expert."

If the only thing I accomplish with this article is convince you to give voice to your instincts and not bury them under the "Fear of offending an expert," then I will be happy.

In case anyone is wondering, my company does not pour new foundations. The most we do with the new ones is install our helical steel piers at the homeowner's request. May your dream home never turn into your worst nightmare.

Au revoir.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

My New Foundation, Part 4

“Know which experts to talk to and how to interpret what they say.”

Your chosen builder will most likely be an expert at building his/her houses and he/she will call on other experts to provide the information and documentation needed to get the job done.

But this does not necessarily mean it will be the same information you need to make sure the foundation is constructed to your satisfaction. Case in point: most builders are required to take soil samples of where they plan to build and to have a report on the condition and traits of that soil for engineers to refer to. So if you ask your builder for a soils report he/she will probably be able to produce one. The concern is whether that report tells you about the lot your home will sit on.

After all, if a builder is going to be building on a 12.5 acre spot, they probably only took soil samples from three or four spots over the whole area. This satisfies the requirements so he/she can start building, but you need to know what is below the surface where your foundation will go.

It is best to hire your own soils expert to study your lot for you and to tell you what the results mean for your house. These experts are known as Geotech Engineers, which means they study the characteristics of dirt. They use a lot of terms normal folk don’t understand, but one term that is important for you to grasp is “shrink/swell potential.” This refers to the range of up and down movement the soil will go through as it changes from dry (shrink) to wet (swell) and is often reported in inches. For example, a common shrink/swell potential in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is 3”-4”. This means the soil can move up and down 3”to 4” as it cycles through the wet and dry times in a twelve month period; your new foundation will ride on this soil and will need to be engineered to do so without failure.

This brings us to the next expert you should hire to help you, an independent structural engineer. At the very least, you need one who can review the plans and reports made by the builder's engineer and break them down for you. Your engineer can also read your soils report and make sure the foundation is designed properly for your chosen lot. All of the experts, from the builder to the engineers involved will work hard to do a good job for you and to assure you that everything is going to turn out fine.

But after so many years in the business of repairing foundations which didn’t live up to the expert’s promises, I have become “a wee bit skeptical.” Some may call it down right paranoid, but I am convinced they are all part of a government conspiracy against foundation repair people. I just don’t have enough evidence to prove it yet, but I digress.

As you work toward getting your foundation from design to reality, your builder, their engineer and the subcontractor who pours the foundation, will probably try to convince you that there is no need for you to take many of the steps I have outlined. You will hear statements such as the following: “I have never built a house where the foundation failed”, “We pour the strongest foundations in the Metroplex,” “We always pour a thicker and stronger foundation than called for,” “All your neighbors will probably need foundation work but I would be shocked if you ever do.” I have heard these quotes from too many heartbroken home owners over the years to allow them to change my views. If your builder or his/her experts protests too strongly, you can put them to the test by asking if they will put their assurances in writing, spell out what they will do if their promises fail and sign it in front of the notary? Nuff sed!

My final article will cover the topic “Know the difference between what you need and what you want.”

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.