Steel Piers: Pipes versus Tubes

Should you be concerned about the type of steel pier your foundation repair contractor uses? You bet your boots, you ought to be! The type of steel pier used in your foundation repair means the difference between a short-term and a long-term fix.

Believe it or not, there are differences between a tube and a pipe. Most people point to the fact that pipe is measured by its Inner Diameter (ID) and tubing is measured by its Outer Diameter (OD). Others point to the fact that pipe is used to convey media (gas, liquid, etc.) from one place to another and tubing is used for other purposes.

However, there's more to it than that. Pipe is a seamless extraction while tubes are in general a folded piece of metal. That is, in general, tubes have a seam.

Why is this important? Because a seam is one of the factors in determining strength. The other factors are diameter (ID or OD), wall thickness, and material. Consider this: given a pipe and a tube of similar wall thickness, material, and inner & outer diameters, the item without the seam is going to be stronger. In other words, a pipe is stronger than a tube.

Used Pipe

Even when a contractor uses pipes, there's no guarantee that the pipe is of high enough quality. Some foundation repair companies uses discarded or used oil field pipe. These pipes aren't always straight and aren't always dent-free. Any bend in the pipe or dent affects its integrity and means its not as strong and durable as a brand new pipe.

Pipe Size

One more thing to consider is the pipe size. There's lots to be said about pipe size, so we'll save that for a later blog post. But, your contractor should be able to tell you what size pipe will be used in your steel foundation piers.

Ask About Your Foundation Repair Piers

Before you sign a contract, ask your foundation repair contractor about the origin of the piers to be used in your foundation repair job. If they don't know or give an unsatisfactory answer, then continue shopping around. You and your home or business deserve a repair that's going to last and not fail due to substandard piers.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.