Thursday, April 29, 2010

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.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

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.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

My New Foundation, Part 3

"Know what type of design demands the lot and the floor plan make on your
new foundation."

First,the floor plan. Of course, we at Ace Foundation think every new foundation should be poured on our helical steel piers. But, since that may sound a bit "self serving" to many folks,
let's consider a few realistic points. Most floor plans call for a home which will weigh more in some areas than other spots and the foundation will need to be constructed to account for that. If an area is going to be two stories while the rest is a single story, the foundation will need to be
designed to carry a greater load in the two story section of the home. The same goes for any spot where there will be a fireplace, since these are very prone to future settlement. In fact, I believe every fireplace pad should always have deep piers under it, all the more so if the fireplace will be in the center of the home. You don't want a sinking fire place in the middle of the living room!

Now the impact of the lot on the foundation plans. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to stop and study the piece of ground your new home is going to occupy, do this before the foundation is put down: study the lay of the land within two hundred (200) yards in every direction and make note of the high point and the low point. Where will your new foundation fit in this picture? If it will be the low point, or somewhere between the high and low points, your
foundation will be in the path of all water runoff and the side which receives the runoff will be prone to exaggerated foundation movement, not to mention problems with ponding water.

Observe which side of the foundation will be on the lower side of the lot and what degree of slope there is. This will give you an idea of how deep the layer of fill dirt under that side of the foundation will have to be to make a level building platform. T his fill dirt pad will never be as firm as the original dirt and will almost certainly be the area where you will have foundation problems. This is where I would demand that the foundation be poured on support piers that pass through the fill material and penetrate a minimum of twelve feet (12') into the original soil or to rock, whichever comes first. A quick clue for you, if the building platform is already in place and ready for a foundation, just look for a side with a retaining wall; the height of that wall equals the depth of the fill material.

Your foundation is worthy of all this "fuss and bother" because it will be required to carry the entire load for the life of your new home. If you make sure it is constructed strong enough at the start, it will reward you with "sweet silence." Your guests will compliment you on the creative design features you came up with and will make a huge fuss over the flow from living room to kitchen to the deck to the pool. But they will never gush over the foundation or thrill over the beauty of the blueprints. But, what if you "short change" the foundation? It will be the topic of discussion with every guest you have in your home for as long as you live there. Next, I will address: Know which experts to talk to and how to interpret what they say." In the meantime, you can send me your questions by going to www.AceFoundation.com and clicking on "Ask Us Anything."

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

My New Foundation, Part 2

"Know your lot above ground and below ground, before you pour the foundation."

First, know your lot above ground. Several characteristics of the lot on which you plan to put your home are:

Residential Foundation and New ConstructionIs the lot a low point in the larger lay of the land?

If it is, you will be fighting drainage problems which will cause the clay soil to shrink and swell and trigger foundation movement. This results in torn wallpaper, cracked or buckled floor coverings and doors hanging crooked in their frames.

Was the lot created by removing a lot of trees?

Before the builders showed up, the trees and the land had a balanced agreement concerning how much water the trees would drink and how much would be kept by the soil. This resulted in a lot which stayed a consistent degree of levelness. But when the trees are removed, the lot keeps all of the water and the surface soil reacts by slowly expanding upward for the next three to five years. If you build your home on the lot shortly after the trees are removed, you could experience foundation uplift and interior damage as the soil slowly expands in reaction to the new level of water.

Was the lot made ready for building by adding fill dirt?

To make a smooth building pad, builders often pile up a bunch of dirt and level it. It is important for you to know which parts of the foundation will rest on fill dirt, since these areas will be the most prone to settlement and failure if certain steps are not taken. (I will address some of those steps in future articles.)

Second, know your lot below ground. In other words, know what lies below the surface before you put down the foundation. Is your lot sitting above an old trash dump or creek which was filled in and covered over? Are there active springs flowing under it? Was the area created for building by rezoning land previously judged "unfit for building" and what was done to "make it fit"?

These are all factors which could affect the structural stability of your new foundation and the home that sits on top of it. The answers to these questions could determine the design of your new foundation, or they could determine whether you even build your new home on that lot, or not.

I know this sounds like a lot of trouble and expense, but you really don't want to pay "the emotional price" of building in haste. I know of one woman who built her gorgeous "dream house" in the country and now lives in a home she can't enjoy because of the foundation. In fact she has suffered a heart attack due to the stress. Yes, she sought legal advice on taking the builder to court. But she was told she would need a minimum down payment of $25,000.00 and that her chances of getting anything from him were very slim -- even if she won! How much better to win up front before the builder even starts?

My next article will address: "Know what type of unique design demands the lot and floor plan make upon the new foundation."

Again, if you need answers right away, don't hesitate to call me. You might also visit my website, www.AceFoundation.com, to get more information.

- Alan Ardoin

Thursday, April 15, 2010

My New Foundation, Part 1

If you were building your "dream home," would you leave it up to the contractor to choose the design of the kitchen, or the type of cabinets and the style of the appliances? Not on your life! Then why leave the most important decision up to them, the design of your new foundation?

After spending over 21 years in foundation repair, I have always been amazed how homeowners will fight a builder to the point of going to court over anything from the color of paint to the number of electrical outlets. But when it comes to the foundation, they comfort themselves with the thought, "Well, he's the expert and his company is well known, so I am sure he will put a great foundation under my home. I need to worry about findig the right color shingles so the roof matches the color in the brick."

ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION!

After your home is built, you can change nearly anything you don't like about it except the foundation! 'Sorry for getting carried away and "yelling," but I hope you get my point. If I was having a builder construct my "dream home," his crews would hate me until they got the foundation poured. After that, they wouldn't see me very often.

What's all the fuss about, you ask? Doesn't the foundation's design just have to be the right shape for the floor plan? Yes, of course, but the real question is, "Has it been constructed well enough to support the home on top of it so I can enjoy living in it for years to come?"

There are several key factors which have to be accounted for in order to answer that question in the affirmative. I can only list some of the most important foundation design factors in this post, but I will go into greater detail in subsequent posts. The most important foundation design steps are: know the lot are building on, above or below ground; know what type of unique design demands the lot and floor plan make upon the new foundation; know which experts to talk to and how to interpret what they say; And, know the difference between what you want and what you need.

These are the points I will address in coming posts. If you need answers now, feel free to call me at 972-272-1900 and I will do my best to assist us.

Also, don't forget, you can ask us anything. Fill out the quick form (only 3 fields to complete), hit the "Submit" button, and wait for our answer!

- Alan Ardoin

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

More Photos of Damage Caused by a Bad Foundation

I snapped these photos of a house near my own. You can see these cracks from the street! This is what happens if you don't fix foundation problem as soon as you can.









Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Guest Post: Invest in Your Home With Timely Foundation Repair and Maintenance

The foundation of a home impacts almost every other structural and architectural element. If the foundation is compromised or worn out, damage will trickle up through the rest of the building.

In order to avoid long-term problems it is essential to take care of any foundation repairs immediately and to keep your foundation in good shape with preemptive steps and maintenance. By doing so, you will save yourself time and money in the long term and you'll help keep you home in prime condition.

When to Repair? Most of us probably take foundations for granted. When something is amiss, we may not know the warning signs. As a homeowner, it's essential to become well-informed on this matter so that you can keep an eye out for symptoms of foundation problems. If you see:

  • Cracks in walls or ceiling drywall
  • Popped drywall nails
  • Sloping or uneven flooring
  • Windows out of square
  • Sticking doors or windows
  • Gaps between walls and ceilings/floors
  • Masonry cracks
  • Gaps between bricks, doors, and windows
  • Cracks in foundation walls and floor
  • Gaps between chimney and house
this may be a sign that your foundation is degenerating. If you see any of these warning signs, don't panic. The reality is, a building foundation will likely need repair at some point because changes in soil conditions, hydrostatic pressure and a variety of other outside forces can create stress on a foundation. Luckily, there are experts who specialize in just this type of work. Foundation contractors will be able to determine the cause of the problem and will have the tools and knowledge to address it.

Maintenance Is Key While doing foundation repairs as issues arise is essential to keeping your home structurally sound, it is just as necessary - if not more so - to take steps to increase the longevity of your foundation before major problems arise. One of the best ways to do this is waterproofing. Because foundations are, by necessity and design, underground, they are extremely susceptible to water damage. Foundation waterproofing creates a barrier between your foundation and any surrounding water so that cracks and other structural deterioration issues do not have a chance to form. If you are building a new home this is especially important. If you can waterproof at the time of foundation construction, not only is the work easier to do, but then you're also protected from day one.

No part of your home is as fundamental as the foundation. It is truly the base for the rest of the construction, so keeping it in good shape is essential. Through proper foundation repair and regular maintenance you will be able to rest assured that you and your home are on solid ground.

Matt Gallo is a homeowner and an Internet marketer for Prospect Genius, a leader in online marketing.




Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Guest Post: Foundation Repair - Common Issues

What Causes a Home to Settle?

A simplified definition of settlement is, "structural movement that occurs when the soil below cannot support the weight of the structure above." There are many potential causes of structural settlement, some occurring deep within the soil profile while others are nearer the surface, and it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint a specific cause for the home's settlement.

Three of the more common causes of structural settlement are:

1) drying and shrinking of the foundation soils,
2) wetting and softening of the foundation soils, and
3) poorly compacted fill soils consolidating or compressing under the weight of the foundation.

Soils with high clay contents are particularly susceptible to volume changes with changes in moisture; i.e., they have the tendency to swell when wet and shrink when dried. If the soil moisture levels decrease significantly, clayey soils can shrink, resulting in settlement of overlying structures. Drying of foundation soils is commonly caused by extensive drought-like conditions, maturing trees and vegetation in close proximity to the foundations, and leaking subfloor heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Excess moisture introduced to foundation soils may also prove problematic. Softening or weakening of the foundation soils can occur, reducing the soil's ability to support the weight of the home. Settlement cracks often appear as these softened or weakened foundation soils are compressed beneath the footings. Increased moisture conditions within the foundation soils are most often the result of heavy precipitation or over-irrigation coupled with poor surface water drainage away from the home, which is typically evident by slow drainage or standing or ponding water adjacent to the foundation. Similarly, leaks in water lines or plumbing, or an elevated groundwater table, can also increase the moisture content of the foundation soils and lead to structural settlement.

Another common cause of settlement is poor compaction of fill soils on which the home is constructed. When most residential subdivisions are developed, the earthwork/grading phase typically involves cutting and removing soil from hilltops and then placing this material as fill within valleys to create build-able lots. When this fill is constructed with suitable material at proper moisture and compaction levels, it can effectively support the weight of the new home. However, fill soils that are excessively dry or wet, or fill that is loosely compacted, can compress under its own weight or the weight of the home resulting in structural settlement

How Will I Know if a Home Has Experienced Settlement?

Mortar joints that are out of level, interior and exterior cracking, doors and windows difficult to open and close, and chimneys pulling away from exterior walls and roof overhangs are all symptoms of foundation settlement.

Out of level mortar joints are a tell-tale sign of structural settlement. Block foundation walls and exterior brick veneer is generally laid near-horizontal during construction. Therefore, the mortar joints can then be used to identify settlement. A tool such as a laser level can help determine the extent of movement from one corner of the home to the other. Measuring from a mortar joint to the projected line or dot of the laser at several locations along the foundation wall can assist with identifying both settlement trend and magnitude

Cracking in the interior and exterior construction materials of the home may also indicate settlement. Stair-step cracking is common in brick and concrete block walls. If the settlement continues, vertical cracks at either the bottom or top of the wall may get wider, indicating wall rotation. Cracks extending from window and door framing are also common, both inside and outside the home. Often, the attempts made to fill or seal drywall or mortar cracks are easy to identify due to variances in finish or workmanship. When tuck-pointing brick veneer, it is especially difficult to match original mortar colors. In other cases, the repair work may not be as obvious, so directing the beam of a flashlight over the corners of doors and windows may help spot a past repair.

Observing proper alignment and operation of doors and windows, or the lack thereof, can assist with diagnosing structural settlement. Doors or windows may be out of level (racked), difficult to open or close, or separating from the framing or exterior finish. If settlement is suspected, check for new caulking around windows or doors, evidence of planing on the tops or bottoms of doors to allow for easier opening and closing, and replacement or movement of locks or latching mechanisms on doors.

Finally, a chimney separating from the rest of the home is an obvious and often dramatic indication of settlement. Chimneys are sometimes built on a foundation that is not connected to the foundation of the home.

Learn more about foundation repair and related issues at http://www.foundationsupportworks.com/. Article written by Boris Kovalsky.



Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Guest Post: Foundation Repair - Is Your Home's Foundation Moving? - 11 Ways to Know If Your House is Safe

The sooner you fix a moving foundation, the less damage it will cause. Sometimes these problems are hard to diagnose and foundation repairs many times should be left to the professionals.

Check off which symptoms you have below. Some obvious foundation movement indicators are:
  1. Are there cracks in your foundation?
  2. Do you have bulging concrete walls?
  3. Do you suspect any type of foundation movement? Any or all of those above can be cause for alarm!
  4. Do you have any floor and wall cracks?
  5. Do you notice any doors that bind and do not open or close correctly?
  6. Do you have any floors that are not level? Do your windows bind or do not open or close correctly?
  7. Is there any water intrusion in your home?
  8. Do you have any mold growth?
  9. Are there cracks in your exterior brick?
  10. Do you have any cracks in your beams and joists?
  11. Are there any separations of wood either on the interior or exterior of your home?
If you feel you need residential foundation repairs, -- you MUST act quickly! Things could be so much worse if you wait. It isn't worth risking your life as well as the lives of your family members. This type of problem isn't for the "Do It Yourselfers" either. You are going to want a reputable experienced company. Many times a husband or a relative mean well and think they can go ahead and try to resolve it on their own. Say NO!

About the Author

Keystone Basement Systems located in Pittsburgh, PA, West Virginia (WV), and Ohio (OH) is the only company in Western Pennsylvania that is owned by a (real) experienced basement professional." You can Google "foundation repair Pittsburgh" or visit their site at http://www.KeystoneBasementSystems.com


Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.