Building Foundation Types

A lot of first time home buyers have questions about the different types of foundations and the pros and cons of each. So, we thought it was a good idea to rerun one of our original foundation blog posts. Read on to learn about the various types of building foundations.

Slab or Slab on Grade is a foundation that is one large piece of concrete reinforced with steel bars or cables. "On grade" simply means the structure is supported by the ground or grade.

A pier and beam foundation keeps the structure lifted off the ground or grade by using a tall perimeter concrete beam and a series of piers which support the floor constructed of wood.

A simple frame foundation is the oldest type of foundation and is similar to a Pier and Beam. A frame foundation does not use a concrete perimeter beam, but has supports around the perimeter that are covered by siding down to the ground.

Get more information by visiting our website, www.AceFoundation.com.

Drainage, Drainage, Drainage

If you've been following our blog, then by now you know that the biggest source of foundation problems are changes in the moisture content of the soil supporting and around the foundation.

Soil expands or contracts as the moisture content changes. Soil contraction can be from minimal to nearly 65% of the total wet volume, depending upon the amount of clay in the soil plus other factors. If you've ever experienced one of our extended Texas droughts, then you've probably seen large cracks in the ground. These cracks are perfect examples of the soil contracting as it dries out. The more expansive the clay, the larger the cracks. Imagine what soil like this does for your foundation!

There are many things a home owner can do to correct surface drainage problems. The yard around your home should be graded to slope away from your foundation. This slope will drain water away from the house and, thus, the foundation. Once away from the house, the yard should be sloped to allow the water to drain toward the street or alley. Builders, landscapers and home owners often make changes to the landscape that prevent the runoff of excess water.

You need to inspect the landscape around your home for areas that trap water. The best time to do is immediately following rainfall. Look for flower and shrub beds which hold water and make the changes needed to allow the water to drain away.

Make sure your gutter downspouts discharge water away from the foundation rather than dumping it into a plant bed or next to the house. Sometimes all you need to do is extend the downspouts so they discharge at a safe place, and some houses would be better off without gutters.

These are just some of the things you can do to protect your home. Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Myths about North Texas Foundations, Part 2

Myth - "A home inspector cleared the house for sale so everything must be okay."

Home inspectors look at a lot of different things during their inspection, but they only draw attention to the foundation if there are clear and obvious symptoms of foundation movement. Most symptoms of foundation movement may have been expertly covered over before the inspector ever sees the property.

Myth - "The foundation has been repaired and comes with a warranty, so I won't have to deal with foundation problems."

There are two problems with this thought.

First, any area of the foundation not worked on can always develop problems not covered by the warranty.

Second, sellers often hire the cheapest company to put in the cheapest piers. This practice often results in the most ongoing problems.

Myth - "The more expensive or custom built a house is, the fewer problems I will have with it."

Allow me to answer this myth with a story. In the 1980s, Dallas experienced a crash in real estate prices. Several years after the crash, Ace Foundation Repair (my company) was called out to inspect the foundation of a beautiful three million dollar mansion in Dallas which had gotten caught in the crash and never sold.

At the time, some realtors had a foreign doctor willing to buy the house for a million dollars and they were thrilled. The builders had failed to insulate the fresh water lines running up between the walls to serve the upstairs bath areas. Dallas had had a hard freeze while the house was vacant. The pipes froze and ruptured and water drained town throughout the interior! The foundation was a pier and beam which had massive support beams, as required for such a large structure. The problem was, the builders ran out of room under the house and ran the beams right into the dirt. Guess where they were having foundation problems? And the builders had built the mansion as a shining example of their work!

I hope I've dispelled some of the myths you may have had heard concerning foundations here in North Texas. If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact me at Ace Foundation Repair (phone: 972-272-1900) and I'll be happy to talk to you.

Alan Ardoin, President
Ace Foundation Repair

Myths about North Texas Foundations, Part 1

Many first time homeowners buy houses which end up costing them a lot of money and causing them much grief due to believing one or more of the following myths.

Myth - "A house which is at least 5 years old will have settled all it is going to."

That may be true in some areas of the country, but not North Texas.

In order for a house to stop settling in this area, the soil upon which it is built would have to stop moving, and our clay soils will always remain active.

Myth - "If I buy an older home that has never had foundation problems, then it never will."

Foundation failure can take place at any time during the life of a house.

Myth - "If I buy a new house, then I won't have to deal with foundation problems."

Newer and newer homes need foundation repair due to where they were built and how they were built.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact me at Ace Foundation Repair (phone: 972-272-1900) and I'll be happy to talk to you.

Alan Ardoin, President
Ace Foundation Repair

About Mudjacking

Mudjacking is an additional foundation repair technique used to fix sinking and shifts in flat concrete areas. The process uses pressurized mud rather than piers. The mud is typically comprised of sandy loam soil, water and some cement for stiffness. The mixture is pumped under the foundation through a hose until the void is filled and creates lift of the desired areas.

Ace Foundation recommends mudjacking only for flat concrete surfaces such as garage floors, driveways, pool and patio decks.

We do not recommend mudjacking for the lifting of structural load bearing foundations/surfaces for the following reasons: The performance depends on the soil beneath. The lifting process may break sewer pipes and quickly fill them with the mud, requiring expensive plumbing repairs. A uniform lift is very difficult due to the different weight and thickness of the slab.

Many foundation repair contractors, as well as structural engineers, like to use piers on the perimeter grade beams to repair failed foundations and to use mudjacking on foundations with interior failure such as sinking or sagging floors.

Mudjacking is a procedure which involves drilling two inch (2") diameter holes through the floor in the affected area, bringing in a hose, about the size of a firehose, with a nozzle that fits in the holes and pumping a thick mud grout under the floor. The grout is typically comprised of sandy loam soil, water and about twelve percent (12%) cement.

The grout is pumped under the foundation with several hundred pounds of pressure until all voids are filled and the back pressure lifts the foundation to where it needs to be.

Mudjacking has been successfully used to lift streets, porches, and driveways at a cost much lower than replacement, but Ace Foundation does not recommend the use of mudjacking on homes or buildings for several reasons.

One big reason we do not recommend mudjacking is that the process cannot be fully controlled by the contractor once the grout leaves the nozzle.

The grout always takes the path of least resistance, which means once it leaves the nozzle the grout can come up through bathtub, leaveouts, shallow areas of concrete flooring, etc. The main danger that the mudjacking process poses is to plumbing under the foundation. As the back pressure increases, the foundation begins to raise and the possibility of plumbing lines separating increases. The moment a sewer line breaks, the grout starts entering the line and the cement can set before a plumber can clean it out. Once the grout sets, the plumbing line has to be broken out and replaced.

Mudjacking also tends to be a temporary method of repair. In order for the grout to hold the foundation in position it depends on the soil beneath it to remain in place. If the soil moves due to loss of moisture then the grout will not be able to hold the load.

Ace Foundation installs STEEL INTERIOR PIERS and accomplishes all lifting with them. We then have a plumber test for leaks in the plumbing lines and the home owner has the opportunity to repair the leaks.

We then fill the void between the floor and the soil with the same process as mudjacking yet with pressure and grout that are safer for the plumbing. This approach allows Ace Foundation to control damage and to provide the home owner with a longer lasting repair.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

All About Pier and Beam, Part 3

This is the 3rd part in a three part series of posts concerning pier and beam foundations. Be sure to see the first two posts in the series, All About Pier and Beam, Part 1 and All About Pier and Beam, Part 2.

We found a great posting on The Clark Blog showing the construction of a pier and beam foundation for a new home. Clark was able to take photos from empty lot to completed construction. The post shows in detail what goes into a modern pier and beam foundation.


Picture by The Clark Blog.

If you have questions about your own pier and beam foundation, its upkeep and maintenance, or its repair, be sure to call us at 972-272-1900.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

All About Pier and Beam, Part 2

This is the second of three posts concerning pier and beam foundations.

In North Texas, pier and beam foundations gave way (for the most part) to slab foundations starting in the 1950s. You'll still find large areas of pier and beam foundations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, though. The Lower Greenville/"M" Streets area of Dallas is predominately pier and beam construction, for example.

Ideally, the piers would be sunk to rock, thereby providing the most stability. However, this is usually not the case because rock isn't always shallow and it costs more the deeper you go with the piers. So, many pier and beam homes aren't resting on rock and, thus, subject the expansion and contraction of the soil -- just like their slab foundation counterparts.

Another common problem with pier and beam construction is that the piers aren't tall enough. That is, the building isn't supported far enough off the ground to provide sufficient air circulation. Without proper air circulation, your home will have moisture problems. These problems can manifest themselves as mold, a musty smell, and numerous other symptoms. In a perfect world, the crawlspace would extend about 30" to 40" above the ground. A home built to this specification, however, would look out of place in a neighborhood full of homes built to more common heights.

Finally, we often see water problems when we look at a pier and beam homes. A home built on a pier and beam foundation requires just as much attention to surface drainage as a home built on a slab foundation. Again, foundations move because of the expansion and contraction of the soil. The number one reason soil expands and contracts is moisture content. So, just as with a slab foundation, you should look for pooling water under and around your pier and beam home, check the grade of the property, and during droughts keep the soil from drying out.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

All About Pier and Beam, Part 1

This will be the first part of three posts about pier and beam foundations.

If you've ever seen a patio deck, then you are familiar with the basic concepts behind pier foundations. Both structures are built several feet above the ground and supported by pillars and posts or pilings. ("Posts" describe an installation with the large end down. "Pilings" describe an installation with the small end down.) If you been to Galveston, Port Aransas, South Padre, or any other coastal area, then you've seen houses built on "stilts". These homes are built on piers.

In most places, though, you will not be able to see the piers from outside the structure.

Learn more about pier and beam foundations in our next post.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.