Is your Wyoming, South Dakota, or Nebraska Foundation Sinking?
A sinking foundation is more common than you might think, especially in Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and the surrounding areas. Compaction issues are the number one cause of a sinking foundation. While they naturally sink over time, poor soil compaction during construction may make your foundation slip even more than usual. A sinking foundation can cause big problems in your home, and it can be very dangerous.When you notice certain problems in your home, it is best to contact a professional right away to determine if you have a sinking foundation in need or repair.
Many homeowners don’t know how to determine whether or not their foundation is sinking. Because of this, many problems are left to get worse as time goes by. There are multiple small signs that point to a sinking foundation, and many of them are commonly overlooked. They include:
- Sloped Floors: Sloped floors often indicate that one side of your foundation has slipped lower than the other.
- Cracked Walls or Floors: Cracks are the most common sign that indicates foundation issues. Cracks can come in many shapes, sizes, and directions, but they almost always point to a sinking foundation. Cracks often let in water and pests that can cause problems in your home.
- Sticking Doors or Windows: When doors and windows are no longer on an even plane, they may begin to stick when opened. This can also happen because wall cracks allow in moisture that increases humidity, causing wooden doors and window frames to swell.
- Leaning or Bowing Walls: This is one of the more dangerous signs of a sinking foundation. Because the foundation directly supports basement walls, any slip in the foundation could cause bowing or leaning walls. This is most often accompanied by cracking.
Solutions for a Sinking Foundation
When homeowners notice many of the above problems, they believe that they are isolated incidents and try to fix the problem themselves. Homeowners may try to fill cracks or cut doors so they no longer stick, but they home remedies only take care of the surface problem. There will still be a sinking foundation until a professional contractor is contacted and piers are installed.
Piers are used to support your home’s foundation when the soil beneath it isn’t supportive enough. Rapid Foundation Repair uses Earth Contact Products, a trusted brand that produces quality steel piers for foundation repairs. There are multiple piering options for your home, including steel push piers and helical piers.
Steel push piers are durable, steel piers used to stabilize your home’s foundation and lift it to its original place. These piers can be installed from inside or outside your home and cause little mess. The piers are attached to brackets and inserted with special hydraulic equipment. Each pier is load tested before being put into use to ensure that they will support your home. Steel push piers are useful in numerous foundation repair jobs.
Helical piers are another type of pier produced by ECP. Helical piers are screw-like piers that are screwed into the ground (unlike push piers, which are simply pushed in). They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them perfect for a number of jobs. Helical piers are an affordable, easily installed option to lift your home’s foundation, and they can be installed in any kind of weather.
Now that you are able to notice the signs of a sinking foundation, we hope that you will trust Rapid Foundation Repair with your sinking foundation repair needs in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Contact us today for more information about sinking foundations.