Your most common questions, answered by TFS.
Foundation Problems
Like with most home repairs, your foundation repair costs will depend on several factors. Minor repairs can start at $500, but the price for most foundation repairs ranges from $2,000 to $7,100. Regardless of the cost, it helps to think of the repairs as an insurance policy for your home’s longevity.
A foundation is covered by homeowners insurance like any other part of your home. However, many types of foundation damage are explicitly excluded from standard insurance policies. For your foundation repairs to be covered by insurance, they must be caused by an event your insurer accepts, such as certain water damage and windstorms. A foundation specialist can help you determine what caused your foundation’s damage so you can make any potential claim with your insurance company.
Standard foundation repairs, including wall anchors, braces, and helical and push piers, typically take several hours to install. Although we may need to excavate a small area of your yard, the disturbance is usually minimal. If the foundation repairs are more extensive, the project will require additional work like multiple piers, braces, or anchors, which adds time to the job. Once the work is complete, you should notice little to no sign of your yard being disturbed.
Whether cracks in your home’s foundation are serious is hard to say without a comprehensive inspection. However, there are several reliable indications a crack is reaching a severe stage. Is there any moisture or water leaking through the crack? Are the cracks larger than a surface hairline crack? Has the crack recently been growing? These are all signs your foundation is developing significant problems that a foundation specialist should check.
To protect your home’s structural integrity, it’s best never to delay foundation repairs. Be sure to look into foundation repairs as soon as you notice cracks, gaps, fractures, or other issues.
Any foundation cracks not caused by concrete curing — usually surface or hairline cracks — can be of concern. If you notice vertical or diagonal cracks near the corners of your concrete walls, they could be caused by lateral pressure. A sinking foundation can cause diagonal or vertical cracks anywhere. Both types of cracks are worrisome, as are any cracks larger than one-eighth inches or ones that are letting water into your basement.
Concrete Repair Services
The four types of concrete cracks are hairline, shrinkage, settlement, and structural, and some are more concerning than others. There are several reasons that concrete cracks, the most common being that newly poured concrete shrinks as excess water evaporates and hardens. Cracks can also result from a poorly planned foundation or improper finishing.
You can repair some cracked stairs with a crack filler. And while a few small, thin cracks on the top surface of concrete may be unattractive, they’re unlikely to warrant concrete replacement. However, if large chunks of concrete are crumbling away or multiple stairs are beyond repair, replacing them is probably your best bet.
Concrete lifting, also known as mud jacking or slab jacking, is a process in which injected foam restores sunken slabs to their original grade and alignment. People often choose concrete lifting to repair a sinking driveway, patio, sidewalk, or pool deck because it doesn’t require tearing out and repouring concrete. Fast and cost-effective, the process involves minimal disruption to your home and is a safe way to resolve tripping dangers and other hazards.
There are several types of concrete slab repair, including helical piers, push piers, expansion joints, and NexusPro concrete sealer. Which method is right for you depends on the extent of damage to your home’s concrete slab.
Steel helical and push piers are permanent foundation repair solutions that restore your home’s stability and prevent further damage from a settling foundation. They can be installed inside or outside a structure. Helical piers look like giant screws and are tightened into the ground instead of pushed like push piers are. Helical piers are the solution of choice for most residential projects.
The short answer is yes. Many homeowners aren’t aware that a cracked driveway can also indicate foundation problems. That’s because water doesn’t always flow away from the house as it should when there are cracks in the driveway, and the resulting water buildup around your home’s foundation can cause it to weaken.
Basement Waterproofing
Experts estimate that about 60% of homes in the U.S. have basements with moisture problems that warrant repair. There’s no one-size-fits-all pricing approach to waterproofing a basement. The average cost is estimated to be $1,900 to $6,500, but severe cases can cost as much as $20,000 or more. Variables that affect what you’ll pay include the basement’s size, the underlying issue, and what it will take to fix it.
Efflorescence is a harmless crystallized mineral salt that forms on basement walls over time. It looks like a white, powdery substance and can also be found on floors. Though it’s not toxic on its own, efflorescence can signal problems like a water leak.
As with other systems in your home, a sump pump needs regular maintenance to keep it functioning properly. Homeowners can perform maintenance tasks like emptying the basin of standing water, removing basin debris, and checking the float switch. A skilled professional can provide annual sump pump maintenance services like examining the pump for corrosion, checking the pump bearings, and checking the condition of the sump pump discharge pipe.
Most experts agree basement waterproofing is an essential home repair well worth the expense. It strengthens your home’s foundation and can eliminate potential health problems caused by mold and mildew. It also gives your unfinished basement the potential to be finished, adding more living space to your home.
Retaining wall anchors are long rods driven through your home’s retaining wall and attached to anchors planted into the earth behind the wall. They’re an excellent solution for bowing walls, permanently stabilizing them, and, in many cases, straightening them back toward their original position. Installing GeoLock wall anchors involves minimal disturbance to your home, lawn, and landscaping. They can be easily concealed or painted to match unfinished walls.
Not every basement wall crack points to structural problems, but it’s important to know when they do. Basement wall repair is generally called for when cracks are wider than three-fourths of an inch with a leaning foundation, as they can indicate a more costly structural problem. The best course of action with severe basement wall cracks is to consult a professional foundation specialist.
Crawl Space Repair
Encapsulating your home’s crawl space will indeed increase your home’s value. It protects against mold and wood rot, improves indoor air quality, and reduces energy costs. And if you decide to sell your home, having an encapsulated crawl space gives the new owner the peace of mind that comes with knowing the area is completely sealed and isolated from ground and air moisture.
Along with the benefits of lower energy bills and enhanced comfort, you may qualify for rebates and tax incentives after encapsulating your home’s crawl space. Check with your utility company to see if it offers rebates. The federal government also provides tax incentives for home performance improvements, as do some local and state governments.
Standing water in a crawl space is common in the spring and winter and is typically weather and drainage related. In the summer, standing water may be the result of excess humidity. If you have standing water in your home’s crawl space, we recommend crawl space encapsulation and sealing to take control of moisture issues once and for all.
Crawl spaces contain a significant amount of moisture, which becomes the perfect environment for mold and dust mites. Crawl space dehumidification can reduce and prevent mold-related health issues like respiratory problems and protect the space against pest infestation.
Yes, a damaged crawl space can cause significant support issues to your home’s floors. If you have uneven floors in your home due to crawl space issues, a crawl space floor support system offers immediate stabilization, lifting and keeping the floors above from sinking and sagging.
If your home’s crawl space has large pools of water or drains water slowly, it’s worth considering a crawl space sump pump to keep the area dry. It can reduce or eliminate water damage by transferring water away from your home and protect it against groundwater seepage problems.