Only Part of My House is Settling, Do I Need to Be Worried About the Rest of It?

If only part of my house is settling and needs piers, will the rest of my house settle too?

The honest answer is "I don't know". Since soil is composed of various layers that become disturbed during construction, your home may be resting partially on expansive soils, or the entire lot may be expansive. At this point, I would recommend having a foundation repair specialist, or a structural engineer take a look at your home and determine the overall scope of repair needed. If that person finds that settling or heaving is occurring in only a portion of your home, then you can repair and get that area under warranty. If he or she finds indicators that the entire structure is resting on expansive, active soil and your whole foundation is moving, then you can pier and warranty the entire home.

A residential structural engineer should review any proposed foundation repair solution at the sight and through plans and other permitting processes, as well as the local soil conditions, and determine if the scope of work someone has recommended needs to be increased or decreased. This process can be streamlined if you find a foundation repair company that has an engineer on staff and in their local office, who is not only familiar with current products and local soil conditions, but he or she will be able to complete site visits and follow ups easily! Having an engineer on staff will give you the insurance that the design specialists in that office have up to date training in properly diagnosing and designing solutions. The engineer should also be present to review each and every design prior to the work being permitted.

Why do you recommend installing piers on both sides of a corner?

In most cases piers are installed at about 6' intervals, depending on the structural needs of your home. This is also true near the corners. If a pier is installed at 2'-3' on one side of a corner, another pier should be installed within approximately 2'-3' from the other side of the corner. In some cases, calculations may show that only one pier is required at a corner, provided the spacing remains correct. However, with that layout, experience has shown that there is increased risk that damage may be done to the footings and foundation wall, especially during a lift. We recommend a corner be supported on both sides to prevent any damage.

For your free estimate for foundation repair in Colorado contact Peak Basement Systems today. Learn more about foundation repairs from the Colorado foundation repair specialist.