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Alamo Certified Foundation Repair Dallas/Ft. Worth Dallas - 214-295-4742 Ft. Worth / Arlington - 817-366-8376 |
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Foundation repair is a service in high demand, and for this reason, it is also full of dangers. The biggest danger is in finding a foundation repair contractor that you can trust. There are so many foundation repair services available that it can be difficult to choose the right one. Each foundation repair company has its claim to fame. They make boasts about how great their foundation piers designs are for your home's foundation. The nature of this is simple. Every pier design has its uses and points that it works better than others, but under most conditions, all of the different types of piers are going to perform about the same for lifting and leveling a home slab or beam. For the most part, it is all a gimmick to catch your attention and impress upon you a feeling of security. A prime example of this is the cable reinforced pier system. Buried cable is going to rust away rapidly in the soil. This particular pier design can have other problems as a result of the cable, but we are not going to discuss them in this article. Most foundation repair companies and sales persons are practicing a live performance magic show. What I mean by this is that their presentation is mostly for show. They use elaborate pier designs and tools to make you believe that you need their services and piers, and that their pier is the only way that you can get it done right. While, most of us are smart enough to understand that there are other foundation repair companies with different styles of piers, and that other piers will perform the same function, it can be difficult to determine the truth about the need for piers. Almost all foundation repair companies and engineers or inspectors use technology for their measurements, and base their results on this technology. This can be misleading for all parties involved because technology is only as useful as the person operating it. Unfortunately, people assume that this technology is always correct and don't consider their common sense. The particular piece of technology that I am referring to is a computerized level or compu-level. I'm sure that you have seen them if you are looking to have your foundation checked. These levels are very useful for determining elevations and where level would be, but are not useful in determining movement of a house foundation. In all of the years that I have been in the construction industry, I have never seen a foundation of any form that was completely level, and therefore, from its original position, there would be grade changes if measured using a compu-level, when in fact, no movement has occurred. There are better more accurate ways to determine movement in a slab foundation or house foundation. These methods don't use technology, but are scientific, though they may not appear to be as impressive as fancy equipment. To determine the amount of movement if any in a foundation, you must understand the original construction of the home. When building a house, the foundation is going to have higher and lower points. This may be the result of poor planning, accidental movement of a foundation form board, misplacement of the form, or highs and lows in the center of the foundation. The concrete being liquid and setting up rapidly and over large areas make it difficult to get it perfect. This is where the acceptable variances come from. For this purpose, it is left to the framers and the brick masons to make things more straight and level. The framers generally level the top plate or the elevation where the ceiling will generally come across the home. This is useful for your internal measurements. For the outside or perimeter elevations, the most effective way to measure movement is to consider the bricklayers. Brick masons measure and story off the courses of brick from the top down, and place any cuts at the bottom to level out the bottom course. Then they lay each course up using a string line to increase speed and keep straight lines and prevent the line of the brick from curving up or down and in or out. Therefore, using a string line on the brick coursing should show any movement that has occurred, and how much movement took place. A compulevel can be useful as a second set of eyes though. It can be used to determine if results are correct, but only if it is used to take readings from the top plate. Most of these factors are visually evident if the inspector knows what to look for and where to be looking.
Request a Foundation Repair Estimate OR Request a Foundation Inspection Inspections cost $500.00 Foundation Repair Estimates require an inspection. (Inspections are free with signed contract for Foundation/Brick Repair.)
Copyright © 2007 James R. Nech/Alamo Masonry. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
We install standard pressed concrete piers. These piers are more durable over time than any pier using metal products that will rust away rapidly due to the moisture in the soil. These concrete cylinders will last as long or longer than the slab under your home. We specialize in Pier and Beam Foundation Repair and Retaining Wall Repairs. Our piers are pressed into the soil until they reach rejection. This is the point where they begin lifting the weight of your home. After the piers are all to the point of rejection, we begin leveling your home. Once your home is level, the piers are adjusted tightly to prevent movement. At this point, our Certified Professionals remove the cracked mortar to a proper bonding depth and mix sand and water with the Alamo Pre-Mix Mortars. Then they repair the mortar joints with these matching mortars and make the entire foundation problem disappear. We use Standard concrete pressed piers that will not rust out over time, pressed to rejection, and adjusted level. This is the best pier available on the market. We don't believe in fancy promotional gimmicks. We offer honest service and quality products. Get an estimate from our Alamo Certified Service Professionals, and get a complete full service repair. Our Professionals will fix your foundation problems and repair the cracking in the mortar of your bricks using Alamo Certified Mortar Matched Pre-Mixed Mortars. This ensures a proper repair. Get
An Estimate!
Dallas: 214-295-4742
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