28 Sep When you need to relevel your house or need a foundation repair, here is what you need to know

Need to relevel your house? or need a foundation repair? Here is what you need to know!

When you’re dealing with levelling problems, foundation repairs, or piling issues on your home or a building you own, its not something that you want to just quick-fix, it’s literally the thing that is holding everything else up, without it there is no building. You really need to get professionals to inspect things to find out exactly what is going on, and thats where you should call us, Core Construction, we deal with these things day in, day out, this is what we specialise in, we’ll identify the problem and fix for you, quickly and with the least amount of disruption to you and your building.

There are a few indications that your house may have out of level concerns – and most of them indicate foundation issues. A building may need relevelling or repiling if its foundation has shifted, and the result has slanted, uneven surfaces and noticeable cracks appearing. Most of these indicators are those that owners should look for – cracks in the walls, doors that will not close and plumbing concerns that lead to slow drainage.

This happens because house foundations settle over time (and it’s not uncommon). Sometimes some natural factors also compound the situation, like:

• Improperly backfilled soil: When the soil underneath your foundation is not backfilled adequately, your home can show signs of cracks when that soil starts to shift.
• Expansive soil: Depending on the weather, some soil types can expand and contract, which might cause the foundation to slide and shift unintentionally.
• Tree roots: Nearby trees suck up all the water in the soil beneath the foundation, causing it to move or sink.

That’s where we – Core Construction – come in.

What Should You Look For?

With the points we’re sharing below, take a look around your house to see if there’s a problem creeping up. It’s better to detect and sort these out sooner rather than later. You can also take the help of the experts at Core Construction to do the job for you.

• Mortar Joint Gaps
The spaces in between concrete blocks or bricks are known as joints. These are filled with mortar, and it is a good sign that the foundation is shifting unevenly when the mortar gets gaps or cracks.

• Internal or External Cracks
Cracks are an evident and typical indicator of structural flaws. These fractures can develop outside of the foundation as well. They commonly appear in walls, especially those made of drywall or plaster, as well as in and around wood panelling, fireplace veneers, ceilings, and floors. You should schedule a foundation examination if you notice them.

• Previous Repairs
If you are not the first owner of the house, unravelling the residence’s history can strongly indicate if your property is settling, or if there are other concerns related to the foundation.

There could be an unaddressed foundation problem if there have been cracks filled or latch replacements, so these fixes might not be strictly foundational. You can learn what you need to know by looking at the foundation.

• Stuck Windows and Doors
Doors and windows will reflect this over time when they get stuck or fail to close. It normally happens on one side of the property, suggesting it is not level.

See this Christchurch house that we saved.

• Uneven Floors
One side of your foundation could be settling heavier than the other side if you start noticing things rolling or a clear slant in the flooring.

• Unstable Chimney
Like cracks in a wall, leaks or cracks in a chimney are signs that the foundation is not settling as it should. Considering the importance of the chimney running at maximum capacity and ensuring the safety of everyone, this could be harmful.

It might be challenging to keep track of all the possible routes that your foundation could be facing issues, but by being conscious of the warning signs, you can uncover the problems before they worsen.

Whether the purpose of your building is purely residential or commercial, you should look into these possible issues just to make sure you’re building is ok. Core Construction can easily come on sight for you and inspect anything you are worried about.

How Does Foundation Repair Work?

There are three steps in the procedure of foundation repair:

One – plan development
Two – support installation
Three – home raising and stabilisation

• Plan Development
Creating a plan is the first step in foundation levelling. Usually, a foundation repair contractor will create a basic plan after analysing your house to determine where additional support is required to hold it up and restore it to its original position.

The repair plan specifies the points of the support placement locations and how many support locations are required. Most of the time, the supports are across a portion of the house perimeter (not usually the entire home).

• Support Installation (Two Types)
In terms of engineering, the supports under your home are commonly called underpinning. But depending on the technique that is used in the foundation repair, you will notice them being called piers or pilings.

The tall, cylindrical piers or pilings on the front porch of a posh plantation-style mansion mimic columns. Imagine stilts under your residence holding it up, the stilts are underground.

The supports are implanted underground through drilling and digging, then funnelling concrete in the case of the pier, also identified as bell-bottom piers. Or, if employing pilings, also referred to as pressed piles, pre-formed concrete components are forced into the soil by hydraulic pressure.

• Home Raising
The foundation repair specialist will then raise the recessed areas of the house and check to see if the foundation has reverted to its previous elevation after putting the supports in the ground.

The house is elevated using jacks, held in place by this tension that feels like a spring, and shimmied to ensure the correct elevation.

Sometimes there is no raising, just stabilisation

When a home has previously undergone upgrades with fine finishes that a homeowner would not desire to ruin, stabilisation is preferred against elevating. The elevating technique would harm recently redone walls, trim, built-ins, cabinets, countertops, and backsplash portions of a remodelled home.

This is because everything was placed when the home was not in the correct position. Therefore, moving the house into place will shift all of the finished work and result in additional issues and repairs for the homeowner. In general, it is advised that a homeowner should complete any necessary foundation repair work before beginning any other remodelling initiatives.

If this feels overwhelming and you are unsure what to do, don’t hesitate to contact Core Construction. We’re just a phone call away.

Why Should You Always Hire Core Construction?

Core Construction are professional contractors with many years of experience in house relevelling, foundation repairs, piling, and much more, we’ll provide you with a full quotation and an analysis of your issues so you know exactly what the project entails moving forward. An inspection usually lasts two hours.

When you hire us we’ll come in and do an inspection, we’ll

• Look for window cracks and sagging floors.
• Analyse the issue.
• Explain the situation with clarity to help you make an informed choice.
• Create a house-jacking and levelling strategy that will meet your needs and budget constraints.
• Give you a cost of relevelling a house.

 
House levelling is a non-invasive technique that can be completed with little disturbance to your daily life given the necessary tools and expertise are used. Nevertheless, depending on the severity of the damage and the chosen treatment, the process could last up to a few weeks.

Core Construction offers a skilled team that specialises in foundation solutions, such as re-levelling, piling work, and retaining walls. If you think you may have un-level floors because you see wall cracks or windows and doors won’t open or close, you definitely could have a problem with the foundations. Get in touch with us, our crew can come and have a closer look for you and if needed deliver cost-efficient fixes for your foundation and retaining troubles.

Here are other things that you should do and know before you go ahead with a fix

• Ask lots of questions and become informed about repair procedures. Do not base your choice on ads or low prices. If it sounds too promising to be true, it probably is.
• Choose a contractor with repair methods evaluated by ICC-ES (International Code Council Evaluation Services). This non-profit organisation assures that building products satisfy code compliance.
• In most areas, a reputable contractor will have a clause for the depth of the hydraulic piling (typically 20 to 30 feet). Be cautious if a contractor lacks a depth clause. The contractor would probably terminate operations at the depth that would ensure a profit instead of carrying on at a loss.
• Some repair jobs call for the removal of landscaping around the work areas, and the contractor usually would not promise that a bush or shrub will survive after removal and replacement.
• Warranties or guarantees for foundation work are extremely crucial, so keep a close eye on their terms. Remember that a warranty is only as useful as the company that supports it. Find a nationwide business that can offer a warranty trust. It signifies that if the business fails, there is a strategy in place to deliver follow-up service if required.

Core Construction are the expert’s you need

Core Construction’s highly qualified, skilled professional foundation levelling and repair contractors are licensed general contractors focusing on geotechnical problems about foundation construction, failing slopes, retaining walls, and other structural elements. We are repiling and house lifting specialists servicing Auckland through to Tauranga. We can manage challenges of any magnitude, from fixing a crack to constructing a substantial soil nail wall.

We offer our foundation repair services to residential, commercial, and construction industry clients, please feel free to enquire about any of our services, we are very quick to answer any questions in detail and most importantly are here to help you.