Home Improvement Loans

Archive for the ‘Foundation’ category

Different Ways Foundation Walls Are Fixed

August 6th, 2012

When you have a cracked or damaged foundation in your home, it is absolutely essential that you take action and call in the experts to correct it. A cracked or damaged foundation can cause a leaky basement, which creates many problems including serving as a potential draw for insects and putting you at risk of your home developing mold, mildew and unhealthy bacteria growth. A cracked or damaged foundation can also put the structural integrity of your home in jeopardy. Fortunately, fixing a cracked or damaged foundation can usually be done in a simple and cost-effective manner and you have a few different options for how the foundation walls can be fixed.

Methods of Fixing Foundation Walls

There are many different methods of fixing foundation walls and the one you choose is going to be determined by many factors including the cause of the damage to the foundation walls, the extent of the damage and your budget for doing repairs. Some possible examples of fixes for foundation walls include the following:

• Stabilization of bowed or fractured walls using a Fortress Stabilization System. Essentially, this involves the use of special Kevlar and fiber straps along with a special epoxy. The straps will stop shifting of the walls without the need for any outside excavation, which means less cost for you, less time required for the repair, and less disturbance to landscaping and to the rest of your home. When you choose this method of repair, a series of different straps are interconnected, and then bolted to an aluminum bracket attached to the home’s bond board using lag bolts. These straps that are attached to the aluminum bracket are then epoxied to a special fortress strap made of carbon fires so that the walls of the foundation are no longer able to move laterally.

• Polyurethane crack injection. If your foundation walls have only cracks in them, these cracks can be filled using a special method whereby surface bonds are attached and polyurethane is injected into the crack through holes in the surface bond and packed in tightly. The polyurethane will solidify and fill the crack. » Read more: Different Ways Foundation Walls Are Fixed

Comments Off »

Posted in Foundation

Tags: Home mold mildew

Different Means of Fixing Your Foundation

August 6th, 2012

Your foundation may become cracked, bowed or otherwise compromised for a number of reasons. Water pressure from outside of the wall is one common reason for a foundation problem. Pressure from soil, earth and tree roots is another common cause. If you have other construction near your home, such as a porch or outbuilding that is not properly supported by a foundation the same depth as the one for the rest of your home, this can lead to bowing and cracking. Finally, if heavy equipment is used too near the walls of your foundation during or after construction or if the builders who constructed your home filled in the area surrounding your foundation with large rocks or other unsuitable material, this too can lead to a foundation problem.

Regardless of the reason why your foundation is having problems, those problems are going to need to be fixed if you want to maintain the integrity of your home.

Ways to Fix Your Foundation

The appropriate way to fix your foundation is going to depend both on the cause of the bowing and cracking and on the extent of the foundation problems that are occurring. Your budget can also have an impact on what method of foundation repair you choose, although it is important to consider the effect of the decision over the long-term and not to skimp on foundation repairs.

Some of your options for repairing our foundation include:

• The use of a fortress stabilization system. This involves using carbon fiber or Kevlar straps in order to prevent the shifting of your walls. Along with special epoxy, these carbon fiber or Kevlar strips can help to repair your foundation in a cost-effective and simple way.

• Reinforcement with steel I beams. These beams help to provide added support that helps to keep your foundation strong. The beams are attached to your home’s floor joists as well as attached to the floors in the basement to bear the weight of the foundation walls that are bowing. Although this method is not as popular as the use of a fortress stabilization system since the beams create obstructions in your basement, it is still a good option in certain cases. » Read more: Different Means of Fixing Your Foundation