HomeSpec Waterproofing and Foundation Repair Case Studies: Sinking Porch Leads To Sinking Foundation Concerns, Solved With Helical Piers in Filion, Mi
Challenge
Over the course of a few years, this Filion, Mi family had noticed signs of their porch shifting away and separating from the rest of their home. It wasn't the porch itself that was their concern, but what the cause could possibly be. Having heard the horror stories of what unattended foundation-related problems could do to a home physically and property value-wise, they wanted a proper inspection of their property, particularly their cinderblock half-finished basement. To have a proper inspection and estimate provided, they asked their friends and family for recommendations on a foundation repair contractor near Filion, Mi, who specialized in basements. It was actually an uncle of theirs that would refer them to HomeSpec Basementfix because of previous basement waterproofing work they had done in another city.
We would have one of our experienced project managers drive out to assist this family. They would have an open discussion about their concerns and problems noticed before conducting an in-depth inspection of the property to determine the best course of action. A personalized approach and custom solution is always more reliable for homeowners, so we ensure that every need is met with our inspection process and free estimates. Soils underneath the foundation of any major structure or home is actually comprised of multiple layers, some of which can be disturbed during construction. Now, if one of those layers becomes overly disturbed, has the soils shift from weathering or saturation and can no longer properly bear the load of the structure, than the above structure may shift, settle or sink. A slow process that's almost never readily apparent at first, but can make itself known over time as this family discovered.
Solution
The solution that could best be utilized in this particular case would be helical piers. We would actually begin by temporarily having the wooden porch removed to properly address the shifted foundation without concern of damage. Helical piers can be installed internally or externally of the home and are relatively adaptable to situations such as this. They screw into the ground with their helical plates much like a screw, with extensions added as needed to increase depth reach and load bearing capacity. The main objective of these piers is to serve as a medium and transfer the load of the structure from the compromised foundation soils, through the piers and finally to new load bearing soils or bedrock, helping lift and stabilize the compromised structure or home (In certain cases such as this). Being able to address the core issue of the foundation problem with an efficient and effective installation that finishes without much sign of having had work done, helps give homeowners peace of mind and restore property value.
With a clean installation process and minimal disturbance, the homeowner was relieved to have this problem addressed and everything back to its proper stability and level. They heard how leaving these things unattended can lead to drastic problems down the line and were relieved to know they wouldn't fall victim to that anytime soon with this permanent solution set. Another surprise that helped the homeowner was the discount received from both referral and agreeing to the project proposal on presentation, helping bring their costs down.
