Foundation Repair Case Studies: House brought back to level with Helical Piers in Ubly, Mi

Challenge

Uneven floors aren't always clear when they occur but present a clear sign of foundation problems that need immediate addressing. Usually, families don't notice these issues forming until experiencing something similar to this Ulby, Mi homeowner a few years back. They would often roll a ball across the floor when playing catch with their newest addition to the family, a toddler at the time, but they noticed it would always seem to curve a bit. They got curious and would just leave it on the ground sometimes to test a theory, and sure enough the ball would always start rolling in the same direction. Their floor/home was definitely not level the way it was supposed to be. Growing up, their father worked in construction, and so they were well aware how problematic foundation issues could become. They started looking for a foundation repair contractor that was established and had experience with jobs involving leveling. With over 25 years of experience at the time, HomeSpec Basementfix fit the description of their ideal contractor at the time.

We introduced ourselves with one of our professional, experienced project managers experienced with foundation repair. We always try to send specialists to help ensure the correct expertise is utilized to its potential, this helps us make sure the best possible solution is provided to the homeowner with custom designed proposals. Our project manager would ensure a proper dialog was established with the homeowner to understand their observations of the problem and what their particular concerns were. After which, we would begin a thorough inspection of the property to determine the causes and ensure there weren't any other related issues hiding out of sight. We ended up finding additional signs of the floor starting to separate slightly from the walls on one side, further indicating foundation issues and helped us narrow down the problem area.

Solution

Problematic disturbed soil is often a large factor in these situations. When a foundation is dug out and poured, the removed soil is replaced as backfill. Unfortunately, this process can weaken the soil around the foundation and eventually lead to problems. For many homeowners, this is an unknown source of trouble. We would propose the use of a helical pier system around the perimeter of one corner of the house as our preferred solution set for this particular case. Helical piers get their name from the helical plates along their shaft, which are capable of having extensions added as needed to reach deeper depths and help balance the load. These piers are installed under the foundation footholds with brackets, and basically screwed into the ground. The concept behind these versatile piers, is that they help serve as a medium to transfer the weight of the load from the problematic soils the home was currently utilizing, through the piers, to new load-bearing soil or bedrock. This process ultimately stabilizes the home and helps bring it back to its proper level.

Once we were finished with the installation process, the homeowner would once again conduct their "Ball test" and were satisfied to report that there were no more signs of the ball rolling down. Stability was restored to the home, and more importantly, the foundation repair issue was handled before it evolved into a far more difficult situation. This homeowner's keen eye, and thoughtfulness in having the problem handled so swiftly, was a key factor in ensuring a comfortable home for years to come.