Things To Know About Foundation Damage & Underpinning

23 March 2016
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog


If you have doors in your house that are becoming harder to open and close, it might point to a problem with the foundation. It is important for you to hire a contractor to inspect the foundation of your house to determine if underpinning should be done or not. Take a look at the article below to learn more about a damaged foundation and getting it repaired through the process of underpinning.

1. Foundation Damage Can Cause a House to Cave In

The reason the foundation to your house is possibly damaged is because the soil is not firm enough. Soil is the root of the problem because the concrete foundation cannot stay level if the soil underneath it is not able to support it. The foundation can develop cracks and become too weak to support the weight of your home. You must keep in mind that your house cannot remain standing without a firm foundation. Basically, the walls begin to buckle, which is likely why your doors are not as easy to open and close as they once were.

2. Foundation Underpinning Can Keep Your House Standing

The process of underpinning can reinforce the foundation to keep your home intact. A simple method of underpinning that can be done when foundation damage is not too severe is for a contractor to simply add a new layer of concrete under the existing foundation. However, if the foundation to your home has a lot of damage, the contractor will have to install a base and lay extra concrete. He or she will also have to install a beam that can support the weight of your house. The beam will actually spread the pressure of the weight of your home into the base area of the foundation.

3. You Can Protect the Foundation from Future Damage

After you get the foundation underpinned, it is important to make sure that the soil underneath it is protected from rainwater so it won't get too soggy. One of the things that you can do is get rain gutters installed on the roof of your house if they are not already in place. The rain gutters will route rainwater away from your home. You can also invest in a few yard drains so water won't sit on the soil for a long time. Speak to an underpinning contractor, like those at T Luckey Sons Inc, about your foundation so repairs can be made in a timely manner.


Share