Foundation Repair Austin, Texas (512) 515-9705

Who is Foundation Repair Austin Texas?

Foundation Repair Austin Texas – FRAT is one of the leading specialists in Texas when it comes to repairing and retrofitting foundations in homes. We specialize in concrete foundations, house leveling, seismic retrofitting, earthquake repairs, house settling, wall cracks, floor cracks, basement repairs, and earthquake safety in Austin, Texas, and the surrounding areas.

Having successfully completed our first foundation retrofit over 20 years ago, we have repaired and restored thousands of homes ever since. We are now a well-recognized and well-respected foundation repair specialist in Austin, Texas. We are known for our quality, top notch service, professionalism, reliability, and trust. In addition to that, we are fully licensed, bonded, and insured. These are some of the key reasons why people come to us whenever their houses are in danger of suffering seismic damage (or after they have suffered the said damage).

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What is foundation repair?

Every house has a foundation. The foundation is the initial structure of the house and is arguably one of the most important areas of a build. Not only does the foundation hold the vertical property in place, it also hold the property firmly attached to the ground.

Depending on the architectural style of a house, how it was built, who built it, and its age, its foundation can suffer various forms of damage down the line. Now, most foundations will last decades and even outlive the houses themselves. However, if a foundation gets damaged while the house is still in use, emergency repairs and retrofitting procedures are warranted in order to keep the property from settling, tilting, tipping over the base, or collapsing. This entails restoring the structural integrity of the foundation via various means such as bolting, bracing, pier installation, concrete application, crack sealing, and more. Doing so saves the property from collapsing and being rendered a hazard.

And that is where we come in. We offer the best value foundation repair in Austin, making us the only company you want to contact should you find yourself in such a situation.

What causes foundation damage?

Most houses will never suffer foundation damage under normal circumstances. So what makes other foundations weak or damaged? There are a number of reasons why this may (and does) happen. They include:

1. Earthquakes

Earthquakes are one of the major causes of foundation damage, especially in the Northern Texas region. In the last 10 years, there have been a staggering 100 earthquakes in the region. And in 2019 alone, there have been 4 earthquakes reported already. Some of these earthquakes are due to natural causes such as volcanoes. However, a good number are due to human activity such as drilling waste water wells or oil drilling.

Whatever the case, earthquakes shake the ground upon which foundations are built. These underground shifts put foundations through great stress and can causes cracking or breaking of the structures, be they foundation piers or cripple walls. And when the earthquakes are strong, they shift the ground so much that they cause the outright collapse of houses.

2. Changing water levels

The water levels below ground keep shifting depending on rain patterns, human activity, and the nature of the soil upon which one’s house is built. Basically, the water levels keep fluctuating up and down. These movements can damage foundations in various ways. One, they can rot metal or wooden foundation structures. Two, they can cause settling of the ground and result in damage to foundation structures (and floor levels) due to increased structural stress. Unstable soils such as clay cause even more dramatic shifts in water levels and result in even more damage to foundations.

3. Old or damaged foundation piers

Houses built in the 1980’s or earlier mostly had/have timber or brick support piers holding them up. Back then the building codes were different and were not as strict as they are today. The disadvantage with these structures is that they are more prone to water damage. Timber supports are also susceptible to pests and even fire. When it comes to Austin earthquake retrofitting, these materials are usually the most affected. And once they are damaged they destabilize the entire house. There only solution thereafter is to remove them and replace them with more durable support structures such as concrete. This type of retrofitting may be expensive but it provides a more lasting solution, and one that is up to code.

4. Damage from nearby works

Some activities such as quarry mining, oil mining, road construction or water drilling can send shocks through the ground and these shocks can damage the foundation structures of nearby homes. The damage can be in form of cracks on foundation walls, cracks on floors, cracks on basements, etc. This happens from time to time and you could be a victim at some point. What’s more, such damage is in many cases not noticed until inspections or renovations are carried out on the property.

5. Unregulated expansion of homes

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Today, room addition and expansion renovations are quite common. People want bigger homes featuring open, expansive spaces; so contractors are being asked to expand bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, garages, and other spaces in order to accommodate these lifestyle wants. The danger of doing so is that some of these works do not factor in the weight-bearing capacity of the house’s foundation. So the house ends up not being able to support the extra bathroom or living room. This weakens the support beams, piers, or cripple walls below the flooring, causing great risk to the entire property.

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How do you tell that your home has foundation damage?

So now you know what foundation damage is, and the different causes of such damage. The question then becomes, how do you identify the said foundation damage in your home? We at FRAT – Foundation Repair Austin, Texas will tell you just how:

Cracks/fractures on walls

These are a pretty strong sign that your house may be suffering from foundation damage. So it is best not to ignore it. The cracks appear because your foundation is under increased stress. When the foundation can no longer hold that stress, it gets overrun and the stress is transferred to the walls and this causes the cracks. Our advice is – don’t rush to seal the cracks and call it a day. Call an expert to evaluate the cause of the cracks.

Cracks/fractures on floors

Foundation damage can also be manifested through cracks and fracture hair lines on floors. These can appear on the main floor or the basement. Staircases are also quite prone to such cracks. These can be caused by water damage or settling of the floor due to unevenness caused by damaged foundation structures in parts of the house. The damaged areas settle and others even rise above level. This unevenness stresses the flooring and brings about the cracks. Just as with the wall cracks, have these inspected by a Texas foundation repair specialist before rushing to seal them. A lot more could be needed to make your house safe again.

Uneven floor surface/slanting

As you probably know, your house’s floor is supposed to be level from end to end. If down the line you notice that this is not the case, your foundation could be damaged. You can tell that you have an uneven floor if water or objects placed on the floor tend to roll or flow in one direction towards one side of the house. This is not normal. It means that one side of your foundation is either sinking or the other is rising above level. Often it’s the former. And this could be the result of seismic activity, dilapidated foundation supports, water damage, poor construction or any other combination of factors.

Jammed doors or windows

Do you have jammed doors or windows? Well, it could be just a damaged door/window or frame. However, if you have more than one jammed door or window, there is a possibility that your floor is settling due to a damaged foundation. This jamming happens when the house is already tilting. It’s usually about this time that walls start to crack as well and the floor surface gets uneven (slanting).

Damaged/dilapidated foundation supports

This is the most direct symptom of foundation damage in your house. Have a look at your foundation structures and inspect their structural condition. Are they rotten, cracked, rusted, broken or damaged in other ways? It’s possible to tell some of this damage if the supports below your house are visible. This is applicable to houses whose floor levels are elevated. However, where the foundation is below ground, damage is usually not-so-easy to detect and is often discovered later in the process.

Tilted house structure

Another sure sign that your house needs foundation repair is if it’s tilted to the side. This is best noticed when the house is observed from outside. However, note that in some cases the degree of tilt may be so marginal that only a trained professional can tell. In such cases, the foundation structure on one end of the house usually has dilapidated and the weight of the house is causing the structure to sink slowly over time.

Call Now For A Free Quote: (512) 515-9705

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Foundation Repair Austin