In Austin, Texas, and the rest of the surrounding areas, foundation damage is common. It is caused mostly by seismic activity due to fracking and mining. Soil changes due to moisture fluctuations and changes in weather seasons also cause foundation damage. So if you notice any damage to your foundation, floors, or walls, be sure to consult some foundation repair Austin TX professionals and seek their advice or help.
How much can a foundation repair cost in Austin?
Foundation repairs are billed on a case by case basis depending on the site to be worked on, the size of the property in question, and the scope of the work to be undertaken. In most of Texas, most foundation repair jobs will cost around $3,000 to $15,000. Outside the cities the prices can start from as low as $1,500 and peak at about $10,000. Without a doubt, foundation repair is expensive. And this is the case all over the country, not just in Austin.
Why are foundation repairs so expensive?
Well, the work is quite specialized in nature. Not just anyone can do it. The people who handle these repairs need special tools and critical knowledge pertaining to house construction and construction engineering. Often they have to drill under houses or level entire houses to precision. In addition to that, the work is quite risky and very physically demanding. Foundation repair technicians often have to work under hot and dirty environments such as crawlspaces.
How to find the best foundation repair Austin TX reviews
If you are in need of Austin TX foundation repair service, you definitely want the best of the best working for you. Foundation repair is not a process you want to repeat or get wrong the first time. And it all boils down to the people you hire for the job. Reviews are a good way to sift through to the best providers. And you can do that in a number of ways:
- You can search for foundation repair experts online and then check what jobs they have carried out in the past.
- You could also ask them to refer you to several of their past clients who you can get reviews from about the quality of service they received.
- You can also ask around for people who have had foundation repair services and request them to recommend a good company to work with.
- Another good way to go about it is to look at reviews online from various review websites. Be sure to focus on reviews pertaining to Austin, Texas (or whichever area you’re in).
How can one keep their property from suffering foundation damage?
If you can keep you property from suffering foundation damage, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in repairs, as well as tons of worry about the state of your home/property. But is that even possible? Can you keep your property from suffering foundation repair in Austin Texas? Well, you could try. And there are a number of smart steps you could take in that direction:
- You can seek foundation repair inspections annually. Most foundation repair companies will offer this service for free. During the inspection the technicians will look for any foundation damage that may have occurred. There are a lot of people who don’t know what to look for and are living in houses with existing foundation damage. This is not only dangerous, it also worsens the damage and increases the repair bill for the work that will ultimately have to be done. The inspectors will also recommend any retrofitting that might help to keep foundation repairs at bay.
- You can seek seismic/foundation damage retrofitting services as a way to prevent foundation damage from occurring; or as a way to limit the amount of damage that earthquakes and seismic activity can cause to your property. These retrofitting services do not bulletproof your property against foundation damage but they do help.
What does earthquake/seismic retrofitting a property mean?
Seismic retrofits are simply modifications or additional constructions that are carried out around your property with the sole aim of improving its resistance to earthquakes and other seismic shocks. Seismic retrofits are able to do this by linking the various parts of the property together to form a more solid unit that cannot be tilted, moved or damaged easily. The goal of these retrofits is to avoid foundation damage.
How is a seismic retrofit process done?
An earthquake retrofit entails connecting the foundation of the property to the solid ground underneath it via support piers and a strong foundation made of concrete or timber beams. It also involves anchoring the upper section of the house to the foundation via anchor bolts and cripple bracing techniques. The main floor is also attached to the foundation and subsequent parts of the house linked together to form a strong unit.
How much does seismic retrofitting cost?
This too, just like Austin foundation repair, will depend on a number of factors. These factors will include: what is the state of the property, has the property suffered any foundation damage, how large is the property, and how much work do the owners want put into the process.
On average, seismic retrofitting can cost around $7,500 in Austin, and its environs
How long does an earthquake retrofit service take?
The process will in most cases be completed within the course of a week. This period may extend if the property is large or if there are complications with the retrofitting process, e.g. some form of foundation damage is discovered and has to be repaired first.
Do homeowners insurance cover foundation repairs?
In most cases homeowner insurance policies do not cover foundation damage. This is something you can check with your insurance provider to see what you’re covered against and what you’re not.
If you want to be covered against foundation damage and foundation repair costs in Austin, TX, you are better off getting a second cover against earthquakes and seismic activity. You should also make sure that your additional cover protects your property against flooding as that can affect ground level and cause settling issues to your foundation.
How long does foundation repair last?
It is hard to peg a time frame to foundation repairs. For one, each site in unique because it presents its own challenges in regards to the soil structure, the condition of the property in question, accessibility of the work site, etc. The other big factor is that different foundation repair processes take different amounts of time to complete.
For example, concrete lifting using polyurethane fillers can take hours. On the other hand, installing piers to hold up a property can take days, and even weeks. In the same way, filing cracks on floors can take anywhere from minutes to hours but levelling uneven floor structures using jacks will in most cases take a few days.
How to repair foundation cracks in concrete walls
This is often done by first cleaning the cracks by suctioning off all the loose debris inside the cracks. The cracks are then watered down to ensure proper adhesion and then a mortar mix is used to fill the space. In some cases liquid epoxy membranes are used in conjunction with mortar. The epoxy occupies all the spaces not filled by the mortar and cures to form a strong bond. Sometimes the wall cracks can also be reinforced using carbon fiber products attached via straps and brackets.
How to repair floor cracks
Floor cracks are often repaired by pouring liquid concrete. This is ideal if the crack is large. However, for smaller cracks, the opening of the crack is sealed using mortar and then a liquid epoxy of polymer is injected into the cracks. The liquid membrane fills up every crevice within the crack and even works as a flexible filler that can withstand small shocks.
How to repair foundation leaks
If your foundation walls are leaking due to penetration of moisture from the ground, a number of measures can be taken to prevent possible Austin TX foundation repairs. One, the cracks will need to be sealed and this can be done using epoxy membranes, polymer solutions or mortar. The walls can then be waterproofed by applying waterproofing membranes. This can help to prevent moisture penetration in future. Installing a sump pump in the basement would also work well to mitigate against flooding in case leaking occurs again.
How to repair foundation wall damage
First the cause of the foundation damage needs to be identified. If the cause is not fixed then fixing the cracks on a foundation wall will only be temporary, more like treating the symptoms and not working on the disease itself. In most cases it’s going to be a settling issue that has caused the ground to shift/rise on one side. This can be corrected by levelling the foundation beams by either jacking them up using crawlspace hydraulic jacks, installing new beam supports, or replacing piers by installing new helical or push pier systems.
Once the foundation is now level the damage on the wall can be corrected. In some cases bracing is usually enough to do the trick. And this can be done using timber of steel braces. There are also modern alternatives made of carbon fiber which cure and are purported to provide even more strength than steel.
Next, the cracks on the foundation walls are filled using epoxy and/or mortar.
How to repair a sunken concrete floor
Foundation damage often causes settling on floors. And one way floors are affected is by sinking. This is where the floor level goes down a few inches due to erosion under the concrete slab or changes in water levels. Such sunken concrete floors are repaired by first inspecting the site to analyze the entire area that has been affected. Once this has been done, a liquid polymer solution is used in what is called a “concrete lifting” procedure. Small holes are drilled around the affected area and the polymer solution injected between the concrete slab and the ground under it. The polymer fills up the space and then expands creating a lift on the sunken concrete floor. Technicians can then monitor the polymer and lift the floor surface until the right level has been reached. Once this happens the polymer is left to cure and the injection drill holes are sealed.
What causes foundation beams to sag?
For non-concrete floors, one common reason for floors to be uneven is due to weak foundation beams. It could be that the foundation beams are currently overloaded for what they were built for or it could be that the beams are too long and too sparsely installed to offer enough support to the floor base. To correct sagging foundation beams, support anchors are introduced in the crawlspace. These provided much-needed extra support points for the sagging beams and effectively reverse the sagging as well as the unevenness on the floors. As a precaution, additional beams should also be added during such a foundation repair Austin TX operation just to give the floor base as much strength as possible.
Does foundation repair affect home value?
Foundation repair will definitely affect your home value in the same way the installment of a new water heater, new floors, or new appliances might affect any property value. Foundation repair makes your property safer and increases its longevity. This improves your home’s value. And it can be used as a selling point whenever you take the house to market at a later date.
