Your home’s slab is basically the concrete base on which your home rests. Over time, a slab foundation can start to have problems. The slab is subject to a range of different pressures, and the soil around the foundation can often be one of the chief concerns for the integrity of your foundation.
In many cases, the issues with a slab foundation start slowly. In the early stages, it is unlikely that the average homeowner would even notice that a problem exists; or if you see a problem, you might not directly identify it as an issue with the foundation.
Many homeowners might think that since it is a problem that is hard to notice, that it might not be important. Following this line of thought is a big mistake. To start, your foundation is critical to the integrity of the entire structure of your home. Problems with the foundation can cause damage to other parts of the home, and it can even make the home unsafe. As a further point, the early stages of a foundation problem are generally when it is easier and less costly to repair. This is why people should try to be aware of the signs of foundation trouble, and why it is a good idea to have your foundation inspected every few years.
Some of the most common problems for a slab foundation include issues with the foundation sinking or settling unevenly into the soil. When it comes to a foundation sinking, you have a number of things that could cause or contribute to this happening. It could be something like improperly compacted soil around the foundation, soil erosion, poor maintenance around the foundation or a number of other things.
With issues like these, it is important to get a foundation repair service on the job as soon as possible. As we mentioned before, the problem can get worse over time, and this will increase the cost of repairs, and it can also make the home unsafe.
Two of the most common methods for repairing a slab foundation include the installation of helical piers and a process known as “pressure grouting” or “slab jacking”. Helical piers can be driven into the soil beneath the foundation to restore the slab to its proper position and provide it with the stability that it needs going forward. With pressure grouting, a mixture of chemical grout, cement and other compounds is pumped into the soil beneath the foundation. This raises the sinking foundation back to its proper position, and fills the void under the foundation.
If you are in need of foundation repair in the San Francisco or Oakland area, contact Montclair Construction. If you have an old foundation that has not been inspected in a while, you can also call us out for an inspection and consultation. For slab foundation repair and seismic retrofitting in the Bay Area, we have a team of experienced professionals that can ensure the safety and stability of your home foundation.
