subject: The Source Of Your Houses Strength [print this page] Any structure, big or small, is only as strong as its foundation. This is the reason why you have to be vigilant about the different signs that could mean that your foundation already needs repair. First things first, however what are the different types of foundation and how do you repair them when they get damaged?
There are actually two types of foundation the slab-on-grade foundation and the Pier and Beam foundation. The slab-on-grade foundation consists of a simple concrete slab poured below the structure to give it a dependable base. It is a type of foundation that does not easily break into fragments and can actually be moved in one piece.
On the other hand, a Pier and Beam foundation can be installed much deeper than the slab-on-grade foundation, and is the more common foundation used for houses with basements as well as commercial buildings. It is also recommended for areas where snow and frost happens on a regular basis.
Now, regardless of the type of foundation you have, you or the professional who would handle your residential foundation repair can make use of three repair methods. The most preferred of all the repair methods is the steel pier or bell bottom pier method due to the fact that it offers a long-term support as compared to the other repair methods. It is also the only foundation repair method that produces no damaging forces to your house when installed.
The pressed piling method is another way by which residential foundation repair can be carried out. The advantage of this method is that there is absolutely no waiting time for the concrete to cure making the job time much shorter. Unfortunately, the depth that can be reached by this method would depend on the house. That said, there is a possibility that it would not be able to reach the refusal point or the point where the soil is the most stable. It also has a greater probability for cylinder breakage as well as misalignment.
The last and most probably the least used method for residential foundation repair is the pressed piling with inserts method. Although the job time is also short and there is also no need to wait for the concrete to cure, the pressed piling with inserts method can damage your house as your homes foundation is used to push the piles into the soil.
