Time to Secure Your Biggest Investment by Understanding Foundation Wall Repair in Charlotte NC 28201

Posted by StablWall Structural Strengthening System on

You have saved painstakingly for the last two decades and now you have a new home. One year down the line, when taking a proud inspection of your home, you notice cracks along the walls. After some research, you discover that you have an issue involving foundation wall repair in Charlotte NC 28201 and need some professional work done.

Speedy Resolution

While your reaction will definitely be panic, you need to try and relax, get insight on the problem and then use an expert contractor to sort the issue. Quite understandably the information you have gathered points to the gravity of the structural problem at hand and prompt action is called.

Foundation Cracks in Detail

Foundation cracks, according to experts, are caused by hydrostatic pressure caused by water pressing against these walls to a point of exceeding their capacity. This problem indicates a bigger underlying problem, which is the compromising of your home’s structural integrity.

Specific problems that precipitate these dangerous cracks include:

  • Heavy rains and inadequate grading leading to soil expansion around the foundation walls.
  • Expansive clays and frost can lead to wall fatigue leading to bowing under pressure.
  • Poor drainage, especially due to ineffective gutters and downspouts, leading to inadequate drainage of rain runoff makes the soils around the foundation heavier.

With increased lateral pressure caused by soil loads and other factors, the original capability of a foundation wall to resist is surpassed and the seemingly harmless cracks are just a step in a process that can eventually lead to caving in of your treasured jewel, your home.

Telltale Signs

Due to different structural designs, it might not be possible to notice a compromised foundation immediately. However, you should look out for other alarm bells including:

  • Walls leaning in at the top which is direct effect of bowing at the foundation.
  • Stair-step and horizontal cracks caused by excessive lateral pressure, which the foundation wall cannot handle.
  • Diagonal cracks at the corner positions.
  • Bulging along foundation walls at the bottom.
  • Furniture not sitting flush with the walls and paintings not hanging properly.

Capitalizing On Professional Expertise in Foundation Wall Repair in Charlotte NC 28201

Now that you understand what is behind your foundation problems, it is time to get working and get it sorted promptly. For starters, you need to appreciate that specialized skills and equipment in foundation wall repair are required to diagnose and correct the underlying issues. Extensive excavation is also involved before temporary supports are put in place as the wall is rebuilt. Some of the supports used include steel beam reinforcements, carbon fiber strips installations through the walls, use of sealants such as epoxy, and foundations wall anchors.

Your contractor will determine the extent of damage before deciding the reinforcement to apply. Remember, ignoring these minor cracks is courting disaster.

What Effect Does Winter Have on Your Foundation?

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Winters can not only be hard on your wallet with increased heating bills but can also be hard on the foundation of your home. Snow, ice and low temperatures all combine to have a negative impact on that all important part of your home’s structure. It is important to understand what damage can be caused in order to know what you can do to prevent or fix it when it does occur.

Cracks in the foundation

This is something that makes everyone cringe when it comes to their home’s foundations. However, the formation of hairline cracks in the foundation is a common occurrence during the winter. Although these cracks can form any time of the year, the process is accelerated in winter.

Cracks that occur during winter are mainly caused by frost heave. This occurs when the moisture in the surrounding soil freezes. This results in the water expanding and adding more pressure on the soil and the foundation. The result is cracks in the foundation.

It is important to have a professional contractor seal up the cracks in the foundation. A contractor will also provide other repair solutions for cracks wider than ¼”.

Moisture damage

Moisture and water seepage are a common occurrence when the snow is beginning to melt. This is because large volumes of water are being drained into the soils surrounding your home’s foundation. The water can enter the home through cracks, joints in the foundation where walls meet or where the wall meets the floor, window frames or through the top of the wall of the foundation.

There are many signs of seepage of water through your foundation. These include actual water puddles in the basement, moist walls, damp odor, peeling paint, rusting, dark stains and the growth of mold.

Ensure that you get a professional to assess your basement if you suspect there is seepage. He will identify the entry points and ensure that they are sealed. He will also help you find solutions to keep the moisture out permanently.

Freezing up of discharge lines

When your basement is flooded, you’ll need your sump pump to help you get rid of the water. However, your sump pump will not work properly if the discharge lines are frozen. The water pumped by the sump pump will be forced back into the basement.

Have a look at the discharge lines and ensure that there is no frozen ice within them. You can pour hot water in the lines to melt the ice and reopen the discharge lines. A contractor can help you do this.

Why We Love Carbon Fiber Wall Repair (And You Should, Too!)

Posted by StablWall Structural Strengthening System on

carbon fiberCarbon fiber is awesome. Foundation waterproofing contractors really do love carbon fiber because it gives us another option to fix moving cracks and bowed walls.

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Carbon fiber is stronger than steel and ultra lightweight. To help you get an idea, carbon fiber is the same material used to build space shuttles and airplane wings (super strong and super lightweight.) It can’t break and the fibers don’t stretch. 

Before carbon fiber, foundation repair contractors used anchors or steel beams to repair bowing walls. That process was hard and intrusive and the end product wasn’t very pretty. Homeowner’s like carbon fiber because when it is done it doesn’t look like a 1980s middle school kid with headgear. You can actually just paint over the carbon fiber sheets and it looks like your basement again. It is a good option of foundation repair for people looking to convert the basement into living space. It is a lot easier to hide than steel I-beams and actually costs less (commonly half the cost of steel beams).

Carbon fiber is a man-made material. It is heated carbon resins to extreme temperatures and woven into a fabric sheet. The process used to be extremely expensive; however, in recent years manufacturers have developed more reasonable production costs and opened the door for many different everyday applications to bring carbon fiber to the masses.

Installing carbon fiber for a foundation wall repair is fairly simple. Applications depend on the specific problem; however, basically, contractors prep the area first making it completely flat and add a bed of high-strength epoxy. Then the carbon fiber is embedded into the epoxy under pressure and then bolted to the top. The carbon fiber needs to be bolted into the framing of the house to ensure that is tied to the structure.

It can also be used with Kevlar staples to secure concrete cracks. Kevlar is like carbon fiber but instead of a sheet it is turned into a liquid and formed into different shapes creating a rigid, extremely strong product. (Think Kevlar motorcycle helmets and bullet-proof vests.) The crack is filled with epoxy. The Kevlar staples are installed to further secure the crack and prevent it from moving. Then the carbon fiber strip is attached on top of that. This makes the structural cracks stop moving.

The weight, ease and simplicity of carbon fiber make it a breeze to work with and a breath of fresh air for homeowners. Once the carbon fiber is installed there is virtually no maintenance. With the nature of carbon fiber and its strength and durability, when the repairs are completed they are permanent. When it is done, it is done. Now, that is why we love carbon fiber and you should, too.