Published June 18, 2022 | By Foundation Repair Expert Arizona - James Belville

How to Fix Cracks in a House Foundation

Lifting a House Foundation

When it comes to foundation issues, the common signs of wear and tear include cracked and crumbling slab floors, basement or crawl space seepage, and a dearth of footing in both basements and crawl spaces. If your foundation problem is not an issue of wear and tear, you might be surprised to find out that some of these problems are actually caused by outside conditions. For example, floor crack repair can often be prevented by controlling exposure to ground water, especially when it rains. Groundwater saturation increases the amount of stress on foundation slabs, which can weaken and break the slabs. More about floor heave cracks.

One of the most common causes of slab damage is soil pressure. This is a common cause of foundation problems, particularly in basements and crawlspaces. In order to understand why soil pressure is commonly caused by external factors, you need to know about the relationship between slab volume and soil tension. The greater the slab volume, or thickness, of a particular slab, the greater the soil tension. Ground water weighs more on a deeper slab because it is conduction down longer paths. Therefore, a slab with thicker wall thickness is typically better suited for ground water control. More about foundation repair.

Groundwater pressure can be controlled by proper grading and proper drainage. Slopes with poor drainage are more susceptible to heaving. A foundation repair contractor can inspect your soil to determine the best drainage practices for your property. Proper grading of interspersed vegetated and shrubbery strips also help reduce the amount of pressure that develops on foundation slabs. Foundation heaving is commonly caused by poor grading and improper drainage.

A professional foundation contractor can also evaluate foundation heaving problems and suggest suitable solutions by assessing the condition of your house walls and piers. In general, the greater the damage to the house walls and piers, the greater the pressure required to keep them in position. Foundation piers are made of steel or concrete. A professional foundation repair contractor will use the best steel piers that are appropriate for the property.

Foundation Problems: Poorly maintained basement or crawlspace flooring poses a significant risk for water infiltration into the structure. In many basements, concrete slabs and beams are installed too tightly. The result is that concrete begins to crack. As a result, excess water enters through cracks and seeps into the basement. When basement water is allowed to sit, the condition of the flooring deteriorates.

To address foundation heave repair, a professional foundation repair contractors can pump in concrete mixture under a house. In order to do this, he will need to remove the deteriorated or damaged foundation walls and sub-floors. A pump is then used to pump in the mixture under the walls and sub-floors. The strength of the foundation heave repair pump is dependent on the amount of water that the foundation repair contractor needs to pump out. He may also use a different method that involves pumping more water than needed to resolve the problem. This technique is usually more expensive because it requires more manpower and equipment.

Tilting Slab Sections: For large buildings, especially those with multiple floors, it is necessary to add extra support to the building’s interior walls and floors. For example, an upstairs tenant may leave the house and take his possessions up to the third floor. The upstairs tenant may leave the house temporarily and return. In this situation, the interior walls begin to weaken and crumble. The only way to prevent this from happening is to make sure that concrete floor slab sections are properly placed and fixed to prevent cracks and movement.

Although many problems with a house leveling can be resolved without hiring a foundation repair contractor, it is still wise to know what options you have when a situation like this arises. A qualified foundation contractor can evaluate your situation and recommend ways to fix any cracks or foundation problems. The cost of these repairs will depend on many factors including how much damage has been done and how complicated the problem is. However, the results can be well worth the expense. More about: Stem Wall Repair.

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Reviews

We are very pleased with James and his guys. We had three companies come out to look at our foundation problem. James explained exactly what was happening and how to fix it. He was the only person who wanted to actually stop the problem from getting worse and fix it properly. The others companies wanted to do a band aid. This was a case of, you get what you pay for. We wanted it done right and not have to revisit the problem in a couple years and waste money. The guys who did the job were awesome. Hard working and we’re done a day early. Polite and informative. Thanks for giving us confidence.

James saved me close to $8k, identified the root cause of the problem, and we were able to save a large tree.

One of my rental units had buckling of tiles. For the past few months, we’ve had professionals come out and even an insurance agent. Each foundation expert gave us a different advice and we were left confused. From injecting polyurethane around the house to injection slurry at the affected site. Each recommendation costed between $4-$8k. I met with James, very professional. He took a look at the property and within 5 minutes diagnosed the problem and it wasn’t even foundation related! When he told me if was humidity and vapors causing the buckling of the tiles, I kinda thought…this guy believes in voodoo magic. Well, we broke out one the tiles to look underneath and low and behold, the foundation was flat underneath and that the tiles really did pull up. So the fix? Pull out the tiles, re-grout, and set them back in place with grout that allows for expansion such as siliconized grout. Isn’t that crazy?? I also speculated that a large exterior tree may have been the culprit of the ground moving. We went outside looked around and he basically said the tree is fine and does not need to be removed. I gave James a great big hug for really helping us with this situation.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Lesson learned: For something as big as a foundation issue, make sure to get several opinions.

James was outstanding! He spent time educating me on the needed repairs and going over what it was going to take to fix my foundation problem. He is very professional and interested in actually helping his clients. He has videos to support his over 30 years of experience and knows how to do the job right. Thanks for your services!!

I highly recommend James and his crew for any concrete job!!! He and his workers are highly skilled, extremely thorough, knowledgeable and polite. I had a stem wall repair job that I’d been putting off for far too long. I sought other bids but James’ was more detailed (by far), priced competitively and provided by James himself—He gave me a complete rundown of the process and the products he would use as well as the time frame and the warranty he would provide. I accepted his bid on the spot and scheduled the work for the following week. The job was completed in the time frame discussed and the results were far beyond my expectations. The house, courtyard, landscaping, sidewalk, yard and street were left cleaner than they found it. They even polished my stained concrete courtyard which was in no way a part of the job!!!! They went above and beyond and I am so grateful for that. Call James if you want the best team for your job!!!

Mick

James came out to my home and was able to pretty quickly identify my problem. He did a full foundation inspection, inside and outside. He was able to identify and show me where these area are and explain each of them, why they matter and what else could stem from them. He was able to provide me with a step by step plan of what I need to do as well as giving me a referral. His solution was not to fix what was cosmetically wrong but rather identify the problem and fix the problem. Once that has been completed we can move forward with a much lower cost option (not using piers or pillars) that is just as effective. I feel empowered and very knowledgeable about our foundation problems. He didn’t try to sell me anything or offer me a buy now gimmick for a discount (As one well known company in the valley does. You feel so pressured to make a very big decision when this happens) . He let me know at the very end how his services could help and when the time to help would be (after we have identified the problem and fixed it). He was very friendly. Family own and ran company. He’s third generation and 35+ years. He not only has expertise in AZ foundation issues but is from Nebraska and has a very well rounded knowledge of Soil and foundation problems. Thank you so much James for getting us started and saving us a ridiculous amount of money!

Libby

Although I cannot speak to the company Concrete Repairman’s actual work, we found James a walking encyclopedia of information concerning many home issues. Our experience was pleasant and professional.

Sylvia

Great company! We were worried we had a foundation problem so we called for an evaluation. They couldn’t find anything wrong but taught us a ton about signs to watch for and didn’t charge us a dime. If I ever DO have a foundation problem I know exactly who to call. Awesome!

Thia

Had the foundation repair completed in March. Later, I noticed a small low line (depression) close to the foundation. Once I notified the company of this, they quickly responded, not only fixing the problem to perfection, but also did a little grading repair to an area that was outside their responsibility. Later it was brought to my attention that the grading problem may have existed before the foundation work was done. Their workmanship is far beyond expectation. I appreciate their quick response and willingness to do more than was asked.

Tomlin

James, Concrete Repairman LLC surely saved the day for us and our home. It became aware that a large crack had formed due to gutter rain being misdirected toward the home. James was amazing in his precise knowledge of how to fix the floor that had heaved several inches across the living room. It was a massive undertaking to us and James was very reassuring that with his leveling and stitching the floor would be better than new. Well, he is amazing. We were so impressed. The crew worked hard and diligently, there were No schedule changes, every day they were on time, the job was done with the utmost professionalism. Communication before and during project was beyond our expectations. I’ve read other reviews and they are so wrong. This is an amazing company with skilled workers who care about the customer.

Christine