House Leveling and Foundation Repair in Dallas
House Jacking with Ram Jack Patented Steel Piers
One indicator of a potential foundation problem is uneven floors. If you have dropped something in your home and noticed it rolling to the side of the room, there is a good chance that your house is off-level due to a problem like foundation heave, foundation settlement, or cracks in the foundation.
At Ram Jack Texas - North Texas, we provide house leveling services for homes that are off-level and require stabilization. We can inspect your property to determine whether your home needs leveling and what the most effective solution will be.
For Dallas house leveling foundation repair, call (972) 992-1860 today!
Foundation Heaving vs. Foundation Settlement
Houses can require leveling from different kinds of damage. Foundation heave and foundation settlement are two different issues that often require intervention to ensure a home does not become unsafe for habitation.
Foundation Heave
Foundation heave occurs when there are upward forces pushing against the foundation causing movement and cracks. This is usually the result of clay soils swelling with water (or ice) and expanding. This is more often a problem for slab foundations.
When heave is minor, a home can be repaired by eliminating the presence of excess water under the home. In other cases, injecting a soil stabilizing substance under the home will help prevent further heave. For severe problems, helical pier installation may be required to solve the problem.
Foundation Settlement
All foundations experience some settling after initial construction. But when settlement is severe, it can cause a foundation to crack and leave a home off-level. While heaving means that a foundation is experiencing upward movement, settlement refers to downward movement from shifting, sinking, or contracting soil.
If your home is off-level due to foundation settlement, the most effective solution will often be driven or helical pier installation. With helical piers, the foundation can be jacked up in portions where it has sunk lower than the rest of the foundation.
House Leveling with Helical Pile Installation
Foundation problems arise when unstable soil conditions do not properly bear the weight of the home. Repairing the problem requires shifting the load from unstable soil to stable soil. Installing helical piles allows the weight of the home to be transferred to deeper soil. After the piles are installed, they can be used to jack up the home until it is nearly level again.
One advantage of helical piles versus drive piles is that they do not rely on the weight of the structure for installation, so they may be the better option for lifting or repairing lighter structures (chimney, porch, etc.).
House Leveling with Driven Pile Installation
Driven piles (sometimes called push piers) follow the same logic as helical piles for repairing foundation issues. The driven pile transfers the load of the home to deeper soil (or bedrock) and after they can be used to jack up a home closer to its original position.
One advantage of driven piles versus helical piles is that they do not require as much heavy equipment and therefore they are easier to install in tighter spaces. If your home has severe foundation heave and requires indoor pile installation, driven piles are likely your best bet. Driven piles also usually require less soil sampling than helical piles, which can make project completion faster.
Our house leveling company in Dallas provides installation of both helical and driven piles.
Will The Repairs Make My Home Perfectly Level?
This is a common question in regards to house leveling.
Ultimately, the goal is to return stability to your home’s foundation, which is achievable with the right repair method. But it is important to realize that no home is going to be perfectly level after foundation repair.
In many cases, the concrete that makes up the foundation can be lifted closer to its original position, but not until it is perfectly level. This is because lifting a foundation too much can cause the same damage that a foundation experiences from soil movement. If a foundation has sunk several inches, jacking it up so high that it is perfectly level can exert forces that create new cracks. As stated before, the most important goal is a safe and stable foundation, which does not require all portions to be perfectly even or level.
To schedule an appointment to discuss house leveling in Dallas, call (972) 992-1860 today!