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Foundation Underpinning Services

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Is your home's foundation sinking, shifting, or cracking? This may be caused by an underlying problem which is hard to detect. Our foundation piering (underpinning) services provides a solution to your home's foundation problems.

Foundation Piering Systems Icon Foundation Piering (Underpinning) Systems:

If your home is showing signs of cracks appearing on many external walls or showing signs of certain portions appearing to sink in specific areas, this may be caused by the native soil slowly sinking due to the weight of your home. This can be a major problem as the structural stability of your home is being compromised and it creates significant risk for you and your family. If not corrected, it will also greatly reduce the value of your home.

The native soil underneath your foundation may have been dug up too deep which disturbed the soils ability to support the weight of the house. This structural instability can be fixed with a process called foundation underpinning, also known as foundation piering.

How Does Piering Work?
"Piers" (see illustration) are placed underneath the foundation footing while underpinning steel tubes are hydraulically forced down into the ground until the home is stable and will not sink any further.

Foundation Piering Service Process:

Permit is Pulled:
Foundation underpinning changes the structural stability of your home and a permit and inspection is required to ensure that the foundation of your home is properly supported while performing the piering process.

Locates are Marked:
A location service is called in to mark any other services that may be disturbed by the excavation, such as gas, electricity, telephone or cable lines.

Site Prep & Site Excavation:
Site prep begins and one of our excavators is dropped on site if the area is machine accessible. Ground protection boards and shoring sections are delivered to the site and excavation commences.

Foundation Piering:
Once the site is properly prepped, piering begins. Depending on the sizeof the foundation and the soil conditions, the correct number of piers will be installed to stabilize the structure of the home. In most cases, when the pier reaches the point of pushing back up, some of the cracks within the foundation may close from a slight amount of lifting.

Building Inspected:
Once the piering process is completed, a building inspection will be scheduled to ensure that the foundation of the home has been solidified and is no longer in danger of sinking any further.

External Waterproofing:
Now that the external walls are exposed, this is a good time to protect the foundation of the home by installing a external waterproofing system. To see more about our External Waterproofing process, click here »

  • Applying Liquid Rubber:
    Liquid rubber is applied to the wall which seals every inch of the foundation wall.

  • Dimpled Sheet Air-Gap Membrane:
    We then apply a dimpled sheet air-gap membrane which not only provides you with a third line of defense, but also creates a hydrostatic pressure relief.

  • Weeping Tile Installed:
    New weeping tile is then installed. The best approved product presently available for typical residential applications is 4" corrugated pipe with a filter fabric surround.

  • Above Grade Clean out Installed (If approved):
    Once the weeping tile is in place we install an above grade clean out.

  • Gravel Put in Place:
    Gravel is then installed over the weeping tile. The Ontario Building Code specifies "not less than 5 and 7/8" of gravel on top and beside the weeping tile (or about 1/2 a foot on top and beside).

  • Filter Fabric Installed:
    Filter fabric is then installed over the gravel to prevent silting of the gravel. Since most of the water that enters the gravel drainage layer, and then the weeping tile, comes from above, it makes sense that the water will bring dirt and silt with it as it percolates down through the soil.

Building Inspection Conducted:
Building inspection is conducted, if required, by a municipal building inspector. The building inspector will be looking for deficiencies in our install that do not meet code as well as checking to ensure that the contractor doing the work possesses the correct licenses. Since our procedures exceed that which is required by the Ontario Building Code, this is ends up being an opportunity for the building inspector for your area to meet any new employees from our company and have a nice chat.

Backfilling & Cleanup:
Backfilling and cleanup is commenced. Sometimes we backfill with gravel and remove all of the dirt from the property (design technician may specify gravel backfill for various reasons including removal of soil pressure, prevention of settling, or to reduce "ponding" or frost affects).

Removal of Extra Dirt:
Removal of extra dirt if required. It stands to reason that if we are installing a quantity of gravel over top of your weeping tile, that gravel will displace a similar quantity of soil. Unless the grade is too low next to the home prior to excavation, all of this dirt will need to be removed.

Site Cleanup:
Final cleanup is completed and the driveway is power washed if required.

Click here to get your home estimate, or CALL: 905-527-3325 today to book an appointment.

GET AN ESTIMATE:

In-Home Estimate
or CALL: 905-527-3325 for your FREE ESTIMATE.

BUILDING PERMITS:

 Requires a Building Permit & Architectual Drawing

OUR CREDENTIALS:

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TESTIMONIALS:

Ed was friendly and an outgoing person. The receptionist was nice.

RATING 10/10 ~ Mr. & Mrs. McLelland (Caledonia, ON)

I felt comfortable asking questions as the work proceeded and my major concern was addressed.

RATING 10/10 ~ Mrs. Plaut (Burlington, ON)

FOUNDATION REPAIR TESTIMONIALS »

WARRANTY INFO:

 Warranty

GET AN ESTIMATE:

In-Home Estimate
or CALL: 905-527-3325 for your FREE ESTIMATE.

SERVICE AREA:

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