Arizona Foundation Solutions has been working with customers since 1988 and continues to answer unknown questions in the foundation repair industry. One of the most common questions our Foundation Specialists receive is, “how can I best prepare for my foundation repair?”.
Assumingly, if you are going to read this article you may already have signed the contract with a foundation specialist or decided to proceed after the initial appointment. Otherwise, if you have not had an initial appointment but you are looking for more information on foundation repair, this article may provide you with limited information. If you haven’t came to this stage of foundation repair, you may want to check out, Does My House Have Structural Problems?
In this article, you will get a better understanding of how to best prepare for the different types of foundation repair Arizona Foundation Solutions Provides such as:
- Piering
- Concrete Lifting/Leveling
- Heave Remediation
- Stem Wall
- Crawlspace Encapsulation
For each service, preparation guidelines were set up so that we can respect your home and prevent any unintentional harm to your possessions. Please get in touch with your foundation specialist if any topics are either not addressed or are not clear to you. He or she is most familiar with your specific "work site" because they have visited your home.
Piering Preparation
Think of it as a construction site – dirt is being moved around and there isn’t minimal damage. We try to prevent and/or reduce this. However, we cannot guarantee that dust won't spread. We advise turning off your furnace or air conditioner while the job is being done to reduce any potential mess. Additionally, you might wish to cover or block vents and the HVAC system's intake filter.
To get a better understanding of piering, the foundation footing must be exposed in some places and trimmed to make room for a foundation bracket when installing foundation push piers. The steel piers are driven to the depth specified in the restoration plan once the foundation brackets have been firmly fastened to the footing. Therefore, anything that is alongside the home that is in the project area must be 10 feet away.
Things that are most commonly moved before the project are the concrete slabs, landscaping, and pavers & stones; Pavers & Stones must be 3-4 feet away from the home.
If these are some things that cannot be done by the homeowner, Arizona Foundation Solutions will be able to provide preparation. To start, concrete slabs are cut out of 3’ x 3’ sections and removed from the project to dig a hole underneath the home and provide the right tools to install piering.
Once the project is complete the team will put the dirt back in the hole and then re-pour the concrete in the 3x3 square sections – the removal of concrete is not a complete demolition and repair is minimal.
What are some of the Unknown Arizona Foundation Solutions Faced?
During the piering process, the main goal is to bypass running into potential problem areas in the soil. The problem area can be 10-15 feet down in the soil and it would depend on when the piers hit the right pressures to hold up the home structure.
Arizona Foundation Solutions have run into unknown problems such as previous repair of pumped concrete to stabilize the home wasn’t addressed when installing piers. Another unknown could be the former homeowner worked with a different foundation repair company and didn’t inform the current homeowner. In addition, there could be a chance of running into rock or the home’s standard footing is custom to where it's larger than expected.
But you may ask, how often do these unknowns occur? According to Victor Rivera, a Foundation Specialist that has been in the field for 8 years, the unknowns occur less than 20% of a job.
Although it is less likely to have these unknown issues, Arizona Foundation Solutions understands the importance of resolving these ahead of time as a backup and offers a Coverage package. This coverage package includes:
- Utility Damage
- Irrigation damage
- Chipping out bigger footing (Save money $800-900 per pier)
The package is not refundable if it's not used in the project. Painting (cosmetic fixes) isn’t included if removed during the repair. No other Foundation Repair company in Arizona provides this coverage package. Arizona Foundation Solutions understands that it can be stressful with the possibilities of the unknown changing the initial price of your repair. With the extra care AZFS provides in the package, there is no need to call another repair company. AZFS has proud partners in all service locations for irrigation, utilities, and more that help take care of your home.
Preparing for PolyLeveling/ MudJacking
Remove Items Outside
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Your foundation repair specialist will require the entire slab that is being raised free of any
personal items to accomplish the lifting process fast and efficiently. This implies that if they are working on your pool deck or rear patio, you should take any lounge chairs, tables, planters, or other objects 10 feet away from the project area.
Similarly, if your driveway will be the center of the concrete leveling, you must move any parked cars. It might seem obvious, but by taking care of these tasks in advance, the construction crew will be able to go to work as soon as they arrive at your house.
Remove Items Inside Your Home
On weak, unconsolidated, or moist soil, concrete slabs are frequently placed. This will cause the slab to sink over time, resulting in cracked or uneven floors. Your floor will start to separate from the walls and entrances inside your house, leaving spaces where they should not be.
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To best prepare for your repair inside your home, things to consider are removing any belongings and carpet or rugs. It’s likely that when the slab is being lifted, flooring or baseboards could be disrupted. Therefore, replacing flooring or carpeting after the project may be likely; talk to your foundation specialist for more information.
Foundation Repair Preparation: Protecting Your Home
Not knowing what to remove or even how to prepare for your project can be stressful. Before, you may have said to yourself, Is it going to be an additional cost? Or If I skip preparation, will this delay my project?
After reading this article, you should have a better understanding of how to best prepare for your foundation project. Arizona Foundation Solutions strives to protect your home and make the repair(s) as seamless as possible – and it first starts with the preparation and knows how long it could take to prepare. Having you (the homeowner) take these small steps can help us and your home with the repair process and give you the best customer service.
As a reminder, if any areas are either not addressed or are unclear to you, please contact your foundation specialist. If you have any questions before installation please give us a call at 602-470-1311 or email us at esperanza@azrm.net
If you are wanting to learn more about how to best prepare for your foundation repair project, here’s a video on How Does Foundation Repair Affect Landscaping?
