Foundation Repair Photo Album: East Jordan, MI Foundation Settlement Problem

This home had all of the classic signs of foundation settlement, from sticking doors and gaps in the door frame to unlevel floors, cracks along drywall seams, buckling drywall tape, and cracks in tile flooring. There were even cracks in the concrete around the home and in the poured concrete foundation walls. To remedy the situation, we used a series of helical piers. Helical piers are steel piering sections which are advanced deep into the ground to competent soil on which the home will now be supported. Heavy-duty foundation brackets are affixed at the top of the piers and sit right under the home's footing to support and even lift the home into it's original position. These piers are a permanent fix. This home is now in good shape and a sinking foundation is no longer a worry for these homeowners.

Unlevel Floors A Sign Of Settlement

This house had all the signs of settlement. One of the more notable signs was areas of the flooring that were considerably off from being level.

Foundation Wall Cracks Signal Trouble

Cracks in the poured concrete walls around the basement were another sign of some foundation issues.

Cracks Followed Many Drywall Seams

Cracks along drywall seams are also common in homes with settlement issues. This is just one of multiple cracks similarly situated.

Cracks Extending From Corners A Common Symptom

This crack followed the drywall seam and continued upwards from the corner, further signaling a problem.

Buckling Or Pulling Drywall Tape A Symptom

Buckling drywall tape can be a symptom of foundation settlement as well.

Doors Tell A Lot About Foundations

Doors and windows tend to stick in many homes with foundation issues. Here the door is tight along the left side but a large gap is present along the right side.

Unlevel Floors In The Hall

In this photo the unlevel floors are highlighted by the door with a large gap at the base of the door along the left side while the the base of the door on the right appears firmly planted in the carpet.

Cracks Extend Out From Doors

Cracks extending out from the doorways are one of the most common signals of foundation settlement that we see.

Cracks And More Cracks

Even the tiled areas had cracks along the grout lines. Sometimes the cracks will go right through the center of the tiles.

Area Around The Home Excavated

To begin the repairs, the areas that are to be lifted and newly supported are excavated around so that the home's footing is exposed.

Piers Are In Place And Ready For Install

The helical piers pictured here are long steel sections with helix shaped blades welded to the shaft. They are great for lifting the home back toward the original position permanently and they're quick and easy to install compared with other solutions.

Piers Are Driven Along The Foundation

Once the preparation is complete, long steel piering sections are hydraulically driven deep into the ground to competent soil. These piers will now support the home.