My Foundation Repairs and Waterproofing News

World of Concrete Trade Show Official Conference Las Vegas 2010

2009-11-05T04:05:00+00:00

World of Concrete is the industry's ONLY annual international event dedicated to the commercial concrete and masonry construction industries. Featuring indoor and outdoor exhibits with the industry's leading suppliers showcasing innovative products and technologies, exciting demonstrations and competitions, a world-class education program, and the information you need to help sustain and grow your business. Start the year off strong at World of Concrete!

Exhibits February 2 – 5^th 2010

Seminars February 1-5^th 2010

EXHIBITS:
Original equipment manufacturers from around the world, like Earth Contact Products, displaying their products for the commercial construction, concrete and foundation repair industries.. WOC attracts approximately 1,600 exhibitors and occupies more than 800,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space.

WHO ATTENDS:
Commercial Contractors, Concrete Contractors, Construction Managers, Dealers/Distributors, Structural Repair Contractors, Designers and Specifiers, General Contractors, Masonry Contractors, Architects, Engineers, Brick and Block Producers, Repair Contractors, Residential Contractors, Specialty Concrete Contractors, Pipe and Block Producers, and Precast/Prestressed Producers, and more...

EDUCATION : WOC offers both 90-minute and 3-hour seminar sessions; more than 100 skill-building seminars with top industry experts. This unsurpassed program provides training, updates and certifications. Some contractors, like Earth Contact Products, have private educational seminars about their products and industries. For example, ECP is offering a Technical Seminar for their contractors and specifying engineers. This seminar is titled Basic Helical Design and Applications. This 5 hour technical presentation requires pre-registration by calling 866-327-0007.

Do not miss out on this yearly gathering, in Las Vegas, of the best manufacturers and contractors from around the world. Visit the ECP display at booth #S11813

5 Home Repairs You Should Not Ignore

2009-10-23T20:48:00+00:00

Consumer Reports magazine: June 2009

This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in June 2009 Consumer Reports magazine.

5 home repairs you shouldn't ignore

Use our expert advice to stop trouble in its tracks Too little, too late

You might be tempted to put off fixing your home until the economy rebounds. Rebuild the patio? Sure, right after your 401(k) rallies. But some problems, if left unchecked, can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs (rebuilding a foundation wall, for instance) and might even compromise your family's health, such as mold contamination.

The trouble signs are easy to spot, provided you know what to look for. What's more, contractors aren't as busy now, so they're likely to be more flexible on price. Here are the five biggest red flags of home maintenance, with our advice on how to deal with them.

1. Runaway rainwater "If there are 10 things that can go wrong with a house, 15 of them have to do with water," says Bill Loden, a Madison, Ala., home inspector. Gutters, downspouts, and leader pipes collect rainwater and channel it away from the house. In very wet regions, leaders should extend at least 5 feet from the house. Check the entire gutter system seasonally for proper pitch and for clogs, corrosion, broken fasteners, and separation between connections and where gutters meet the fascia board. When inspecting gutters, extend straight ladders 3 feet beyond the roof at a 75-degree angle to the ground. The soil around the foundation should slope away from the house at least 1 inch per foot for 6 feet or more. If you have planting beds along the foundation, make sure the grading of the bed, its edging, or the edge of the lawn isn't keeping water from draining away from the house.

2. Roof and siding Roofs are the most vulnerable to water infiltration, given their exposure to the elements and the laws of gravity. On a sunny day, use binoculars to spot cracked, curled, or missing shingles, which are signs that the roof is near its end of life. Also check flashing around chimneys, skylights, and roof valleys, and the rubber boots around vents for cracks. Siding is also susceptible to leaks, especially where it meets windows and doors. A $5 tube of caulk might save you thousands of dollars in structural repairs. If you live in a cold climate, check the siding under the roof eaves for water stains, which could be a sign of ice damming. Adding attic insulation and sealing gaps around pipes, recessed lighting, and ducts into the attic might help prevent future damming and lower your heating and cooling bills.

3. Pest infestations Termites and carpenter ants gravitate to moist soil and rotting wood, another reason to make sure your gutters are in good shape and soil around your foundation is graded properly. Also keep mulch, firewood, and dense shrubbery away from your foundation. Once termites infiltrate a home, they can bore through the structure in a few short years. Formosan termites, which are prevalent throughout the South, have been known to rip through studs and floorboards in a matter of months. To detect termites, probe the sill plate (also called a mudsill) that sits on top of the foundation with a screwdriver to check for rotted wood. To check for carpenter ants, look for piles of sawdust along baseboards. Regular termites also shed wings along windowsills, walls, and other entry points. Rodents gravitate toward disorder and debris, such as leaf piles around the foundation. Plug holes in the siding and the foundation walls with expandable foam. Don't forget to look up for signs of birds, bees, or squirrels in soffits and attic vents.

4. Mold and mildew Even houses in arid climates aren't immune. Hot outdoor temperatures can drive even small amounts of water trapped in the structure to condense on colder interior surfaces, leading to mold. Musty odors, dank air, and family members with chronic runny noses are warning signs. Check under carpets and around windows for visible mold or mildew. Also remove cover plates for cable-TV, phone, and Internet connections, and use a flashlight to peer behind walls and wallpaper for mold. Avoid mold tests sold at home centers and online. Each of the kits we tested had significant flaws that were serious enough to earn them a Not Recommended Rating in our 2006 tests. If indoor mold covers less than 10 square feet, treat it yourself with a homemade solution of 1 cup chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Be sure to don an N-95 disposable respirator, goggles, and heavy-duty gloves. Professional remediation is required for larger outbreaks, if the ventilation system is contaminated, or if an allergy sufferer lives in the home.

5. Foundation cracks Some cracks are harmless, but others can mean trouble. James Katen, a home inspector from Gaston, Ore., suggests walking around the house with a No. 2 pencil in hand. Hairline cracks are probably the result of concrete curing or minor settling, he says, and can be filled with an epoxy-injection system. "But if the pencil can go into the crack up to the yellow paint on the pencil, that's a pretty wide crack and might be a sign of a major problem," Katen says. A ruler is another handy tool: Cracks wider than 3/16 inch, even vertical ones, can be a problem. Mark smaller cracks with tape and monitor their progress over the coming months. Also be on the lookout for horizontal cracks or bulging or buckling. Along with expanding cracks, those conditions require the attention of a structural engineer. The longer you wait to correct a problem, the more costly it will probably be.

More red flags

· Cracks at upper corners of windows and doors (uneven foundation settling)

· Mushrooms or fungus growing out of siding (moisture in the walls)

· Soft boards or loose rails on outdoor decks (decaying deck structure)

Hybrid – The New Foundation Repair Marketing Term

2009-10-14T17:21:00+00:00

The service industry has always relied on marketing to promote their wares and service. Sometimes the truth is stretched in these promotions to create excitement in the consumer. Often times these promoters attach themselves to keywords or terms that are in vogue. Recently this has happened in the foundation repair industry with the term – Hybrid.

The definition of hybrid is – the combination of two or more different things, aimed at achieving a particular goal or objective. On the surface this sounds good and globally responsible ideas pop into our minds. In 2009 hybrid congers up the idea of “Green Technologies” and smaller carbon footprints, and this is exactly why marketers use the term hybrid.

In the foundation repair industry hybrid pier systems are the combination of two or more differing materials to achieve an objective. Sounds great doesn’t it. But, what is the objective? And, does combining any two or more materials always create a better product? Well with out question the objective is to sell more product for the manufacturer. This may not necessarily be good for the consumer, just more expensive. Next, just because you combine two or more materials together does not mean that it will perform better that either of the materials alone. Combining oil and water does not make better oil or better water.

Today we hear about combining steel and concrete to make “hybrid” foundation repair systems. They will advertise “the best of both worlds”, “the strength of steel with the benefits of concrete”. Well this sounds good but you must look past the advertising and see the engineering. Placing steel piers below concrete cylinders actually will take away the advantages of the steel piers and hamper the strength of the concrete. They say that they use steel to achieve depth (reading between the lines – concrete cylinders do not drive deep enough to supply support) and concrete in the upper soil zones to prevent corrosion. If this is the case, then why do they use steel shims at the very top of their system? Next, if the steel piers are galvanized to structural standards how are they going to corrode?

The next thing to think about is how will they drive the steel piers to the required depth if they are putting shallow driving concrete cylinders on top of the steel pier sections? The truth is, they will drive deeper than they were with concrete segmented piles alone but not as deep as true engineered steel piering systems.

Another combination of steel and concrete is to fill the steel pipe with a cement or grout mixture to “increase strength”. Sounds good, but does it work? Well let us look at it from a logic stand point (marketing people hate this), if the grout mixture is not as strong as the steel will it really increase the strength of the system? No! Adding a weaker component to a strong component will not make the system stronger it only makes it a hybrid. Do not fall for this smoke and mirrors advertising. The simple solution is to ask an engineer what they recommend. Engineers do not fall prey to slick commercials and fast talking salesmen, they look at numbers, calculations and sound engineering practices.

So remember, if you want to buy a hybrid car to save money on fuel and leave a smaller carbon footprint – great buy it. If you want something to support your home or commercial building permanently listen to an engineer and require the highest quality steel piering system available that incorporates a manifold lifting system.

Building Swales to Protect your Home

2009-10-05T00:51:00+00:00

A swale is a broad channel used for the movement and temporary storage of runoff. They can be made of concrete or formed with natural materials. Swales are the best way to move large amounts of water away from your home. Swales also can move a portion of the runoff into the ground and filter out runoff pollutants.

Drainage swales that are planted with native vegetation are commonly called bioswales. Swales can be effective alternatives to enclosed storm sewers and lined channels, where their only function is to rapidly move runoff from a developed site. On some sites, natural drainage courses may still be present and it is recommended that they be retained as part of the site drainage plan. Golf courses are probably the best example of the effective use of bioswales. In the design of golf courses, water management is key to controlling water conservation.

Many times swales can safely move water away from your foundation while conserving this same water for grass and other landscape plantings. Effectively moving water around a property can prevent foundation repairs while saving money on watering plants. In contrast to conventional curb-and-gutter concrete swales, bioswales can reduce both the rate and volume of storm water runoff around your home. Since this is achieved via absorption of runoff into the soil, swales in sandy soils will be much more effective than swales in clay soils. Swales are most effective in reducing runoff volumes for small storm events and on an annual basis can reduce storm runoff volumes by up to 15 percent in clay soils.

Drainage swales are applicable on virtually all residential sites. In suburban settings swales generally will be used in conjunction with foundation drainage. This effective combination can prevent water buildup around foundations which can cause foundation failures and water infiltration. While eliminating those areas in the yard that seemingly has constantly standing water or swampy areas, bioswales are the green way of conserving water. Take a look at your property today and devise a plan to protect your home while conserving natural water runoff.

The Chicken or The Egg – or The Farmer?

2009-09-30T20:22:00+00:00

When it comes to the age old question which came first the chicken or the egg, many have forgotten about the farmer. Without the farmers experience, technical skills and general knowledge we would not know what to do with chickens or eggs.

This same general principal applies to problems with your foundation. The waterproofers will tell you that they can solve your problems and the foundation repair experts will tell you they can solve your problems, but without a foundation engineer you will not know the correct direction to go. In hiring a professional engineer you are purchasing knowledge, experience and unbiased professionalism to guide you through your project with only your homes best interest at heart.

Foundation settlement can be a difficult thing to assess or even notice right away. More likely you will notice doors and windows sticking, cracks in brick veneer, drywall cracks or water in your basement. Without proper measuring and assessment to determine the cause and best corrective action just raising your home may or may not solve the problem.

Similarly, stopping or redirecting water around your foundation may or may not stop foundation movement or potential failures. Is the water, the cause or the symptom? A professional engineer will identify the causes of foundation problems and then layout a plan to solve your individual issues whether they are water problems or if you need foundation repairs.

Remember, the chickens and the eggs cannot do anything without the farmers, to find a foundation engineer in your area visit www.foundationengineersnetwork.com.

ECP - Foundation Repair Workshop

2009-09-29T10:49:00+00:00

On September 22nd and 23rd, Earth Contact Products held their annual Foundation Repair Workshop in Kansas City. This workshop, intended to improve the business skills of foundation repair installing experts, had overwhelming attendance considering the economic climate. "Obviously ECP installing contractors are having a very good year, compared to their competitors" said Jeff Tully, GM of ECP. "The have come from around the country to learn how to be better and share ways to expand their level of service with each other" continued Tully.

The two day workshop covered subjects ranging from Advertising and Marketing to New Products and Services offered by Earth Contact Products. "The introduction of our concentric push pier has been a big hit" said Weston Opat of ECP. Opat went on to say "the ECP Model 200 is a concentric style pier designed for hard to reach foundation locations and crawlspace leveling work. It is the strongest concentric resistance pier on the market and features the ECP Manifold Lifting System that our other eccentric piers have been using for years."

Highlights, besides new product introductions included a night at the ballpark. All attendedees were given the opportunity to attend the Boston RedSox vs Kansas City Royals baseball game at the newly renovated Royals Stadium. It was a great time for installing contractors to network and discuss business issues with others in their industry. The evening was complete when Zach Greinkie won his 15th game of the season with a 5-1 victory of the BoSox.

What the Farmers Almanac says about Home Repairs

2009-08-22T17:15:00+00:00

According to the Farmers' Almanac, the Best Days for Home Repair are upon us. The 2009 Farmers Almanac reports that the timeframe to perform home repairs are August 21 to October 19. Do not hesitate, schedule your foundation repair and other home improvement projects to take advantage of the weather and other general conditions. Whether it be heaving, a settling basement, bowed walls or a water problem foundation problems will not go away until you focus your attention upon them.

Once you have had your foundation underpinned, the Farmers Almanac says that the best days to go fishing are September 3^rd thru the 6^th. You will not want to miss these days of relaxing and spending time with a friend fishing and enjoying this great time of year.

Other “best days” of note are listed below:

Aug. 23^rd – Cut firewood, mow to increase growth, dig holes, go hunting, wax floors

Aug. 24^th – Bake, cut firewood, mow to increase growth, dig holes, go hunting, wax floors, get married, buy clothes, entertain friends, host a party

Aug. 29^th – Cut firewood, mow to increase growth, castrate farm animals, dig holes, wean, potty train, wash windows, advertise to sell, travel for pleasure

Sept. 4^th – Cut hair to retard growth, mow to retard growth, castrate farm animals, dig post holes, wean, quit smoking, potty train, wash wooden floors, paint, start a diet to lose weight, kill wild onions and weeds, host a party

Sept. 8^th – Dry fruits and vegetables, cut hair to retard growth, mow to retard growth, pick apples and pears, quit smoking, perform demolition, wash wooden floors, start diet to lose weight

Sept. 14^th – Can fruits and vegetables, harvest, get married

Now that your next few weeks are planned for you visit www.perfectpier.com for the newest engineered solution for foundation repairs.

Texas Foundation Repair and Soaker Hoses

2009-08-17T01:59:00+00:00

The smoke and mirrors behind watering your foundation with soaker hoses.

It has been well established that foundation failures are widespread, especially in the State of Texas. Many experts claim that in most cases foundation failures are the result of an unregulated building industry, unskilled labor and builders cutting corners for the sake of higher profits or pure ignorance. For all those who live in a home built by a tract home builder this will not come as a surprise.

In recent years numerous experts around Texas have testified extensively about the increasing problem of home builders cutting cost corners and that the homes foundation is the first example given. It has also been acknowledged by engineers that home foundations are being designed to less stringent standards in order to build them cheaper. This lack of quality control has lead to unprecedented foundation repair work being needed.

Because of widespread homeowner complaints describing foundation failures, the American Society of Engineers (ASCE) asked for comments and recommendations from engineers across Texas. The consensus of those engineers who participated was to improve foundations by designing stiffer slabs. The results were astounding; the recommended guideline changes would increase foundation strength by 27% at an estimated cost of only a $1,000 for a 2,500 square foot one story home.

However, the disgraceful response by the building industry, to its critics, is that homeowners have a maintenance responsibility to “water their foundations” to protect the structural integrity of their homes. As if watering a foundation replaces sound engineering.

At a Texas building standards public hearing, a committee member described how homeowners are instructed by builders to put a soaker hose around the perimeter of the home, and never turn it off in order to keep the foundation from cracking, and to keep it stable. He then asked how much water was needed to maintain a foundation. The well respected engineer responded; you cannot maintain a foundation by watering because “you can never water enough.” The engineer went on to say that the cost of water over even a relatively short period of time would far exceed the cost of the $1,000 needed to stiffen the foundation significantly when it is initially built.

So finally we have it on good authority that the excuse for foundation failures caused by too much rain, lack of rain or trees is a fairy tale, and that these so called “Acts of God” are really acts of man in order to increase builder profits. Remember the Texas Home Builders Association has a very large lobbyist organization in Austin.

Texas has highly expansive soils, as well as many other states however, no other place but Texas are homeowners instructed to "water their foundations." Other states officials and foundation experts laugh when they hear that in Texas homeowners are blamed for foundation failures because they didn't properly water their foundations. The solution to expansive soil problems is to properly engineer foundations to withstand the adverse effects of expansive soil. This can be accomplished during construction as well as after construction is complete by trained professionals under the guidance of independent foundation engineers.

In the meantime, if nothing is done, new homebuyers are at risk, and the new home foundation problem will continue to worsen while builder profits take priority. While continuing down this road will make the new home building and foundation repair industries very profitable, the consumer will suffer.One solution for existing homes, that are having foundation problems, is to have proper foundation repairs done by trained professionals. There are several foundation repair methods that will solve current problems and they all have certain things in common. First, they install deeply beyond the active soil layers. Whether it is helical anchors or steel push piers, depth is the first priority. Secondly, correct foundation repairs use engineered systems to install. Simple bottle jacks and shims are not engineered systems, they are cheap techniques for temporary repairs. Lastly, quality foundation repairs are performed by trained foundation repair professionals under the supervision of independent engineers. Using these guidelines homeowners can be assured that they have a properly designed deep foundation system supporting their home.

In summary, do not rely on smoke and mirrors. Consult with a foundation engineer who will help develop a plan to solve your unique foundation problem.

Foundation Repair – Foundations & Water

2009-08-17T00:34:00+00:00

When it comes to structural foundation repairs, the most common damage is due to water. Water or the lack thereof causes many problems, from settling, to bowed basement walls, to cracks and heaving. There are differing ways that water can get affect your foundation.

Steps to Prevention:

Waterproofing your basement is the best way to prevent possible foundation damage due to water. Going through with this action can possibly save you thousands of dollars in foundation repair costs, and maintain the value of your home.

There are many possible causes of water damage to your foundation. The most common cause is the possibility of having soil that has a flat or negative slope. This will cause water to pool and collect against or near your foundation. Another possibility is that the builder of your house did not properly waterproof your foundation, by using damproofing opposed to waterproofing methods.

This is the most dangerous type of damage due to the fact that you cannot easily see the signs of damage. The main cause of these types of damages is also hard to detect, which is why it is very important to contact a plumber as soon as you suspect water getting into your basement area. They will be able to inspect areas you will not be able to see in your home and see if there are any leaks or possible entry points of water.

If the plumber detects any leaks it is very important that you consult with a contractor or engineer for an inspection of possible foundation damage. Catching foundation damage early, before it gets a chance to develop can save you a lot of money and aggravation.

The next most common cause of foundation moisture problems is poor gutters. Blocked or sagging guttering prevents proper drainage of water. This lack of proper drainage causes pooling water around your basement which leads to hydrostatic pressure on the walls. This pressure builds up resulting in potentially catastrophic damage.

As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to protect your home. Ignoring the needs of your house will not only leave you homeless, but it will also cause you to lose all of the hard earned money you used to pay for your home. Maintaining proper drainage will pay huge dividends when it comes to your foundation.

Crawl Space Foundation Repairs

2009-08-02T02:43:00+00:00

Crawl space foundations are a very popular type of construction throughout the US and many homeowners know that many crawlspaces have one inherent drawback – sagging floors. Floors that are sagging or not level create many issues for homeowners from cracked tiles and squeaky floors to potentially failed foundations. These issues require that homeowners seek a solution for supporting these floors to original height and levelness. The problem is the many flawed systems designed to provide homeowners relief.

The first aspect to review when looking for foundation repair solutions is to understand the cause of the problem. In the construction of a crawlspace foundation, piers are placed below the support beams to give support for the home. These piers can be made from a variety of materials ranging from concrete blocks to wooden posts. These piers rest upon either shallow concrete pads or lightly compacted soils. Over time these piers move with the soil due to fluctuation in soils moisture, freeze – thaw cycles or soil compaction due to water intrusion. As the pier sinks into the soil the floor is no longer supported, hence sagging floors.

Many poor foundation repair contractors place ill-conceived solutions such as steel posts or by simply encapsulating the crawl space with a vapor barrier in an effort to control the moisture. By supplementing a crawl space foundation with steel posts, resting on the soil or even a shallow foundation (<7’ deep), is a temporary fix at best. Obviously resting a new support in the same fashion as the failed piers will not work for long. If the foundation repair or waterproofing contractor installs an encapsulation system without a deep foundation support system this will only slow the settlement without solving the problem.

Installing a deep foundation support system is best done by using a steel push pier system that drives steel pier pipe down to a load bearing soil well below soils that are affected by moisture. Earth Contact Products, the leading resistance pier manufacturer, has developed such a system. ECP’s Model 200 crawl space pier system is specifically designed for crawl spaces and other limited access areas. This system uses the weight of the structure to drive the pier pipe to a load bearing stratum and then using a unique manifold system the structure is simultaneously lifted and locked into place providing a solid, secure foundation for your home.