The Basement Doctor of Cincinnati Case Studies: Helical Piers Stabilize Chimney in Fairfield, Ohio

Tuesday, December 1st, 2020 by Alexis Wolfe

Challenge

This home in Fairfield, Ohio was having issues with a tilting chimney. The weight of the chimney was pulling on the foundation and side of the house over time, and a gap had opened up between the chimney and the side of the house. This can cause the structure to become very unstable and potentially hazardous over time. Luckily, our team had a system to permanently stabilize and potentially lift the chimney.

Solution

We installed 3 Helical Piers underneath the perimeter of the chimney. Helical piers are a below-grade solution that provide permanent stability to structures. Helical Piers transfer the weight of structures from incompetent soils to load-bearing soils and bedrock. The system is uniquely designed to potentially lift the structure, although the ability for the team to lift the fixture back up depends heavily on field conditions. Once the process was complete, the gap between the chimney and the home had narrowed noticeably, and the structure was stabilized.

Project Summary

Products Installed: Helical Piers beneath chimney (3), PowerBraces along basement wall (10)

Foreman: Patrick W.

Team Members: Vito P., Korey B., Henry N.

Here you can see that the chimney has begun to tilt away from the home, creating a gap.

We dug a trench around the perimeter of the chimney to create a space to install the Helical Piers beneath it.

Here you can see that the stone in the home's foundation was beginning to separate as the chimney pulled away from the home.

Here we have created a space to install a helical pier beneath the chimney. You can see that the strain of the chimney has caused this concrete to separate as well.