Foundation Services Case Studies: Foundation Repair in Cincinnati, OH
Challenge
The owner of the home had used our services before because their basement was leaking on one side some years ago. We installed WaterGuard and an UltraSump on the one side to solve this problem. This solution worked for a couple years, however unfortunate circumstances began to reveal. The homes foundation had begun to sink into the soil, causing new problems. New cracks began to appear from the settling, allowing more water to seep in that we couldn't really account for at the time, (refer to photo 1).
Solution
To solve these problems, we were going to need to install helical piers not only on the outside of the home, but also through the basement as well, (for those who are aware of what piers are, you can skip this paragraph). Piers are commonly used in our foundation projects. They are used because they are long, strong, and easy to install. They are steel rods that have a helical shape that allows them to vertically screw deep into the soil where the dirt does not shift. The piers are attached to the footers of the home because that is what part of the home that needs raised.
The reason we installed piers through the basement is because it would be easier to dig out the concrete in the basement floor to reach this basements footer, than it would be to dig dirt outside of the home to get to the basement footer. It also helps that this home is a conventionally constructed foundation, meaning the basement floor is not connected to the footing. If it were a monolithic foundation, the concrete footer floor would be poured together as one piece, and so digging up the floor would cause the house to collapse, (refer to photo 2). We were also able to "screw" the piers deep into solid soil from the basement by using a unique hydraulic method. Hydraulics are a force created by the pressure of water. Basically, we run a hose through the house that is able to pump water so strongly that the piers screw down with ease. This process is unique to The Basement Doctor, and no other companies can provide this service like we can. If you go with another company, they are going to want to excavate a hole so deep to reach your footer on the outside of your home that it will cause a massive headache, (refer to photo 3).
After we placed the piers in successfully, we covered the concrete back up ourselves for the customer, (refer to photo 4). Although we are able to raise the foundation back up using the same force from the hydraulic method, (which again, is special to The Basement Doctor) we advised against it, since the customer had just placed a very nice tiled floor all throughout the house which could break if the foundation was raised too high, (refer to photo 5). The customer also wanted to place more WaterGuard around other areas of the basement, just as a precautionary measure. It was easier for us to install more WaterGuard because the basement was already prepped and excavated in certain areas. All in all this basement is waterproofed for good and the foundation won't sink any more for the entire life of the home.
