We can’t stop the rain or snow from coming down and no doubt we need it here in Colorado. As good as it may be for the ground it might not be the best for the foundation of your home. Saturated soil can cause the foundation of your home to crack and bow. The pressure put on the walls of your foundation can cause them to go inward. Not all water problems are the same. There are various types of water problems that can cause foundation issues of different sorts. However, one thing remains the same when it comes to the outcome –  it causes foundational issues in your home. Park Range Construction is your leading structural support specialist in Colorado where we have repaired thousands of buildings with foundational issues. We want to help you stop yours from becoming among the many homes who do have issues from water damage.

Hydrostatic Pressure

This tends to happen because of poor or failed a drainage system on the home. The drainage system on any home is an essential part of your home. As minute as a proper drainage system might seem they are considered invaluable to the health of your home. When fall hits there is always tree debris that falls on the roof and then trickles down into the gutters. This can cause a blockage that prevents proper waterflow. When that occurs you now have water overflowing down the house and directly into the soil surrounding the foundation. The soil surrounding your home is more permeable to the rest of the soil on your lot because the soil around your home was backfilled with the soil they took out to make room for your basement. This soil when removed was broken up and loosened making it more water absorbent. The waterlogged soil between the normal soil and foundation then puts pressure on the basement walls called hydrostatic pressure. This pressure causes the basement wall to bow and crack.

Expanding Soil

There is another type of soil that can cause the walls of your foundation to crack and bow. Wet clay soil can cause big problems if it surrounds your house. When clay dries out it shrinks tremendously causing you to be able to see cracks on the ground. The opposite occurs when clay becomes drenched in water. Expansion of the clay soil can exert a tremendous amount on pressure on your foundation walls when it expands. This also will cause the same result of bowing and cracking to your foundation.

Spring Time Frost

Colorado is known for a good snow and frost in the middle of spring. This can cause some potential problems especially if the soil around your home is more absorbent to water. When the soil around your home is water soaked and then a freeze comes in, the frozen water expands by 9%. This alone can cause enough pressure to damage your foundation in the same way.

The bottom line of this is to keep your drainage system in good condition. Make sure that there aren’t any blockages in your gutters. Check and clean them bi-annually in the fall and spring. This will go a long way in protecting the foundation of your home. Although in doing this you still can’t change the type of soil you have around your home so if you’re starting to see leaks in the foundation in your basement or cracks start to form then give us a call today! We can fix all your foundation issues as well as drainage issues that many have caused the problem to begin with.

When homes are built and you move in, you have an expectation that the grating and drainage have been done correctly. However, sometimes that expectation is not always met and you find that there are some drainage problems with your home. This is uncomely and often a headache that is pushed aside until there is something that has to be done. Here are some of the signs that indicate that your home has drainage problems.

1. Standing Water

This is one of the common signs that there is a drainage issue. When there are storms that come through, it is common for water to settle in the yard and on the sidewalks for a little while. When the storm has stopped though, and the sun has come out, what happens to the water? There shouldn’t be any water sticking around. A home drainage system is designed to lead the water to the sewage system. If this system isn’t working properly, then the water will be standing there for hours on end. This causes the most problems when it’s below freezing out, causing thick ice to form and making it very unsafe for little ones and older ones.

2. Water Stains in the Basement

Gutters are meant to take water from the rainfall and direct it away from the foundation of the home. This is a very important feature of your home. If there is any blockage in the gutters, then it can cause the water to not drain away properly from the home and instead over steam down the walls of your home to the foundation. This can cause water stains to form on top of the foundation wall.

The drainage system may not be the only cause for water stains on your foundation. There is always the possibility that your home may have been built underneath the water table line. This can cause problems when storms come in and cause the city storm drains to back up into your home.

3. Gutters Overflow

As mentioned above, the gutters overflowing can cause an issue for your home. This can be a simple fix with a weekend cleaning of them. When you’re up there on your roof looking for a great blockage it’s imperative that if you don’t find one, you may need to consider that it could be more serious than what you can handle. It may be that in the installation the pitch was incorrectly done.

With so many different reasons for drainage issues in your home, it can be hard to pinpoint the real issue. Park Range Construction is known for fixing foundational issues and the sealing of cracks. We are able to fix drainage issues not just for one home, but a community of homes. In addition to this, we also install downspouts and sump pumps. With so many services that we offer, we can make your home operating like new again. Call us today!

The foundation of your home is important because the rest of the structure relies on it. The integrity of the building falls on the strength of the foundation of your home. There isn’t a waiting game to be played when it comes to foundational damage. It’s best to catch it early on because the longer you wait the more severe the damage gets. So, what it the cause of foundation damage? What are the signs that your foundation is damaged? What can be done about foundation damage if your home has some?

What Causes It 

Foundation damage is caused by the soil underneath and around it. Soil tends to expand and contract when wet and then dried. This can cause enough force on the building for the foundation to then crack and damage. Another factor to foundation damage is inadequate drainage resulting in excessive moisture. Such stress and change in the soil will initiate a shift in the foundation causing cracks and uneven settlement.

Warning Signs

The warning signs can vary depending on the type of material that your home’s foundation is made from. However, there are common signs that you will be able to detect at the outset of foundation damage to your home.

1. Wall cracks in basement from floor to ceiling
2. Pooling water in basement
3. Wet crawl space
4. Sagging or uneven floors
5. Bowed walls
6. Doors that stick
7. Strange smell in the basement

These are some of the signs that you’re going to want to look out for when trying to detect foundational issues.

Fixing the Issue

Micro piers and helical piers are among the most common and economical ways to fix foundational issues. The issue that cause the damage in the first place is the soil. Micro piers and helical piers are designed to fix the problem at the root by going down deep enough into the soil, to find the correct soil that will hold the weight of the building without shifting. These pairs will last decades. Park Range Construction is a group of skilled professionals that can handle any foundational damage, correcting the issue at its root. Call us today for more information!

What is the difference between helical piers and push piers? Why are they even important? If you’ve ever owned a home that over time the soil had shifted and it was no longer structurally sound you understand the importance of helical piers and push piers. They are both used as structural support systems to make a building structurally sound. They do this in various ways while still being very similar to each other. So, what are the similarities and differences?

Helical Piers

Helical Piers are a steel tube with a fitted helical plate attached to it. That plate looks very much like a post hole digger. A hydraulic motor turns the pipe to screw it into the ground. This process causes the plates to pull the pier into the ground rather than push the pier into it. Helical piers are driven into the ground until the proper depth is reached. Each depth will vary from project to project because it is based on the load capacity that needs to be achieved. Helical piers can hold up to a ten-story building. The piers are also strategically placed around the building to share the weight of the building. Once the piers have seen screwed into the ground to the proper depth, the foundation bracket is then secured to the building. This method stabilizes the foundation that have weakened or needed support because of the soil condition.

Push Piers

Push piers are very similar to helical piers in that piers are put into the ground to shift the weight of a building. There are many differences as well though. One of the major differences is how push piers are placed into the ground. They are installed exactly how it sounds, by using a hydraulic motor to “push” it into the ground until it has hit stable soil. Another major difference between them is with a helical pier it is fastened to the foundation bracket at the end however with a push pier the foundation bracket gets secured first and the pier is pushed through the bracket. At the end, the weight of the building is then evenly distributed.

These are some of the differences between helical piers and push piers. For more information on them take a look at the Helical page. Here at Park Range Construction we specialize in structural support. We understand how important it is to have a structurally sound building. We have done many projects from commercial building, historical buildings, to residential communities. Call us today for more information!