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House leveling in Grand Rapids is an excellent investment for homes that have begun to sink or settle. During this process, specialty materials lift a house slightly and strengthen its foundation, to keep it in place. Additionally, the process helps close cracks and address other damage formed when a house sinks.
If you’ve been told that it’s time for house leveling for a Grand Rapids property, you might wonder what’s involved. Also, you might assume that you need to avoid the property during the process! To ensure you make the best choice for your home, check out some details about leveling. Then, discuss any additional questions with your foundation repair contractor as needed.
House leveling is the process of ensuring that a house is stable and even. This is generally done by using a process called shimming, which involves adding small pieces of material under the corners of the house in order to adjust its position. House leveling is usually done when a house is first built, but it can also be necessary after an earthquake or other event that causes the house to shift or settle.
While house leveling is generally a relatively simple process, it is important to make sure that it is done correctly in order to avoid any further damage to the house. In some cases, house leveling can be very complex, particularly if the house is large or has multiple floors. In most cases, it's necessary to hire a professional house leveling company to ensure that the job is done correctly.
Processes for house leveling in Grand Rapids vary according to foundation construction and design. With that in mind, consider how a contractor performs leveling accordingly:
Leveling a pier and beam foundation might include adding new steel pilings or piers underneath the structure. Installing new piers helps to “push” or lift the house back into a level position. A contractor might then remove old piers or simply leave them in place.
Also, a contractor might use shimming along existing piers. Shims are wedge-shaped wood or metal pieces, pounded between piers and beams. This shimming process helps to lift the home along those piers, putting it back into a level position.
A contractor usually levels concrete slabs and basement foundations similarly. First, he or she creates excavations around and under the sunken area. Next, your contractor pumps specialty slurries into those excavations.
These slurries work to “float” the home back into a level position; they then harden, keeping the foundation in place. Also, a contractor might patch cracked foundation concrete, also adding strength to the material.
In some cases, a contractor might suggest underpinning or leveling a slab or basement foundation with pins, piers, or jacks. During this process, your contractor inserts specialty pins deep into the ground, alongside or under the foundation. Next, they typically pour the specialty grouts mentioned above.
Once leveling an old house lifts and levels itself, your contractor attaches brackets on the pins to the foundation itself. These pins or jacks then keep the foundation in position over the years. Also, they help to close cracks and chips, keeping out damaging moisture.
A contractor might need less than a week to level most residential homes. However, extensive repairs add to that timeframe significantly! For instance, patching cracks and replacing damaged materials inside a crawl space might require several weeks.
Also, note that a contractor might suggest waterproofing a foundation or encapsulating a crawl space after leveling. These services also protect a foundation from future damage. This process might add a day or a few days to the process, depending on your home’s size.
In most cases, a homeowner doesn’t need to leave the home during foundation leveling. This process rarely involves heavy vibration, shaking, or other abrupt movements. However, note that some heavy-duty equipment might be loud and bothersome to a structure’s occupants.
Also, it’s vital that homeowners and their children and pets stay away from the work area! Excavations and commercial equipment are dangerous even for experienced contractors. Additionally, those contractors need to move back and forth between their machines and your home freely. In turn, ensure you keep pets and children away from the work area if you decide to stay at home.
House leveling and other needed foundation repair services are vital for your property! Foundation cracks let in moisture that risks structural wood rot, mold, and other costly issues. Cracks and chips also spike your heating and cooling costs.
When it comes to house leveling, note that a sunken home only gets worse over time. Sinking indicates a weak foundation, which isn’t going to somehow fix itself! Instead, your home might continue to sink and, in turn, pull on interior and exterior building materials. Consequently, you’re likely to notice more and more cracks, gaps in room corners, and other such issues.
Also, while a home might not outright collapse, basement walls can eventually crumble. This exposes your home’s interior to the elements and means costly fixes! For all these reasons, homeowners should schedule house leveling at the first sign of sinking and settling.
Grand Rapids Foundation Repair Pros is happy to provide our readers with this information about house leveling in Grand Rapids. Hopefully you found it helpful! For more information, contact our Grand Rapids foundation repair contractors. We offer expert services guaranteed to last. To get your property started with needed fixes, call us today.
