Repairing your home’s foundation can seem like a major undertaking but if you know what to expect, it really is not that daunting. We are here to help take the guesswork out of the foundation repair process and bring you some much needed peace of mind. This is a quick and easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide to foundation repair in your Illinois home.
Our company is presenting this information to educate local homeowners on foundation repair Peoria. Get in touch to schedule services today.
Table of Contents
Step One: Foundation Inspection and Estimate
The first step is when your contractor arrives at your home to perform the initial inspection and decides on the scope of work needed to provide you with an accurate quote for your project. They will first survey and inspect your home’s foundation. Once they have completed this task they will come to you and present you with options for repairing your foundation.
In the world of home foundation repair in Illinois, there are as many as seven different options your contractor may suggest. (Don’t worry, they will not have you pick from all seven, they will just provide you with the best one or two options for your home). But so you have an idea of what your options might be, here is a quick guide to the most popular foundation repair options used by contractors today.
1. Concrete Piers:
These are piers put underground and are custom built for your home and the soil underneath. If you live in a warmer and/or humid climate, concrete piers are a great option many foundation repair companies in IL go with.
2. Steel Piers:
Many experts like to use steel piers for Illinois foundation repair. Steel piers are a great choice for a severely damaged foundation or for homes that are starting to slant or sink at an angle. These piers are incredibly strong and they last a long time.
3. High-Density Polyurethane Foam:
High-Density Polyurethane Foam is a foundation repair method that is often chosen for emergency foundation repairs. This foam is injected into the foundation’s concrete to help lift and level the support structure.
4. Helical Piers:
Helical piers are used to repair foundations in areas where the soil is difficult to work with. These are piers with helices within them, which means these piers can be placed deeper underneath your home than other types of piers. This tends to be a more pricey foundation repair option, so it is often not the first choice for foundation repair that homeowners like to go with.
5. Masonry Patches:
This option is usually selected for smaller, easier foundational issues. Masonry patches might be a viable repair option for your home if the problems with your foundation are caught in the early stages.
6. Segmented Piers:
Segmented piers tend to be a more affordable foundational repair choice if the process will work for your home. These concrete filled cylindrical tubes are placed right into the soil under your home’s foundation.
7. Slab Jacking:
Slab jacking is an extremely cost-effective foundation repair solution for Illinois residents. Also known as concrete or mud jacking, slab jacking can be used to correct cracked, fractured, and sunken foundations. A major appealing factor of slab jacking is that your home’s foundation slabs can be fixed without replacing the whole slab. It works by lifting your home and then allows the foundation repair contractors to pump a concrete mixture underneath the foundation to fill the pre-drilled holes the contractors have created. The end results are that your foundation is lifted, repaired, and will have leveled out of your home.
*For the sake of the rest of this article, let’s say that you and your contractor select slab jacking as your foundation repair method.
Step Two: Select a Quote and Finalize the Details
The contractor will present you with their findings from the inspection, make recommendations and present you with their quote. Once you agree on the bid, you will be presented with a contract for you to sign before the work on your foundation repair begins.
This is the step where you and your contractor will agree on the price for the work to be completed and your payment method. If you are planning on financing this project, this is where you would apply for that.
Step Three: Foundation Contractor Prepares to Start the Project
Your foundation repair company will start by inspecting your home, identifying the issues with your foundation, and finally the scope of work required. They will then order the needed materials, set up the worksite, and pull any permits your city might require.
Step Four: Drilling the Holes & Completing Repairs
Your foundation repair contractor will start their work by drilling holes into your damaged slab. For most repair projects, holes are drilled somewhere from three to eight inches apart, depending on the damage that needs to be repaired and how much concrete mixture is needed to correct the cracked slab and raise your home’s foundation.
Step Five: The Concrete Pumping Stages
A concrete mixture will be pumped into each of the pre-drilled holes. The contractor will pump the concrete starting from the lowest section in the slab and work their way up. This helps to level the slab.
At this point in the process, your contractor may discover they need to drill more holes so they can add additional concrete mixture if needed.
Step Six: Foundation Patching
The last step in the physical repair process of a slab jacking is patching the holes in the slab. Excess concrete is removed from the outside of the holes and then those holes are patched and the work is then completed.
Step Seven: The Final Walk-Through
After the work is completed, the foundation repair contractor will survey the finished project. They will go over the final results with you and finalize the last payment. That is it! Your foundation is repaired and your life will be back to normal somewhere between four to ten hours after the work begins.
What is Your Next Step?
If your home’s foundation requires some serious repairs it is time to hire a professional. So, your first step in this process is to have a local foundation repair contractor come to your home to evaluate your needs.
