Foundation Fixed in Cliffside Park

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014 by Rachel Hamm

Challenge

This home in Cliffside Park was showing signs of foundation settlement. The owner had noticed some tell-tale foundation cracks along the sides of his home. He was worried that his home would soon become unsafe to live in if the foundation issues were not fixed. He decided to call Quality 1st Basement Systems to learn more about foundation repair options.

Solution

The Quality 1st Basement Systems team was able to install steel push piers on the home's exterior to stabilize the foundation. The foundation cracks were occurring due to settlement, which is the movement of homes when the topmost underlying soil can no longer support the home's weight. This happens because soil changes over the years - it could be too wet, too dry, or poorly compacted. The push piers combat this settlement because they are driven deep into stable soil or bedrock to prevent further damage and reverse the foundation failure by lifting homes back to their original positions.

Push piers are easy to install and durable because the entire system is made of steel. Soil is excavated to make room for the installation and then steel brackets are installed below and against the home's foundation. Steel piers are hydraulically driven through the bracket to the stable soil and then the home's weight is transferred to competent soil through the piers. The home is then lifted back to its original position, the soil is backfilled, and the home is permanently stabilized. Now this homeowner can sleep soundly knowing the foundation was repaired and his home is safe!