Slab Sinking in Middletown, NJ

Monday, October 18th, 2010 by Marianne Koiva

Challenge

The Hannon residence is a two-story slab-on-grade home built in the 1970's. The homeowners had observed the typical warning signs of slab settlement for some time, including drywall cracks, doors and windows that did not fully open or close, uneven floors and a noticeable separation between the floors and the walls. They were aware of other similar problems in their neighborhood and were hesitant to get the problem fixed because of the disruption their neighbors experienced when resolving their settlement problems. However, the Hannon family was ready to undergo a renovation project and were looking to install new carpet and tile on the slab floor. They were advised by their carpenter to repair the sinking slab floor before installing any tiles or else future repairs to the tiles would be inevitable.

Solution

Quality 1st Basement Systems installed twenty-two (22) Foundation Supportworks Slab Piers to permanently lift and stabilize the floor slab. Small holes were cored in the floor, a bracket was installed beneath the slab floor, and rugged steel pier sections were hydraulically driven to a competent load-bearing strata. The slab piers were spaced on a grid pattern throughout the main level and were driven to depths ranging from 9' to 15'. Once the floor was stabilized, a void-fill material was pumped in under the floor to fill any voids under the slab. The installation of slab piers was an ideal solution because the installation was minimally invasive and was able to be completed in less than one week. Not only was the slab permanently stabilized, it was also lifted 2" back to its original level position, closing drywall cracks and significantly reducing gaps between the floors and walls. Doors and windows that were cracked and not functioning properly are now in correct working order.

"Our neighbors down the block had the same problem. In order to have the problem fixed, they had to remove every single thing on the first floor and move out of their house for over five weeks. The contractor they hired then poured a floor on the same soils that caused the settlement in the first place. The solution from Quality 1st is very impressive. They were in and out of our house within one week, and our floor was raised 2". We can now get our carpet and tile project completed with no worries." -Mr. Hannon