House Repairs On Rise
WEATHER AFFECTS FOUNDATIONS
Posted: September 18, 2011 at 5:43 a.m.
Shane Pullum, from left, Brian Schuchmann and Dennis Hicks work on a foundation at a home in Bella Vista. A wet spring has brought an increase in foundation problems, said Mike Herring, owner of American Standard Foundation Repair.
The first subtle sign was a telltale crack in the wall above a doorway.
AT A GLANCE
A FIRM FOUNDATION
Foundations in Northwest Arkansas are primarily slab on grade construction.
A slab is a single layer of concrete, several inches thick. The slab is poured thicker at the edges to form an integral footing. Steel reinforcing rods strengthen the edge. The slab usually rests on a bed of crushed gravel to improve drainage and may contain a wire mesh to reduce the chances of cracking.
There are two common methods, piering and slabjacking, for lifting a damaged concrete foundation.
Piering, driving steel pipe pilings or installing concrete piers, fixes concrete foundations by placing supports underground to lift and support the concrete.
Slabjacking fills the space under the slab with a grout mixture that floats the foundation back to its original position.
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
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Business, Pages 11 on 09/18/2011
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Good piece, important topic. Thanks.
Posted by: BenSPollock
September 19, 2011 at 11:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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