A home is almost always someone’s most expensive investment so preserving its value should be high on the priority list. To properly stabilize a sinking home, a helical pile or driven pile repair plan can be used. Helical piles or deep driven steel piers are typically placed 6-8ft on center under a home’s footing to stabilize the home using the footing as a grade beam. The capacity of a pile doesn’t typically determine spacing as much as the condition of the footing. A licensed structural engineer will be able to determine the proper spacing for the piles.

Cornerstone carries MacLean-Dixie helical piles which do carry the ICC rating. The ICC sets the standard in the construction industry and is involved in writing the building code. In regards to foundation repair standards, criteria known as AC358 was created as the acceptance criteria for helical piles. See the link below for information on the ICC process and approvals for MacLean-Dixie.

We offer a few different repairs to concrete slabs whether its sinking/ cracked/ or in need of replacement. Sinking slabs are common in this area due to the clay we have around the homes. This clay is very tough to compact when dry and even tougher when wet. Eventually some slabs may settle creating trip hazards. To lift a settled slab we use pressurized grout to fill voids and lift slabs back up. We choose to use grout over a polymer for a few reasons. One being that you can’t dispose of the polymer at a landfill if you ever need to replace the slab. It is more expensive than grout and sometimes not readily available.

To stabilize cracks in slabs or control joints that move after cured, we can install carbon staples along the length of the slab. The staples are epoxied into the slab perpendicular to the crack at 12-16” on center.

We are a full service concrete contractor so we offer full replacement of slabs and are typically below market cost. Being in the foundation industry and building many homes, we take steps to ensure proper site prep is done before replacement. A layer of stone should be placed below slabs before pouring. This creates some drainage and some flexibility between the clay and the concrete to reduce cracking.

The installation of helical piers is a foundation repair solution we provide to stabilize a foundation that has suffered damage. Many times, the failing foundation is caused by the settling of insubstantial soil around a home. When this occurs, reinforced piers are drilled into the ground in order to hinder any further settling of the soil. Through this process, we are able to lift a home’s foundation back to its original level and prevent future foundation issues.

The good news for homeowners with foundation issues is that helical piers are a proven solution for effective repair that can be implemented with minimal disruption. Through transferring the weight and support of a home to much deeper compacted soil, the installation of helical piers is also a solution for closing cracks in a foundation.