The most appropriate repair method for your foundation beam will depend on a few factors including the foundation construction of your home, the severity of the damage, and your budget. The best way to know the best method to use is to engage the service of a professional foundation repair contractor near you. They will schedule an inspection of your property and recommend what method is best for you based on some considerations.
When trying to choose between repairing a foundation and constructing a new one, it is good to put the signs of the foundation damage into consideration. This information will go a long way to help you decide what repair method will be most appropriate for the foundation beam.
It is important to address any foundation damage as soon as they are discovered. Failing to do this will further worsen the condition of the damage, making the cracks expand, the home to further settle and shift, and interior damage may eventually set in. Read on to learn about foundation beam repair San Diego.
Table Of Contents
The following are some of the most common issues with pier and beam foundations:
- Sagging floors and shifting beams: A lot of problems develop when the foundation of your home is settling or sinking. The best solution to this is to install piers, shims, and foundation supports.
- Collapsing Concrete piers: When this happens, the foundation becomes uneven, thereby causing the foundation and the beams to crack. This can be remedied by adjusting the piers to make the structure more stable.
- A crawl space that is damp: Homes made with piers and beams are known to develop moisture problems. This complication can be solved by doing a drainage correction service for your foundation.
- Mold and mildew: When this affects the wooden joists and beam, the best thing to do is to remove the affected woods and replace them. It may also be necessary to shim the building.
- Tilting piers: Tilting piers make the beams move, thereby adding to foundation failure. The way out of this problem is to stabilize all the piers of the foundation.
- Poor construction: This is another very common problem that can only be resolved by raising the foundation and the joists.
- Exterior piers cracking: When the beams are moving or the piers are giving way, it can make door frames get out of kilter. This is a common issue with foundations which can be solved by replacing the exterior piers.
Foundation Beam Repair Methods
1. Reshimming
One of the best ways to fix a minor pier and beam foundation damage is reshimming. However, in severe situations, replacing the wood beam will be required.
Reshimming can be used for a home with a crawl space, usually as a preventative maintenance process. However, this process can only be effective if the house is in good shape and the house is supported with all the necessary support materials in the right place.
It is advised that you refill the gaps between the settled support piers and the sill of your foundation every 3-5 years through reshimming. When done regularly, this maintenance task will ensure that the pier and beam foundation is in working order and also prevent the development of bigger problems.
Depending on the severity of the damage and the size of the home, repairing a pier and beam foundation through reshimming can cost between $1,200 and $10,000. You can refer to Home Advisor for a cost guide on foundation repairs.
2. The Addition of Pier Stacks
The interior piers can sometimes develop issues, either due to degradation or disintegration of the blocks, or the blocks were not enough from the start. The solution to this issue is to hire a foundation repair contractor to add more piers. They will help to evenly distribute and support the weight of the bowing floors. Another option is to repair or replace any pier that has been damaged over time.
Depending on how large the home is and how easy it is to access the crawl space, this method of repair could take two or more days. You can expect to spend between $4,000 and $6,000 to restore the foundation beam to its proper state.
3. Replacing the Wood
It can sometimes be necessary to replace the floor joists and shaker sills with new materials due to breakage, rot, wear out, or warping. Also, more joists or sills may need to be added if the foundation did not have sufficient support built into it in the first place. This may not be a big job if the wood needed to be replaced is not much, and if the problem area is not difficult to access. Otherwise, it becomes a massive overhaul or a foundation rebuilding project.
Replacing any wood under the home is hardly a straightforward process because each piece of wood is attached to another. Because of this, to remove the damaged area, the adjacent sections of the crawl space must be tentatively supported. This will prevent the home from crashing down.
Depending on how large the wood replacement project is, you can expect the job to take over a week to reach completion and you will be spending an average of $15,000. There are many variables including the quantity of wood material that needs to be replaced and the ease of access.
4. Underpinning
Usually, when a foundation settles, the main affected parts are the interior support areas of the pier and beam. This is either because they were underbuilt or not well-supported. More so, the piers and beams are in the most vulnerable parts of the foundation. Also, weight distribution problems also affect the perimeter support beam.
To restore the perimeter beam to its original elevations, support must be added to the settled areas by using concrete pilings or drilled bell-bottom piers.
Read: Tips about basement wall repairs
Conclusion
There are many foundation beam repair methods that can be used when issues come up with your foundation. Some of these methods are temporary solutions, while others are permanent remedies to your foundation problems.
You will need to engage the service of a professional foundation repair contractor to determine which repair option is best for your property and budget.
