Hello! Welcome to my blog. My name is Col. I live in Perth and I have a passion for construction. I am pretty useless when it comes to construction work so I tend to leave it to the experts. However, I find that there is nothing more pleasing than seeing a team of construction workers complete a job. Over the years, I have hired many different types of construction worker and they have all taken the time to chat with me. During these conversations, I have learnt so pretty interesting things which I will be exploring on this blog. Enjoy!
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Col's Construction Blog
Are You Thinking About Underpinning Your House Foundation? How to Choose a Method
Ethan Burton
The state of a building's foundation is what determines how strong it stands against the test of time. If the foundation is healthy, the house will remain strong for decades. On the other hand, if the foundation is weak, structural problems such as cracks, sagging doors and windows, sagging floors and ultimately building collapse might follow. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure that you constantly check for signs of foundation problems, and if any problems arise, you get a solution such as underpinning to strengthen the foundation.
Here are the factors to consider when choosing an underpinning method for your home's foundation.
The Age of the House
The first consideration should be how old the building is. The three broad categories according to age include ancient structures which are more than 150 years, recent structures that are between 50 and 150 years and modern houses which are less than 50 years. The older the building is, the older the first building technology will be. This means that the underpinning method chosen has to take into consideration how well it will merge with the existing infrastructure and if it will enhance or weaken it.
The Physical Condition of the Site
The other crucial consideration to make is the state of the building. Check if the existing foundation is strong enough to benefit from the reinforcement of underpinning. Check if there are nearby excavations that could affect the soil holding the building's footing. Also, think about the possibility of natural calamities affecting the existing soil, and see if the underpinning method you have in mind can survive that. Finally, check whether the existing house has a foundation and whether your chosen underpinning method requires the presence of a basement.
The Structural Conditions of the Existing Foundation
The structural state of the existing foundation determines whether the building will need underpinning or not. If the timber piles in the foundation are degraded, the building's foundation is likely to settle. If the house is built in an area where the water table keeps rising and lowering, it will also most likely settle, creating massive complications. Also, if the soil capacity is low, the foundation might end up settling.
These are the crucial considerations that determine which house underpinning method will work best. Working with a foundation repair expert helps you assess the current structure and its weaknesses, and then select the best way to reinstate the foundation.
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