House Leveling
Home ownership is the American dream. Try as they might, many Americans will never own a home. A house is the largest investment most people will ever make. Protect your investment with house leveling. Everything on planet earth is susceptible to gravity. Your foundation is no different. The earth is constantly shifting. There doesn’t have to be an earthquake for the ground to move dramatically over time. Gravity and plate movement can force your home to become unleveled. When that occurs, you will experience structural problems. If you suspect that your house is not level, contact us today.
What is House Leveling?
In situations where your home is not level, we can jack up your house and level it as necessary. Your foundation may have been poured on a surface that was not reinforced. Reinforcing the ground beneath the foundation prevents uneven settling. Installing structural support to boost up the level of your home is another tactic we can employ to prevent further damage. It is natural for your home’s foundation to settle. What is not natural is uneven settling. If that happens you may begin to notice minor cracks in your walls and flooring. Take a look around your window sills and exterior walls. It you notice cracking, more than likely, your foundation has not settle properly. It’s not the end of the world. Contact us today for a viable remedy.
Causes of Foundation Damage
When viewed under a microscope, termites are ugly little creatures. They propensity to eat away all the beams in your foundation. Since beams are made of wood, they are particularly vulnerable to termites. Treated wood is a solution to this problem. If the developer who constructed your home decided to cut corners by not using anti-termite wood, you may have a problem. McKinney is susceptible to 41 inches of rain annually. If the ground is parched and heavy rain falls, flooding is inevitable. Intense flooding can cause your foundation to shift. The earth’s plates are constantly moving. If your foundation was not constructed using best practices, this shifting can cause your foundation to shift from a half and inch to 8 inches.
Block & Base vs. Pier & Beam
What type of foundation do you have? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. In this part of the country, most homes are constructed on top of a block & base or pier & beam foundation. These types of foundations allow service providers to access plumbing and utility lines. Most block & base foundations begin with cinder block. Small wood blocks sit on top of the cinder block. It is a barrier between the subfloor and the cinder block. Pier & Beam foundations are preferred because they are constructed with a concrete slab as the base. Cylindrical concrete pillars rest on top of the slab. Wooden beams are placed perpendicular to the pillars and rest in between the sub floor and the piers.
Benefits of House Leveling
If someone told you that your house was unleveled and gaping cracks would eventually surface in your walls, you might panic. Knowing that your house is level would mitigate any anxiety or stress you might be feeling. You may not be ready to sell your home today but a home that is leveled and can pass inspection is a boost to its value. If you decide to pull equity out of your home and the bank determines that an appraisal is necessary, a level home will only increase its worth. Windows that are difficult to open cease to exist. Doors that stick and don’t close properly are a thing of the past.
