Foundation damage not only potentially affects the well-being of tenants who trust you to provide a safe structure, but it also can have a significant impact on your revenue stream. Let 2021 be the year to factor foundation repair costs into your budget, so you can preserve your property value, keep your tenants safe and save money down the road.
This post covers how you can spot foundation issues and how a trusted professional can help resolve your foundation problems.
Foundation Repair Intervention
Whether your property is an apartment complex, strip mall, warehouse facility or institutional property, like a hospital or university, every structure requires ongoing maintenance due to the wear and tear Texas weather puts on your foundation. Before consulting with foundation-repair experts, it will help you to understand the causes of foundation cracks and other foundation issues, as well as which warning signs you need to monitor throughout the year.
In Texas, clay soil shifts with the seasons. Hot weather causes it to shrink, while freezing and rainy weather makes it expand. These changes in climate lead to — you guessed it — foundation damage. You and your staff can take preventive measures in both the winter and summer before you resort to hiring someone for a total foundation overhaul. These solutions could be as simple as rethinking your landscaping or sealing tiny hairline cracks in the wall.
Signs of Foundation Damage
Take a stroll around your property to look for more critical signs of foundation damage.
Here are just a few examples:
- Cracks in interior and exterior walls
- Uneven or buckling flooring
- Warped or bowing drywall
- Plumbing issues
- Jammed doors and windows
- Broken tiles and popped grout
- Large cracks on the sidewalk
- Moisture or mold stains
With a commercial property spanning an entire campus, or a building with multiple stories, keeping track of these potential issues all yourself could easily turn into your new full-time job. That’s why communication is key — explain the red flags of foundation damage to your janitorial team, employees and tenants, and tell them to notify you immediately if any problems arise.
Once you understand and communicate the potential issues, it will help a professional foundation repair company pinpoint specific solutions when it comes time for your evaluation.
Foundation Repair Evaluation: What to Expect
You’ve made your own foundation assessment and now you’re ready for the evaluation step. True foundation experts will not only fix the symptoms of your structural issues, but they will also identify their root causes to prevent them from happening again. A professional team will understand your tenants and customers need to be protected from the inconvenience of a long, disruptive project.
The right company will keep speed, efficiency, and respect in mind when creating a plan of repair designed specifically for your building and budget. Your foundation-repair professional will look for flaws in your foundation based on its type — whether it’s concrete slab or pier and beam — then analyze your landscape, drainage, and additional exterior factors, which might have lead to those flaws.
Slab Foundation Repair
If your property is less than 50 years old without a basement, chances are it was built upon a slab foundation. If your concrete slab foundation needs to be repaired, concrete piers, steel piers, drilled piers, and mud-jacking are typical solutions. This may sound extensive, but don’t worry — some commercial concrete slab projects can take as little as five days to complete.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair
Properties made of pier and beam foundations are usually older, have a crawl space, and are elevated on top piers and blocks made of lumber. If you have a pier and beam foundation and need it to be repaired, it’s imperative to find an experienced professional who understands the crucial differences between pier and beam and concrete slab foundations. Take this apartment complex as an example, which was repaired with double-walled steel pilings, crawlspace ventilation and a surface drain in about two months.
Erosion, Drainage, and Landscaping
Your foundation problems may expand far beyond the structure itself. Depending on your drainage system, soil grade and even the plants and shrubs surrounding your building, your property could be collecting either too much or too little water throughout the year. Although you can make a few tweaks to your landscaping yourself, your hired foundation-repair team will help reverse the issues you’ve encountered by discovering and correcting their underlying causes.
Contact Perma Pier to Learn More
When it comes to your property’s foundation, your goals as a commercial property owner most likely are 1) keep the tenants in your buildings safe, 2) avoid structural disasters, and 3) maintain your foundation in a way it won’t negatively affect your business or end with excessive expenses.
At Perma Pier Foundation Repair of Texas, we have over 20 years of experience in foundation repairs for commercial and residential properties. We will help you create a custom plan of repair to fix your current damage, while helping you prevent problems which might emerge in the future. We’ve learned the best advice is to factor foundation repair into your annual budget. Don’t wait until disaster strikes, especially in a larger, more complex property. Be proactive, inspect your facility often, and trust our expert evaluators to offer practical, proven solutions.
We are here, when you are ready to schedule your no-charge evaluation!
