All posts by Matt Taylor

Kevlar What?: Kevlar Straps and How They Work

June 5, 2018 Matt Taylor Leave a comment

When you hear the word “Kevlar”, it conjures up a lot of thoughts. This new, durable and commonly-used material is found in many everyday products. In fact, you’d be surprised how much you depend on Kevlar.

Kevlar is found in everything from body armor to bicycle tires to ping pong paddles to even cell phones! The US Military uses it in battle and you use it every time you pick up your mobile phone.

But, did you also know that Kevlar is used in your home? Yes, they are known as “Kevlar Straps” and they can perform a major repair for your home.

When soil pressure fractures a block or concrete foundation wall, it causes bowing. Thus, the home’s foundation needs to be stabilized. Left unresolved, the horizontal or vertical cracks in the foundation or basement will greatly reduce the value of the home. They must be repaired.

A licensed building or construction contractor can install a Kevlar (carbon fiber) grid to prevent any more movement to the wall.The wall is prepared via a dustless grinding system, and the Kevlar strap is epoxied to the wall with a wet lay up method. It lays flat against the wall. Following a paint job, you may not even see it.

Kevlar Straps don’t deteriorate, either. No rust. No collapse.

The advantages to using Kevlar Straps are quite numerous:

No drilling into your foundation or basement walls.
Usually take only one day to install.
No digging.
No heavy steel to install.
Straps will conform to the walls.
It is a permanent repair.

Home repair technology is quite advanced now and Kevlar Straps are one of the great advantages of 21st Century home ownership. Your contractor comes in, installs the straps, then paints over them and then it’s done!

If you suspect your home is in need of Kevlar Straps, contact our licensed building experts at M Taylor Enterprise. We have done thousands of repairs in the Montgomery County, Howard County, and Prince George’s County, Maryland area. Call us at (301) 649-3406 or matt@matttaylorenterprise.com for a free consultation.

concrete repair

Concrete Repair: How It’s Done

March 12, 2018 Matt Taylor Leave a comment

You see it every day when you walk to your car or get the mail. It’s embarrassing and can even be dangerous.

We are talking, of course, about the cracks in your sidewalk, walkway or driveway. Those cracks, which are caused by weather, automobiles, animals, age and just constant usage, take away from the appearance and value of your home. Sidewalk cracks may even cause serious injuries to family members and visitors.

These are common repairs and can be done correctly and efficiently with the right tools, materials and basic understanding of how concrete works. Here are the step-by-step directions to do concrete repair:

Do a properly tamped base. Gas power tamper worksbut use a small roller.
Make sure the reinforcement is up in the concrete and not laying on the ground. We use re-bar on high chair instead of wire mesh.
Proper slump and don’t add too much water. A strong concrete mix is weakened with the overuse of mixing water. If you need to use a higher slump. (Get the correct ad mixture.)
Thickness is so important! We always make our concrete driveways 6” thick.
Proper control and expansion jointsare tooled in and are generally only an inch or so. We saw cut joints deeper the next day after the placement.
Joints need to be at least 1/4 the thickness of the slab. We do 1/3 the thickness of the slab for control joints
Never ever apply water during the finishing process! It weakens the surface cement/water matrixand leads to spalling surface. Please note that if you can’t finish the concrete without the use of adding surface water, you are placing too much concrete or you are short on finishers.
Now apply a curring compound after the concrete placement finishing operations. Spray or roll on helps even in cool weather.
When you strip forms, back-fill around the slab edges with saved soil from the excavation process. Cut and piece in sod at the disturbed areas, when possible.
If you run into unexpected issues such as clay that is pumping and won’t tampor there are old stumps or unexpected old layers of concrete, then the concrete repairs will require the services of an experienced craftsman.
If you end up botching the entire job, don’t fret. Just take it out and have a professional replace it

It’s a pretty involved procedure and requires a lot of detailing and no step can be skipped. Be sure you have ALL the tools and materials before you begin. Also, check the weather forecast for the day you do the repairs. Rain or storms definitely will delay your project. Make sure it is a clear day and not too cold or hot.

However, if this seems too involved or not something you’d like to tackle, then call our professional concrete repair team at M Taylor Enterprise. We can give you an estimate, send a team out to your home or business location and get the job done quickly and efficiently. Call us at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com.

Foundation Repair

Signs of Potential Foundation Problems

March 9, 2018 Matt Taylor 1 Comment

Are your walls bowing in? Doors not closing? Walls cracking?

All those creaks you’re hearing and dampness you’re seeing may be your home’s foundation deteriorating. Your homes foundation may be having issues if you see any off the following;

vertical or horizontal cracks in the basement walls
exterior cracks in the masonry
basement walls bowing in
water infiltration
doors begins to jam or fails to latch
cracks in ceramic floor
cracks in the walls, doorways, windows or walls
windows stick or cannot close all the way
damp carpets
puddles on basement floor
discoloring on walls
odors
damp and moldy drywall
muddy floors
flooding in the basement

When these issues are occurring in the home, it usually points to foundation issues.

Poor drainage is usually the causes of water entering the home. It comes in through settled back fill or leaking window wells. These persistent leaks cause major water damage and may decrease the value of your home. Water stains and buildups in the floors and walls also develop into mold which creates a host of health issues which we will discuss in a future blog.

When you start seeing these signs, call a qualified foundation specialists repair company right away. Have them do an inspection and give you an estimate. You should call several companies and have them bid on the job.

When it comes to making foundation repairs, there are many methods of home foundation repair:

For a settled foundation, helical piers or anchors are driven into the ground and install to a depth below the unstable soil. The foundation adjustment screws then allow lifting of the structure.
For bowed in walls, Kevlar carbon fiber straps or ‘’I’’ beams are installed to brace the wall , sometimes thru the wall anchors are needed.
Settled slabs can be lifted with helical piers with slab brackets or grout is pumped beneath the beam or slab that lifts the slab restoring the home to its original elevation.

Once your home foundation is repaired, the problems you had before should be resolved. Foundation issues once meant a home had to be demolished.

However now, with updated technology, experienced foundation contractors can diagnose and repair the foundation and restore it to its original condition or even better. Your most valuable and expensive financial asset can be saved and give you many years of enjoyment.

Our experienced foundation repair team at M Taylor Enterprise will visit your home or business, diagnose the problems and give you an estimate. We get the job done quickly and efficiently. Call us at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com.

Foundation Repair

Cracking Up: How Foundation Repair Can Save Your Home

February 28, 2018 Matt Taylor 2 Comments

“It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; its the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.”

~ David Allan Coe

While Mr. Coe is a country music singer and composer, he’d make a good construction consultant because he’s right. Your home’s foundation is the solid rock on which it stands. If it falters, cracks or falls, your home could suffer major expensive structural damage which is not covered under property insurance policies.

Additionally, foundation damage makes it impossible to sell. Once the foundation issues are discovered, prospective buyers will either demand it be repaired, ask for it a greatly reduced price or withdraw any interest in buying it at all.

Bottom line: Your home’s foundation needs to be strong. There can be no compromise.

Below are some signs that your home’s foundation is in structural trouble:

a damaged foundation means walls may buckle and cave in
chimneys pull away from the structure causing even more damage
increased moisture in the home creating damp atmosphere for mold and mildew
settling basement slabs break sewer waste pipes below the slab causing severe health and safety issues

As you can see, a damaged foundation threatens your largest property investment: your home. It also may threaten your family or renters in your home. When the above are discovered, action needs to be taken pretty quickly to protect it from any further damage and deterioration.

So, here are several ways foundation repairs, done by licensed building contractors, can be done to your home:

Waterproofing: This may mean installing an exterior waterproofing membrane which creates an impermeable barrier on outside of the foundation; installing an exterior drain tile along the membrane to lessen pressure on the walls to drain water or doing some exterior crack repair.
Grading: Unless the ground around your foundation drops 2-3 inches for every ten feet away from your home’s foundation, you may have some serious drainage issues. The lawn slope needs to be graded to meet those guidelines.
Masonry repairs: Cracked mortar is usually the culprit in damage to brick foundations. The mortar may have also deteriorated. Masonry then needs to be removed and replaced.

Those are common foundation issues but it could also be problems with the footings, concrete, or drainage systems. A licensed building contractor who is experienced in foundation building and repair should inspect it. They can then give you an itemized list of repairs that need to be made.

Taylor Enterprise has an experienced team of contractors who can repair any and all foundation problems. Call us at (301) 649-3406 or email matt@mtaylorenterprise.com. We serve the Silver Spring, MD and Washington, D.C. area.

basement flooding

Ten Items That Cause Basement Flooding

February 27, 2018 Matt Taylor Leave a comment

A house with a basement can be a blessing and a curse.

They are great for massive storage, laundry rooms, man caves, rec rooms, kids’ bedrooms and even to house the in-laws. The extra room they provide is invaluable.

However, basements can also be a huge financial and physical drain. When it rains as often and as heavy as it does in the DMV-Washington, D.C. Beltway area, basements can flood causing property damage and even bodily injury while incurring large insurance claims and deductible payments.

In other words, basement flooding is a real issue for your largest property investment: Your home. Basement flooding, however, is not something to be automatically accepted. It can be prevented. You just have to know how to examine your foundation before it occurs and then make some structural repairs and changes.

To prevent basement flooding and property damage, look for these signs of trouble:

poor grading around the house foundation and window wells
clogged and/or broken downspouts
cracks in the foundation walls
a high water table during rains
missing or blocked foundation drains
hydro static pressure which is forcing water into the basement
missing or damaged parging outside
overgrown shrubs and landscaping preventing water to runoff
basement steps/walls/area drains creating rain water entry points.
settlement of back fill causing voids under slabs

If you see any or all of the above issues concerning your basement, your house will be flooded in the near future. It is a guarantee. This insidious type of structure deterioration can lead to flooding and serious damage to a home.

As you can see, basement flooding is a serious issue in more ways than just your home. Your family health is also at risk.

The good news is: M Taylor Enterprise, Silver Spring, Maryland, can re-grade around the outside of homes, install interior drainage systems and do full foundation excavations. We alleviate the chances of having basement flooding thus preserving your home and, possibly, your health. Call us at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorent.wpengine.com.

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Spinfinity Stainless Steel Wind Spinners

February 5, 2018 Matt Taylor Leave a comment

Spinfinity Designs

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Spinfinity 2021 Spring Catalog

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Video Poker

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Spinfinity Casino

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About Spinfinity Casino

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Call Us: 301-649-3406

Email Us: matt@mtaylorenterprise.com

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