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home foundation repair

Home Foundation Repair and Home Value: How Fixing Your Foundation Can Boost Property Resale

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The foundation is the backbone of your home, providing stability and support to the entire structure. When issues arise with the home foundation, it can have a significant impact on the safety and integrity of your home which will affect its resale value. 

However, there are ways you can invest in your home foundation repair that can boost your property’s resale value: 

  1. Foundation of Property Value. Before getting into home foundation repair issues on resale value, understand the foundational role that a strong and stable foundation plays in the real estate market. Potential buyers, inspectors, and appraisers pay close attention to the structural integrity of a home. A compromised foundation raises red flags and may turn away prospective buyers.
  2. Common Foundation Issues and Effects. Several issues such as settling, cracks, or water damage. These problems can manifest in many ways, including uneven floors, doors that don’t close properly, or cracks in the walls. These issues affect the safety and livability of the home, but they also impact its perceived value in the real estate market.
  3. Boosting Curb Appeal and First Impressions. The exterior appearance of a home is a major factor in attracting buyers. Home foundation repair issues can lead to visible damage, such as cracks in the exterior walls or an uneven foundation. Investing in foundation repair, you enhance your home’s curb appeal and make a positive first impression.
  4. Increasing the Lifespan of Your Home. Prospective buyers are concerned about the long-term durability and maintenance requirements of a property. Addressing foundation issues demonstrates that you have taken proactive steps to maintain and care for your home. This assurance increases buyer confidence, as they are more likely to view the property as a sound investment with fewer unexpected maintenance costs.
  5. Enhancing the Selling Points of Your Home. A stable foundation allows for a more seamless and appealing presentation of your home’s selling points. For example, a home with a secure foundation is more likely to feature open floor plans, large windows or expansive outdoor spaces without the distraction of structural issues. 
  6. Navigating the Appraisal Process. During the home appraisal process, appraisers consider various factors, including the condition of the home’s foundation. Foundation issues can lower the home’s appraised value, affecting the amount that potential buyers can secure through financing. 
  7. Building Trust with Buyers. Buyers will feel confident in their decision when purchasing a home with a solid foundation. Documentation of recent home foundation repairs and warranties can reassure buyers that the issues have been addressed by professionals. This transparency builds trust and may make buyers more willing to pay a premium for a home with a reliable foundation.
  8. Adding Value to Your Neighborhood. The condition of your home’s foundation contributes to the overall value of your neighborhood. Homes with well-maintained foundations create a positive perception of the community, attracting buyers who are willing to invest in a neighborhood known for its well-kept properties.
  9. Choosing the Right Foundation Repair Solutions. When considering home foundation repair, work with experienced professionals to assess the specific issues affecting your home and recommend appropriate solutions. You may need underpinning, drainage improvements or crack repairs. The correct repairs can address current issues. It may also prevent future problems, adding long-term value to your investment.

Investing in home foundation repair is a strategic decision that can enhance its resale value. You can make your home more attractive to potential buyers and contribute to the overall value and desirability of your neighborhood. Don’t wait until foundation problems become a major concern; take proactive steps to secure your home’s foundation and maximize its resale potential.

M Taylor Enterprise can inspect your home foundation to see if you have any home structural issues. Call our home foundation and structural repair experts in Maryland at (301) 649-3406 or email matt@mtaylorenterprise.com. We will do a free consultation, make recommendations, and then do any needed repairs quickly and efficiently. 

We serve Montgomery County, MD, parts of Prince George’s, MD, and Howard County, MD.

 

home drainage system

Protect Your Home Foundation With French Drains

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Rains, snow, and ice in Central Maryland can cause flooding and water damage. ***

As we have discussed in my previous blogs, you must make sure that water is directed away from the home foundation. If water is allowed to pool around the home foundation or leaks into the basement, it can cause significant damage to the foundation, walls, and interior. It can be costly to repair. 

French Drains, which can be built around the perimeter of the home, direct water away from the home foundation. French drains, using gravity and sump pumps, remove the water and keep it away from the foundation so that it doesn’t erode the home foundation. 

Drains move water away from one area to another. A French drain is a ditch lined with gravel and a perforated pipe. It makes it easy for water to flow through the gravel and into a drainage pipe. The perforated pipe is set at a downward-sloping angle allowing gravity to work. It can also be used to prevent basement flooding and protect the home foundation from water damage. A weeping tile French drain protects the home structure against hydrostatic pressure. These weeping tile French drains are placed around the home perimeter to draw water away from the foundation.

There are three main reasons that you may want to install a French drain in your home:

  1. It redirects moisture. As mentioned earlier, the French drain uses gravity to redirect the water away from the home foundation. Water has to be removed so that it and moisture won’t weaken the concrete foundation. That water will freeze and thaw during the winter. The French drain resolves this as it can direct the moisture to another part of the yard, including the garden or yard, making it an environmentally smart method of improving the yard’s appearance. 
  2. Keeps the soil together. It prevents or mitigates soil erosion. After heavy rains, soil can erode quickly. An inefficient drainage system will not deal with erosion problems in your yard. Decay means plants will have fewer nutrients and moisture. Erosion also ruins the landscape look. French drains prevent soil erosion. It prevents water saturation and keeps a balanced moisture level in garden soil. 
  3. Barely see them. Since a French drain is underground, it can barely be seen. Pipes and gravel can be covered by grass, pavers, and pebbles. 
  4. Cost-effective. French drains can be quite affordable depending on the length of pipe needed and other installation factors. 

If you are concerned about the coming snow and ice that we see in Central Maryland, you may want to consider having French drains installed around your home. These drains will go a long way toward preserving your home foundation. 

If you want a French Drain installed, contact M. Taylor Enterprise for an inspection. We will analyze it and make recommendations. Our experienced basement waterproofing team can install it. Contact us at (301) 649-3406 for a consultation.

We serve the Montgomery County, Maryland area.

*** For more on Central Maryland weather, visit the Maryland Weather website. 

 

Foundation Repair

What Makes Helical Piers the Best Solution for Your Home Foundation?

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We hear from a lot of home foundation repair customers who have experienced ice, snow, and now, heat, in Central Maryland. Their foundations have settled and this weather has done damage to it. 

Taking care of your home’s structural integrity is important. It is your largest property investment. 

Helical Piers, also known as screw piles or anchors, are vertical metal rods inserted in the ground then attached to your house’s slab. They add strength and stability to your home foundation.

There are several benefits to having helical piers installed in your home:

  1. Easy to install: Using a hydraulic torque, helical piers are easily installed in just a few hours. 
  2. Versatile: Helical piers are installed vertically but can be installed horizontally, too. They are convenient as they can be installed in spaces that are limited. 
  3. Immediate results: Once helical piers have been installed, they can begin bearing weight. If you have a home under construction, you can begin framing right away. 
  4. New or existing homes can use them: As mentioned above if you have a home under construction you can install helical piers as you are building. Or, if you have an older home it can be installed. The age or type of home doesn’t matter!
  5.  Save money: Concrete installation is quite expensive. A contractor has to mix the concrete, dig out the ground, lay the concrete, and then clean up the debris. However, when a home foundation contractor installs a helical pier, it takes only a few hours, and it’s set up and bearing the weight!
  6. Environmentally-friendly: The advantages even stretch to being environmentally friendly! There is no soil removal or extensive landscaping. It is quiet and there are very few vibrations. Helical piers can even be recycled. 

Keep your house and investment safe! So, whether you are buying a home or improving the one you own now, helical piers are the smart, economical, and efficient way to improve your home’s foundation.  

M Taylor Enterprise installs both helical piers and helical tiebacks.  Call our experienced engineers for a consultation. We will analyze your home foundation issue and efficiently repair it. Call (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com. We serve the Prince George’s, Howard, and Montgomery County, MD area.

 

Foundation Repair

Home Foundation Repair: Types of Foundation Cracks

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Not all cracks in your foundation are alike.

In fact, the break in the fabric of your home foundation may indicate the type and severity of the problem. It deserves investigation.

Here are the types of cracks in the home foundation: 

  1. Stair foundation cracks: If you have a brick foundation, you may see a diagonal crack (45-degree angle) that resembles stairs. This occurs when the brick is pulled apart by the foundation. If you have a brick façade, you may see the same type of split as the façade is attached to the splitting foundation.
  2. Vertical foundation cracks: These are the ones we see most often in the DMV area. It is a crack that is gradually widening. It may even resemble a spider web with many little vertical cracks. This is a sign that your home foundation is slowly crumbling. This may mean that the soil under your home is shifting. It may also indicate that the section of the home is being pushed up and away from the foundation. This movement creates a breach and can be quite serious. 
  3. Horizontal foundation cracks: When the soil shifts under the home foundation, a horizontal crack may appear. It may also be that there are several different types of soil under the home. Once one part of the soil shifts, it then causes the shifting movement in the other soils. This stress reverberates through the foundation shearing the foundation horizontally. One horizontal crack may mean that the soil is tearing the bottom part of the foundation from the upper part of the foundation. If there are several horizontal foundation cracks, this may indicate that soil is pushing in following the expansion. 

If you have seen any of these cracks on your home foundation, they cannot be ignored. As we have discussed in past blogs, you will see all the telltale signs, and the longer you wait, the more expensive and extensive the repairs will be to your home foundation.  

M Taylor Enterprise home foundation repair contractors can do a consultation in Prince George and Silver Spring, MD area. If you have seen any of these cracks in your home foundation, call our home foundation and structural repair experts in Maryland at (301) 649-3406 or matt@mtaylorenterprise.com. We will do a free consultation, make recommendations then do any needed repairs done quickly and efficiently. 

Foundation Repair

How to Choose a Home Foundation Repair Contractor

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The health of your home foundation is crucial. We have covered it a number of times in our blogs. If your foundation fails, the rest of your home will fail, too.

So, your decision on which home foundation repair contractor you choose may mean the difference between quality repairs or more deterioration. As we have said in a previous blog, licensing, insurance and references are all crucial factors. 

home foundation repair M Taylor Enterprise

However, there are some other factors for you to choose a foundation repair contractor: 

    1. Research the company: Read through all you can from their website. Find out what products they use. If you need Helical Piers, what types of materials do they use for them? Carbon fiber strips? See if they give details on their products. If they are short on detail (as materials and products are being updated regularly) then email them and ask if they can give you details on them.     
    2. For an unbiased opinion of your foundation, hire a preferred foundation specialized contractor or structural engineer for the assessment. The engineer should not try to sell you anything you don’t need. Their job is to recommend what you need for stability and safety. They understand structural issues as well as anyone. Once you have had this unbiased assessment from a licensed engineer, you may retain them for oversight, too. 
    3. Training: Once you have requested an assessment, confirm that the company doing the analysis has structural training. They should have varied training and instruction as most foundations have issues which require more than just one solution.  
    4. Product quality: You may shop at the Dollar Store for bargains. But, you don’t want the cheapest, off-brand materials for your home foundation and waterproofing needs. You want to avoid having to go through this whole process again. You may also encounter companies which have not guaranteed their work. Make sure you get a warranty and that the foundation repair contractor has a local office.
    5. Customer Service: Treatment of customers is so important. If the home foundation repair company has your best interests in mind by taking care of and answering all of your questions. M Taylor enterprise excels in taking care of our clients from the beginning of the foundation repair project to the end. So, whether it’s the first phone call to the final signature of the documents, you need to be treated well and thoughtfully. Also, if you contacted them through their website, were they prompt in returning your inquiry? 

Your home has only one foundation. When the time comes to repair it, don’t rush it. Research it. Then hire them. 

M Taylor Enterprise, Montgomery County, Maryland, has licensed and experienced professional structural engineers and foundation repair specialists who can do a thorough review of your structure and make recommendations. Call us for a consultation at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com.

 

 

Foundation Repair

Helical Pier Technology & How Helical Tiebacks Work

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Helical piers are so important we are revisiting this blog topic with some new information.

When your suosituimmat steroidimuudit home settles, there is an engineered repair method for home foundation support. Most home foundations will settle after several years or decades depending on the weather, soil or quality of workmanship.

helical piers used in construction

The helical pier technology underpins a settling structure by raising it and supporting it. If the house is heavy, piers will be closely spaced. Load-bearing walls are heavier to underpin, too.

Also, the placement of the helical piers depends on the weight of the home, home foundation condition and the type of pier. Your home foundation repair contractor will consult you on the proper helical pier to use.

One method of helical piers technology is known as “helical tie backs”. Tiebacks anchor or support basement walls that are bowing, leaning or unsound.

Helical tiebacks are installed like this:

  1. A hole is drilled into the basement wall and a helical shaft is inserted.
  2. Then a helical screw anchor is installed.
  3. After finding the correct bearing depth, the wall plate is installed.
  4. The plate is tightened against the helical anchor bringing the wall back to its original location.
  5. The soil is then backfilled to the basement wall.

Helical tiebacks are an effective method of supporting damaged walls. They do not support a home foundation that is settling. You will need to work with a home foundation engineer to correct that. (We covered that topic in this blog.)

However, helical tiebacks are usually installed quickly and efficiently. They are load tested to verify the capacity and they can be loaded immediately after being installed. If your soil is sinking or unstable, helical tiebacks can also be installed.

Helical pier technology has many advantages and methods, more of which we will cover in future blogs. Consult your licensed home foundation engineer for the best method for your home foundation.

M Taylor Enterprise installs both helical piers and helical tiebacks. Call our experienced engineers for a consultation. We will analyze your home foundation issue and efficiently repair it. Call us for a consultation at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com. We serve the Montgomery County, MD area.