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Foundation Repair

Keep Your Gutters Cleared or Home Foundation Damage May Appear

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In the midst of this Coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis, a lot of things may be pushed aside. That is understandable. This experience is all new to us.

But, since we have a lot of time at home right now, there are some things you can do to keep your home foundation in good shape. One task that you can do is clean the gutters. 

As we have discussed in past blogs, a cluttered or impacted gutter can cause the following problems for your home foundation:

  1. Water damage from gutter overflow: When gutters are filled with leaves, soil, and other debris, they will overflow. Gutters are designed to send rainwater away from the foundation. However, when they are cluttered, the water will instead fall on the home and foundation, thus causing cracks in it.
  2. Water in the foundation cracks: Once water infiltrates the home foundation cracks, it will freeze in the winter. When it freezes it expands the cracks which allow for even more water to enter. 
  3. Standing water attracts mosquitos: When gutters spill onto the ground they can create little ponds. These ponds then attract bugs, mainly mosquitos, which can nest and reproduce in the water. They then will infiltrate your home.
  4. Soil erosion: The constant running of water on the side of a home foundation will erode the soil and cause the home to shift. This will crack the foundation and cause all sorts of interior damage to the home.
  5. Home siding damage: Water will also stain siding, painting, and rotting. 

So, as you can see, your gutters do a crucial job of keeping your foundation clean and preserved. They must be cleaned regularly or much home foundation damage will result.

Here is are some tips on how to clean your gutters:

  1. Use a small garden trowel or your gloved hands to scoop out the leaves and debris. Start at the downspout and make your way backward. 
  2. Once you have done this first part, make your way down the gutter, carefully cleaning out each section. You can throw the debris into a bag or toss it to the ground and clean it up afterward.
  3. Using a hose, flush out the deeper and smaller debris. If there is only a trickle in your downspout, you may have a serious clog. Aim the gun nozzle down the spout and use the highest pressure to force the debris off the gutter walls and down the downspout. 
  4. Clean up all of the debris that was flushed out of the gutters.
  5. And, as always, be careful on the ladder. Have someone hold the ladder sides while you do the gutter cleaning. 

If this task seems dangerous to you or you are unable to do it, have a gutter cleaning company do it for you. It is recommended that you do it at least twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall after most of the leaves have fallen.

Should you notice any home foundation issues, call a professional, licensed home foundation repair contractor. M Taylor Enterprise is an experienced and licensed home repair foundation contractor. We can inspect, analyze, and repair your home foundation correctly and efficiently.   We serve the counties of Prince George and Silver Spring, MD area. Call us for a consultation at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com.    

Foundation Repair

Concrete Repair: Slab-Jacking a Home Foundation

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Home foundations take a beating. 

Heat, cold, rain, snow, sun, animals, humans and time all contribute to it cracking, leaking and breaking. All of these elements contribute to their deterioration. 

Once a homeowner has seen cracks in the foundation, water stains on walls or windows and doors that won’t close, they need to contact a home foundation repair contractor. The home foundation repair contractor will then do an analysis of the foundation and make a recommendation. (See our blog on this topic.)  

They may recommend “slab-jacking” to repair the home foundation. It is a rather complicated method of repair which goes like this: The concrete slab of the home is lifted to one side and releveled. 

Actually, this does not only apply to home foundations. It also can be done for concrete slab patios or driveways which are sunken or tilted.

Slab-jacking is installed using several different methods: 

  1. A group of holes, about a ½” long each, are drilled into the concrete slab. 
  2. Then, sand, ash, water, and gravel are funneled into the holes. 
  3. The slab begins to rise. 
  4. Then the holes are plugged. 

If the home is built over a crawlspace or basement, they will do the following:

  1. A cement mixture is injected into the holes, raising the foundation.
  2. Slab jacks are installed.

Slab-jacking is done for portions of a home, not for the entire home. So, the home foundation should not be completely bad, only a portion of it. The same goes for the patio, sidewalk, driveway or garage floor.

Many home foundation repair contractors are also using Uretek. It is a polymer resin that does not require lifting the slab. Instead, the polyurethane in the Uretek compound lifts the foundation on its own. While it is convenient and quicker, it is also more expensive than the other methods. 

The equipment used for slab-jacking are the following:

  1. Grout Mixers: While these are high-maintenance and time-consuming, grout mixers provide maximum air circulation.  The grout has to have a consistency which permits a consistent flow of substances under the slab to help spread the grout and even lift it.
  2. Grout Pumps: These are air-operated, double-diaphragm pumps; or hydraulically operated progressive cavity pumps. They have an output of up to 110 cubic feet per hour and a 180 cubic feet per hour output from dual-cylinder models. 
  3. Rock drill/Coring machine: The rock drill prevents excessive dust and breakout at the bottom of the slab. It has four points on the drill bit. It is gas-powered using a 2” diameter bit. It can go at a speed of 60 GPM.

The materials typically used, as mentioned above are:

  1. Sand: 5mm and silt-free
  2. Cement: between 5%-20% of dry-weight materials.
  3. Bentonite: for lubrication and not exceed 12% so strength is compromised
  4. Cement Fondue: rapid set (if required) 
  5. Expanders: compensate for shrinkage

Slab-jacking is not that simple but it is an effective and quick method of repairing a home foundation. Have your licensed home foundation repair contractor to inspect and analyze your foundation to see if this is the best way to repair it.

M Taylor Enterprise is an experienced and licensed home repair foundation contractor. We can inspect, analyze and repair your home foundation correctly and efficiently.   We serve the counties of Prince George and Silver Spring, MD area. Call us for a consultation at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com.    

 

Foundation Repair

Foundation Repair: Should You Repair or Replace?

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There are many questions we face in life. Who should we marry? What should be my occupation? Where do we live? 

Another question, though maybe not in the major questions people ask, one that is quite important if you’re a homeowner: Should I repair our home foundation or repair it?

Your home is where you spend around 75% of your time. It needs to be a safe place for you and your family. If your home foundation is cracked or has other major issues, it may cause serious health problems and damage your personal property.*** 

So, before you have the home foundation repaired or replaced, which is much more costly, do the research first. Find out the following:

    1. Is it the soil?: If the soil is sinking and causing it to settle, then replacing the home foundation with a new one will not change anything. The new home foundation will sink, too. If the dirt is softening, compacting, swelling, drying or shrinking, this will greatly affect the foundation’s condition. Soil issues must be corrected on their own. A replacement home foundation is a waste of money and time. Nothing will change. The home foundation contractor will have to test the soil and add push piers that are set deep below the foundation to the bedrock. This will end the settling and permanently support the home foundation. Helical piers can also be added to the walls so the expansion and cracking will end. 
    2. Is it damaged beyond repair? If the home foundation damage is serious and widespread, replacement may be necessary. The foundation may have been built with inferior materials and poor workmanship. The foundation may then be compromised so much that it is beyond repairs. It is a pretty simple process as the house is raised, the old foundation is demolished and removed. Then the new foundation is then laid under it. However, there is much involved in planning the installation of a new foundation. The soil needs to be tested, zoning permits need to be acquired and any neighborhood requirements must be adhered to, also. A project like this requires large, heavy equipment and plenty of room for disposal receptacles. 

Replacing a home foundation is a serious and expensive move. Before you do that, have a structural engineer or home inspector do a thorough and unbiased inspection of it. Once you have done that, then ask for bids or referrals of licensed and experienced home foundation repair contractors in your area.

If you notice signs of your home foundation cracking, settling or sinking, call our home foundation repair experts at M Taylor Enterprise who can do a thorough analysis of your home foundation and make recommendations. We serve the counties of Prince George and Silver Spring, MD area. Call us for a consultation at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com.  

***For more information on health issues due to home foundation problems, visit furosemide (lasix) this website.

Foundation Repair

Do You Need Home Foundation Repair? Three Telltale Signs It’s Sinking

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If you ever get that “sinking feeling” when you are in your home, you’ve got big problems. And, if those problems aren’t resolved, your home is going down.

Your home is set on a fixed foundation. It is not supposed to settle or sink. When it does, as we have discussed in this blog, “Don’t Settle for Less: Repairing a Home Foundation that has Settled”, you will know it. 

Sinking occurs when the ground cannot handle the weight of the home anymore and it begins to sink. Here are several common causes of a home foundation sinking:

  1. Plumbing is leaking: Your commodes, sinks, fixtures, or pipes may be leaking into the foundation. This causes the soil to erode.
  2. Tree roots: Tree roots “dessicate” or dry up the soil by drinking up the moisture in the soil. Once that occurs, the home foundation begins to slide.
  3. Drainage: If water is not draining correctly away from the foundation, it erodes the soil.
  4. Bad soil: Soil expands and contracts around the foundation. This may be due to the soil not being prepared properly when the foundation was built.
  5. Poor foundation construction: The home foundation contractors used poor or inferior materials to build it.   
  6. Evaporation: The soil is parched due to heat and wind.

Any of these factors can be the cause(s) of the sinking of your home foundation. Once it occurs you will then see these signs: 

  1. Musty smells in the basement: If it smells like mildew then the basement walls are probably leaking. Most likely the gutters are blocked causing moisture to seep into the basement. If the gutters are clean and it still smells musty, then it may be a leak in the plumbing.
  2. Mold in the corners of windows and wall: Mold is always a bad sign. This means that moisture is accumulating in the home. Mold is also dangerous to your health***. It cannot be taken lightly. There may be cracks in the foundation that are letting in water.
  3. Chimney has moved: If there ever was a sign of the foundation sinking it comes from the most obvious part of your home: the chimney. If it has moved, even just a little bit, the home foundation is definitely sinking. This is not only damage to your home but it could spell danger for anyone living in the home.  

One day, and we are not exaggerating, you could be sitting in your home and it completely slides off its foundation or suddenly sinks deeper into the ground. Home foundations that are neglected also become quite expensive to repair over time. 

The best action plan to take is to call a licensed and experienced home foundation contractor to analyze your foundation. They can repair it in a short period of time protecting your home and your most precious investment: your family. 

If you see any signs of your home foundation sinking, call our home foundation repair experts at M Taylor Enterprise who can do a thorough review of your structure and make recommendations. We serve the counties of Prince George and Silver Spring, MD area. Call us for a consultation at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com. 

***For more information on mold health issues visit MedicalNewsToday.