What Is Foundation Leveling
the process of getting a foundation back to its original position and this can be achieved by repairing the foundation. A number of factors such as bad soil types, drainage problems and the types of materials used to build the foundation will play a role in damaging your foundation. Common signs of a foundation that is in need of foundation leveling that homeowners need to be on the lookout for include unaligned doors and windows, cracks on foundation and walls. The three most common types of methods used to level the foundation include caissons, underpinning pads & grade beams, which will be determined by the type of foundation.
Caissons
Caissons are used when the soil under the house is very unstable or when the area is swampy. Caissons which are sometimes referred to as pier foundations are usually cylindrical in shape and are sunk deep into the more stable soil or bedrock in order to steadily balance the property. The caissons in the hole are then filled with concrete and allowed to dry.
Related: House Leveling & Construction
Grade Beams
Grade beams consist of a reinforced concrete beam that transmits the load from a bearing wall into spaced foundations such as pile caps or caissons. A grade beam is a column that is added in between two piers in order to distribute the weight of the house evenly on all the piers of the house, hence prevent the unleveling of the house.
Underpinning Pads
Underpinning pads are pads that are made of concrete and are used to support sections of your foundation footing that have become weak. Underpinning pads are a preferred method of foundation leveling because they allow for a chance to only repair specific sections of your foundation that are weak instead of replacing the whole foundation.
