HD's Solid Foundations Blog

Three Tips For Avoiding Foundation Drainage Problems

June 16, 2020

There are many ways of avoiding foundation drainage problems in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Plano and the DFW metroplex. Here HD Foundations offers three tips for preventing issues relating to water drainage and your foundation. Whether you have a slab foundation or pier and beam structure, take preventive measures. By doing so you can avoid foundation repair and resolve all kinds of drainage trouble. And remember: Drainage estimates are free.

It’s imperative to prevent moisture from accumulating under or around your foundation. Water that is pooling in the crawl space of a pier and beam foundation can cause the beams to rot. Mold is another concern. Rainwater or other forms of moisture seeping beneath your slab foundation can cause it to move and heave. Moisture commonly causes foundation cracks in concrete slab foundations. It also destroys pier and beam structures. Find out more about foundation drainage.

It’s imperative that water drains away from your foundation. If you’re concerned about water drainages, have a system installed around your foundation in order to prevent trouble. Follow these tips for protecting your slab or pier and beam foundation. … Read More »

Why Avoid Home Remodel Prior To Foundation Repair

May 24, 2020

You should avoid home remodels prior to foundation repair in Dallas and Fort Worth because lifting your house may cause some damage. In fact, you should not remodel any rooms in your house before you have foundation repair or have it evaluated by a foundation repair contractor. If it is determined that you do have damage, it is imperative that you have your foundation lifted or repaired before you begin the home remodeling process.

Home Remodel Foundation Repair | Why You Should Do Foundation Repair First

Fixing your foundation could harm your property by cracking your new countertops, floors, sheetrock and more. It could crack surfaces all throughout your newly remodeled Dallas or Fort Worth area house. To spend the money to remodel your home, bathroom or kitchen, and then have home foundation repair could prove to be very expensive. Any experienced remodeling contractor will advise you to have your foundation thoroughly inspected, and if necessary repaired, before investing money in remodeling.

Why Wait To Fix The Roof Before Having Foundation Repair?

The best reason to delay fixing it is that it could suffer damage during the repair process. If you repair your roof first, your new roof may develop waves or wrinkles when work is performed. And if your house features roof tiles, they could crack. You’ll want to delay roof repair until your foundation issues are resolved.

It’s important to remember that you should have your foundation repaired before you have plumbing work done on your home, too. When your house is lifted during the foundation repair process, your property could have plumbing damage. This includes broken pipes that could cause domestic or sewer line plumbing leaks.

So remember: DO NOT remodel your home, bathroom or kitchen before having foundation repair. Doing so could cost you time, trouble and a great deal of money. For expert foundation repair, schedule a free foundation repair estimate online today, or just contact the foundation repair contractor with solid experience. Call HD Foundations.

Updated 3/6/2023

Foundation Repair Costs

May 18, 2020

To calculate what foundation repair costs, contractors must assess damage and evaluate your foundation. There are many factors involved. That’s because the cost of repairing a house foundation is based on many things. It’s important to review information on this topic.

Estimating What Foundation Repair Costs:

In cities such as Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, the costs for fixing foundations can only be determined by a qualified foundation repair contractor. Due to a number of variables, fees for repairing a foundation can be as low as $1,500 or over $15,000. Experts must evaluate foundation damage. The amount of destruction that has taken place can certainly cause prices to escalate. To calculate what foundation repairs costs in North Texas, your a contractor must evaluate damage on your Irving, Grand Prairie or Arlington house foundation. Fees for fixing your cracked foundation may well exceed $5,000, although if shims are the only thing needed under your foundation, costs may be less than $1,800. Final charges cannot be determined until a contractor fully evaluates your property and evaluates the damage. You’ll also need to determine what pier and beam foundation repair costs. Prices in the Arlington, Grand Prairie and Irving areas average about $3,500-8,000, although they can exceed $10,000 in North Texas. House leveling costs in cities all through the area, including Tarrant and Collin County, are based on different things. Pier and beam foundations usually cost more to repair than foundations that are newer, but that is not always the case.

Texas homes built on expansive soils are particularly susceptible to expensive foundation problems. Contractors must review these structures for damage. That’s because the ground continually swells and contracts, thus causing the foundation to shift and ultimately crack and experience foundation damage. If your home is built on fill soils that were not properly compacted, that could affect the amount of deterioration and the estimated price for repairing your foundation. Another factor to consider when calculating costs is the time required to install concrete or steel foundation piers. While steel piers are excellent, they are considerably more pricey than concrete piers and the charges to install them are higher. Get foundation piers that are cost-effective. Most homeowners install concrete piers.

If, over the years, any existing foundation piers that the company installed should require adjustment, your foundation repair warranty should cover that. Homes in Arlington, Grand Prairie and Irving are all covered. Probably the single most important consideration when calculating the cost of foundation repair cost is the extent of the foundation damage. An experienced contractor will be able to do that relatively quickly. Homes that have not been properly maintained and have extensive foundation problems will require considerably more piers to install. The number of piers, as well as the type of pilings used for repairs will greatly affect the final cost of foundation service and must be estimated in advance.

About Foundation Repair Costs, Pier And Beams:

Prices for restoring foundations in the Arlington, Grand Prairie and Irving, Texas area can be determined once a contractor calculates the cost of labor, in addition to the price of foundation piers. Contractors determine that by figuring out how long it will take to install the piers. If the foundation damage is not very extensive, or piers simply need to be adjusted, foundation repairs can be made for as little as $1,800. Of course, homes that are suffering major foundation failure may cost upwards of $10,000 to repair. The best way to minimize the cost of foundation repair is to simply maintain your property. This includes implementing a moisture control program around your home foundation in the dry, hot summer months. For a free foundation repair estimate that is calculated correctly, just contact the contractors at HD Foundations.

Updated 5/18/2020

Foundation Crack Issues

May 14, 2020

If you have foundation crack issues, that’s a good indications that your homes need slab foundation repair. Fractures are a problem for many property owners in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. It’s important to stop the causes of cracks and other troublesome foundation issues right away.

Soil movement and moisture can contribute to foundation fractures. When attempting to determine what is creating these gaps, consult a contractor like HD Foundations. We can prevent further foundation damage. To minimize problems, end slab foundation repair issues and cracks as soon you notice them.

About Foundation Cracks Issues:

These types of foundation problems generally occur in concrete slabs. That’s because slab foundations rest directly on the ground and are manufactured from concrete. Over a period of time, concrete will splinter for all types of reasons. Fact is, concrete slab foundation issues are exceedingly common in this region. It’s important to have them fixed in order to avoid lots trouble in the future. Of course, it’s a good idea to be proactive because it will also save you dollars in the end.

If you want to know more about these cracks, study foundation issues in North Texas. One way to end these problems is by keeping the area around your foundation at the relatively same moisture level at all times. This involves using a sprinkler system to water your foundation. This will minimize cracking. You can avoid costly trouble and the need to have your foundation fixed by doing that, or else by utilizing a soaker hose around your foundation. It’s important to take these steps because when soil cracks and shrinks, it causes foundation movement. Be proactive and you can prevent the need to have concrete slab foundation repair on cracks and lots of other issues.

About Slab Foundation Repair:

Cracks are the primary reason property owners need to fix their concrete slab foundations. There are several different methods of performing slab repairs, but the most common ones involve installing concrete piers or steel piers. A foundation repair contractor like HD Foundations can tell you all about it because we have extensive experience fixing these foundations on houses and other properties.

About The Causes Of Foundation Cracks And How Slab Foundation Repair Stops Issues:

One of the many causes of crevices in foundations is the constant shrinking and swelling of soil around the foundation. Hot summer weather and an abundance of water can create all kinds of issues, including foundation cracks. Large crevices can cause foundation settling and create the need for costly repair work on your slab. It pays to terminate whatever is causing fractures. So contact HD Foundations. If your foundation is not level and you notice damaging issues, schedule a free slab foundation repair estimate online today. We service Dallas, Fort Worth and the entire metroplex.

Updated 5/14/2020

What Causes Floor Cracks?

May 11, 2020

Updated 5/11/2020

There are a variety of things that can cause floor cracks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The first and most common reason is a change in the moisture content around your home. This could be due to a lack of moisture, as is often the case during long, hot Texas summers, when the ground around your home or property becomes very dry and shrinks. When the ground shrinks, your foundation shifts.

Are Floor Cracks A Sign That I Need Foundation Repair On My Dallas-Fort Worth House?

It’s important to note that too much moisture around your foundation can be equally troublesome. Excessive rainfall and an inadequate foundation drainage system can result in excessive moisture accumulating around your foundation and this can cause your foundation to swell. In addition, plumbing leaks under a slab foundation or pier and beam home can cause the foundation to expand and that, too, can cause floor cracks in your Dallas, Fort Worth or Plano area home. The constant expansion and contraction of the soil due to too much or too little moisture can cause the perimeter beam of your home to bend, sometimes called “panning.” Over time, this will result in floor cracks as well as cracks in brick, sheetrock and more.

How To Prevent Floor Cracks:

To stop floor cracks and the need for foundation repair, it is important to maintain a constant moisture level around your home. In the summer, protect your foundation by using a soaker hose or sprinkler system on a regular basis to prevent the soil around your home from drying out. And also make certain that you have a solid foundation drainage system that will prevent moisture from becoming trapped around your home’s foundation. Should you require foundation drainage correction, HD Foundations can perform that service on your Dallas – Fort Worth area home.

Invasive tree roots can also be a problem and lead to cracked floors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. When they creep up under your foundation, they can cause it to shift. Tree roots are very strong and can actually crack your foundation. For this reason, you should make sure that large trees and shrubs are not planted too close to your property.

Faulty construction or poor slab design is another cause of foundation problems that can lead to floor cracks. If your foundation was constructed with an insufficient amount of reinforced steel (or worse yet, constructed with none), your foundation will not be strong. Inadequate slab thickness could also be the source of trouble.

Less common reasons include the use of sub-standard concrete ready mix. This is the mix that is poured from a concrete truck. If the concrete was not mixed properly (too much sand, too much aggregate, or too much water), it will affect the quality of your foundation. Another possibility is that the concrete mix for your slab foundation was poured under poor weather conditions. If the mix was poured on an exceedingly hot day, that can lead to trouble. Concrete slabs suffer excessive hydration at a very high rate because the water in the slab mix evaporates very rapidly when it’s extremely hot outside. When this situation arises, the strength of the slab decreases. This situation almost always leads to hairline cracks, which are the very beginning of stress fractures in foundations. These stress fractures can eventually lead to foundation failure.

If you see floor cracks in your Dallas-Fort Worth area home, it’s best to have the situation checked out right away before the problem gets any worse. HD Foundations will be happy to stop by and evaluate your property free of charge. So for affordable foundation repair and solid solutions, call an expert foundation repair contractor.