Our Systems
Floor elevations are measured with a Technidea ZipLevel instrument. Measurements are accurate to within .1 inch. This instrument is the standard for elevation surveying.
The inspection of the foundation in the crawlspace might be performed by a remote control four wheel drive vehicle suited to traverse difficult terrain and surmount most obstacles. The vehicle transports the inspection module, consisting of lights, a real time video/infrared camera, and a high definition video recording camera. The vehicle is the first of its kind for commercial use, was developed by EFS, and provides both of us the information needed to make a proper evaluation of the conditions in the crawlspace. We call this vehicle the Crawler. The system provides a high definition video record of the crawlspace conditions, from which still photos can be extracted.
Our pier support system, placed under the piers in need of repair to reinforce and stabilize, has many beneficial features. The connection between the deep support soils and the base of the pier is made by structural steel with a hot dip galvanized coating, and the upper section set in concrete. This system should resist corrosion for the life of the house. The concrete adds stability and support to the steel assembly and the pier. The concrete also provides a footing for the jacks used to level the house; avoiding upsetting of crawlspace soils and even the piers themselves, and providing a proof test of the bearing capacity of the support system.
The installed systems do not congest the crawlspace as other repair methods do.
Two assemblies are placed beneath each pier; providing six areas of deep soil support underneath the pier; this allows the pier to support two to three times the weight without moving. Sometimes our anchors encounter obstructions before reaching full depth; in those cases alternative support methods are employed.
The rendered graphic at right shows the concepts of the system.
Floor leveling is accomplished by conventional jacking, but the method for checking
for floor levelness is a self-
The water barrier, used to keep surface water from flooding the crawlspace, consists of a colored composition plank or treated deck board set into the soil between the piers at the exterior of the house. The planks are held in place with stakes, and the joint between the plank and the pier is sealed with polyurethane sealant. This barrier is considered essential to the performance of the foundation, due to most crawlspace elevations being below yard elevations, and because water in the crawlspace is the most serious threat to pier support capacity.
To provide for more support and stability, the bottom of the hole at the top of the assembly is worked with an impact tool to bell the bottom and compact the soils, before the concrete is placed in the hole.
In areas of the foundation where we will be lifting or in areas which have endured past problems, we install brackets at the beam joints. Most of the time, we find beams are connected with nails. Installation of brackets ensures the beams will not move from each other when the foundation moves. It also minimizes damages to the finishes during our leveling operation.
