More Guidelines on Slab Underpinning

If the foundation is faulty, one needs to take faulty foundation repair service and find a slab underpinning service provider. It may happen that after a few years you want to add more floors to the existing foundation and it will create some pressure on the foundation. In that case, you require slab underpinning. When there is soil movement at the underneath level, the entire foundation reacts to it. But, a single unit design through slab-on-grade makes the impact of soil movement quite uniform. Therefore, the impact of soil movement to materials, brittle bricks or housing units is minimized. In this way, the foundation, the house and the slab stays protected from any cosmetic damage during the earth movement.

Why you need Slab Underpinning Service?

Underpinning means building steel footing or additional concrete to stabilize and strengthen the existing dwelling. If a structural engineer has recommended slab underpinning service, it means that the home is suffering from subsistence and has to be supported on its deeper footings. If the footing of the house has subsided and dropped for some reason, underpinning service is needed to protect from further damage. But, certain kinds of footing movements are really irreversible. It is better to take timely action and approach the slab underpinning service provider.

What is the Reason Behind the Footing Movement?

Reverse footing movement is usually caused by any change in the moisture content of the soil and especially in the clayey soils. However, underpinning is not recommended for slab heaving problem. So, when the professional does underpinning work, he digs the new bored pier footing beside the home. This footing has to reach the deeper level of the soil and that can support the building weight. After this, the deep footing is further joined to the building. For this, a professional has to dig under the footing which already exists and thereby create a stronger prop to support the building and the existing footing.

Alisdair Mclean / Concrete underpinning, Leith Street building site

You need to look for experienced underpinning contractor who can do the task efficiently. When it comes to the number of underpinning required, it depends on the number suggested by an engineer. If a home needs 10 underpins, then the entire task may be completed in a fortnight. It is better to hire a engineer to examine the foundation of your building and then hire slab underpinning services according to your needs.

How to Start with the Underpinning Work?

You need to look for a professional slab underpinning service provider and find a reliable and experienced contractor for this. The contractor will carry out a site inspection before starting with the job. A structural engineer prepares a report in the process. First, he identifies the footing movement which reversed with the change in the moisture condition. Look for highly experienced structural engineers who can diagnose the problems of your slabs and slab heave work has to be carried out by experienced professionals only. He may also suggest an independent soil test prior to designing the underpinning solution.

An experienced underpinning contractor can exactly specify diameter, the depth and the spacing of underpins on the basis of the kind of construction to be carried out, the strength, the kind of soil and the footing movement. In the process, you also need a contractor who can help you to get the building approval for the installation of underpins.

Slab underpinning is the part of foundation repair. Any damage to the foundation must be repaired at the earliest. Slab pier is also a way to lift home foundation and the garage slabs. It is design of the slab which makes the foundation to respond to the soil movement. Slab underpinning service provider can protect the foundation of your home from any damage.