The Atlanta Guide to Foundation Repair
Your foundation is arguably the most crucial part of your home’s structure, providing stability and ensuring the safety of your loved ones and possessions. Located beneath your home, this essential component often goes unnoticed, but it requires regular attention and maintenance, particularly if it settles unevenly. Neglecting your foundation can lead to severe issues that compromise the integrity of your entire home.
Foundation repairs are essential for maintaining the structural integrity of your property. For homeowners in the greater metro area, Atlanta foundation repair services are the best way to address any concerns promptly and effectively. Understanding the importance of foundation repair can help you protect your most valuable assets and ensure your home remains safe and secure.
Here’s everything you need to know about foundation repair so you can keep your most important assets protected.
What Exactly is a Foundation?
A foundation is the lowest structure of a building that serves two main functions:
- It distributes the weight of a building to the ground below.
- It protects the structure from moisture and groundwater.
Most homes in and around Atlanta have one of three foundation types:
- Concrete Slab
- Crawl Space
- Basement
Let’s quickly explore these different kinds.
Different Types of Home Foundations
Concrete Slab
These foundations are four-to-eight-inch-thick slabs of concrete that generally rest right on the ground.
Concrete slabs are popular in the Southern United States due to their resistance to flooding, pests, and their cost-effectiveness.
Crawl Space
Another popular foundation type in the South is a crawl space. This foundation type provides space between the ground and your home and acts as a protective space for important utilities like plumbing, HVAC, and electric.
Keep in mind, crawl space foundations are susceptible to moisture damage from both high humidity and heavy precipitation.
Basement
Basements are also found in Atlanta and other parts of Georgia like Athens. These foundations provide more square footage but may be damaged by draining water and expanding clay soils after heavy precipitation.
What Georgia Homeowners Needs to Know About Foundation Repair
Foundation repair is a valuable investment for more reasons than one. The process keeps the value of your home steady, protects everything inside your home, and prevents structural damage in the future.
However, we understand this is a big investment for any homeowner, so we want to inform you of all the details surrounding the process. Watch the video from our friends at Groundworks for the 12 tips of foundation repair, and then read on for even more information!
What is Foundation Repair?
Foundation repair is the process by which specialized tools such as pier systems, wall anchors, or crawl space support posts are attached to your foundation.
These structural repair solutions stabilize your foundation and protect it from movement. You can see examples of these solutions in the gallery below.
Hiring professionals is the best way to ensure these solutions work as intended. Don’t consider DIY foundation repair, as it simply doesn’t work and will likely cause even more damage to your home.
When to Consider Structural Repair (and Why)
Investing in foundation repair should happen as soon as you notice problem signs such as settlement and sinking, foundation cracks, uneven floors, or wall cracks. Even if these issues are small when you notice them, you shouldn’t wait.
Once a crack has opened or a structure becomes unaligned, the problem will never fix itself. Without foundation repair, your home will lose value and its structural integrity will continue to deteriorate.
Why It’s Worth Doing
Foundation repair has many benefits that make your quality of life better. Whether it’s your basement, crawl space, or concrete slab being repaired, here are some of the benefits you can expect:
- Restores your home’s value
- Protects loved ones from injury
- Defends against structural damage in your home
- Lowers energy costs (for basements and crawl spaces)
- Higher curb appeal for your home
- Closes wall cracks, both interior and exterior
- Provides some protection against unexpected weather
How Long It Takes
On average, most foundation repair projects from AquaGuard take just two to three days to complete. However, various factors can influence the time required to finish a foundation repair job. The extent of the damage, its location, and the size of your home all play a significant role in determining the overall timeframe. Additionally, permit requirements specific to your area can also affect the duration of the project.
Having a professional inspector assess your home is crucial for this reason. A trusted foundation repair expert will understand the permit requirements in your area and accurately schedule your foundation repair project. For those in the area, Atlanta foundation repair specialists at AquaGuard provide reliable and efficient services to ensure your structural repair needs are met promptly.
How Long It Lasts
Foundation solutions from a trusted expert in Georgia should permanently stabilize your home. For instance, at Aquaguard, every one of our products comes with a life of the structure, transferrable warranty.
How to Fix a Foundation in Georgia
1. Receive a Professional Inspection
The first step in fixing your foundation is calling a professional to come inspect your home. AquaGuard offers a free inspection where one of our CFIs will come to your home and thoroughly look over the structure.
While you may notice foundation problem signs on your own, our team knows exactly what to look for and will be able to identify problem signs you may not even know you had. Once found, our team will make a repair plan designed for the specific needs of your home.
2. Excavate Around the Foundation
After a plan is made, our team will excavate the area around your foundation to expose the footing. This is where our foundation solutions are installed to stabilize the structure.
As you can see in the picture, this process can look messy, but it’s necessary. Don’t worry, we clean up your yard after installation and make sure everything looks the way it did before.
3. Install the Solution
Once excavation is complete, our team will install the required solution for your home.
All of our foundation solutions permanently prevent damage in the future by supporting your foundation independently from damaged soils. At this point, the foundation repair is complete.
Call AquaGuard Today for Quality Foundation Repairs
Foundation repair is arguably the most valuable home improvement you can invest in. AquaGuard ensures the process goes smoothly and provides the best results. For almost 30 years, our team has been helping homeowners in Atlanta, Athens, and throughout Georgia with foundation repairs. Our expertise in structural repair means we can address any issues with your foundation, ensuring your home remains stable and secure.
If you want to learn more about foundation repair or have noticed problem signs throughout your home, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can schedule a free inspection with one of our specialists, who will identify the problem and provide you with a free estimate. Keep your home safe with AquaGuard, your trusted partner for Atlanta foundation repair and structural repair needs.
Foundation Repair FAQ
Yes. Foundation repair solutions will stabilize your home and may close cracks in the process.
Keep in mind, DIY solutions like caulk or other store-bought sealants are not an effective fix for foundation cracks.
In most home insurance plans, it is your responsibility to take preventative steps to keep your foundation protected from common problems like water damage or tree roots.
Repairs won’t be covered unless something unexpected happens like a natural disaster. However, it’s always best to check with your individual agent for the exact details of your plan.
Foundation repair doesn’t increase your home’s value. However, if your foundation does become damaged, its property value will go down significantly.
Foundation repair restores your home’s value and prevents it from getting lower in the future. It’s still a worthwhile investment for that reason.
Ted Dryce
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