How Underpinning Contractors Build Solid Foundations For Your Home?

Is the foundation of your home in distress? If the mere thought of this question gives you chills, then you should continue reading this blog. Foundation problems can cause severe structural damages, and if you are caught in such a situation, then you need to get in touch with experienced underpinning contractors. The underpinning contractor can increase the strength of your home by adding concrete, steel, or other necessary materials in its foundation. Before going through the ‘How’ aspect of undermining, you must understand when does your home need underpinning.

Need for Underpinning:

It comes in handy when footings, usually found under the foundation, of your home has damaged to an extent where necessary repair is not possible. Let us go through some of the other instances when you may need underpinning:

• The foundation is your home is formerly weak or unstable
• Changes in the structure usage
• Need for a basement beneath the existing structure
• The soil beneath the foundation of your home has subsided
• Natural calamities such as earthquakes and floods have led to the movement of your home’s structure.

Now, we have come to the central aspect of this blog. Let us understand different methods an underpinning contractor may adopt for building a solid foundation for your home. 

Mass Concrete Underpinning:

It is the traditional method of underpinning. This process is ideal for deep underpinning. In this method, the contractor removes the weak soil from the foundation and replaces it with mass concrete for increasing its strength. Generally, contractors prefer this method only for simple foundation problems.

Cantilever Needle Beam Method:

In case the foundation needs extension only from one end, and the original plan possesses a relatively strong interior column, then the cantilever needle beam comes in handy. Your contractor might use this method because it is faster than other traditional methods of underpinning. This method has a high load-carrying capacity. Above all, this method needs only one side access. However, just like any other method, it comes with some demerits. If the existing foundation of your home is deep, then this method of underpinning can burn a hole in your pocket. Since this method has only one access point, so the impact of the needle beam is low.

Pier and Beam Method:

Underpinning contractors prefer this method because, unlike the mass concrete method, it allows deep excavations in the foundation. The best aspect of this method is that it can be used in a majority of ground conditions. In this method, reinforced beams of concrete are strategically placed for transferring the load to mass concrete bases.

Mini Piled Method:

This method is used when the loads are supposed to be transferred between foundation and strata and the distance between them is more than 5m. It is a popular method for strengthening the foundation of a building.

Basis of the building condition, the contractor may adapt an underpinning method. The key is to find an ideal contractor who has the required experience and skill set. A skilled contractor will help in strengthening the foundation of your home.