Foundation Cracks Sealed in Winston-Salem, NC

Challenge

A home in Winston-Salem, NC had been experiencing pier settling and soil erosion at the back right corner of the house where the home’s downspout is located.

This lead to a large crack in the brick wall about 16′ from the corner of the house, a 1″ gap between the windowpane and the brick wall, and a small crack in the veneer on the access wall. In the crawl space, the girder at the back right corner of the home dropped about 3/4″ with the footing.

Fixing these issues is not only beneficial for the home’s aesthetics but for its structural integrity, as well. These kinds of cracks and settlement issues can greatly impact the safety and stability of a structure.

Solution

Tar Heel Basement Systems installed four (4) Push Piers to lift and permanently stabilize the foundation. The foreman’s goal for this property was to seal up any cracks or gaps in the brick by lifting the back right corner of the house up to its original position. Since this was a heavier structure, four Push Piers were installed at the base of the back of the home where the bulk of the settlement had occurred.

The crew used a mini excavator to dig out four sections of soil deep enough to reach the base of the foundation. L-shaped foundation brackets were positioned below and against the home’s footings, and hydraulic cylinders were used to lift the foundation.

The home was slowly lifted with the appropriate pressure and into the correct position, visibly closing the foundation cracks that were the initial cause of concern.

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Project Summary