Pier and Beam are a type of foundation relatively common in some regions in the United States. Suppose this kind of system supports your home. In that case, you should know how to identify when pier and beam foundation repair is necessary for you to live in a safe place and not waste money.
This type of foundation is generally long-lasting and resistant. Most of the existing ones were probably built around the 1960s, before refining concrete slab foundations.
Like any other option, the pier and beam foundation has some vulnerabilities that can lead to damage. In this post, you will acquire more knowledge about it. Check it out.
What Are Pier and Beam Foundations?
This foundation system consists of a stone or brick wall embedded in the soil, forming the perimeter of your house. Inside, concrete piers distribute the weight of the next layer and your home.
The next layer consists of horizontally placed beams, typically made of wood, interconnected above the pillars. Following comes a layer of floor joists and everything else upwards. The house stands slightly above the ground, leaving an unusable crawl space.
Most Common Problems and Causes of Damages
Generally, piers and Beam offer protection from flooding, moisture, and termites. Likewise, the crawl space eases plumbing and electrical works.
However, there are also some typical pier and beam foundation problems. Construction materials wear and tear over time due to weather, water, and other environmental factors. Likewise, constant movements in the soil can impact the pier and beam structure.
One or more piers can collapse or sink on the ground, shims can shift, and woods can rot or deteriorate naturally or by moisture or termites.
A foundation inspector could diagnose these problems by entering the crawl space and examining the condition of your pier, beams, and shims.
Learn to Identify Signs That You Need Pier and Beam Foundation Repair
In case you have damage to vital parts of the foundation, these are typical signs you need to perform pier and beam foundation repair:
- Crumbling walls.
- Uneven, sagging, or sloppy floors.
- Windows and doors don’t stay in place, or it becomes difficult to open and close them.
- Cracks or gaps in your wall, ceiling, baseboard, or in an exposed wall of your foundation.
Once you start noticing these signs, call a foundation contractor to perform an evaluation.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair: What Are Your Options?
Once you identify the issues in your foundation, it’s more likely that you have three repair solutions:
Re Shimming Approach
Shims are wood pieces cut in specific sizes and placed between piers and wooden beams. Re-shimming could fill in gaps in your foundation and reinforce it. This approach generally solves minor damages, leaving the original foundation almost untouched.
Adding or Replacing Pier Stacks
Uneven floors could be a sign of damage in your piers or that your house foundations need more ports to support and distribute the entire weight of the structure.
Some foundation professionals regularly decide to add extra pier stacks or even replace old piers made out of bricks for concrete blocks or cylinders.
Replace Wood Beams Or Joists
You may need to replace rotten wood in your house foundation. As every part is interconnected, the foundation repair contractors must carefully remove and place the new details. Moreover, sometimes it’s necessary to change the affected region and the nearby wooden pieces.
Generally, pier and beam foundation repair is less expensive than repairing concrete slabs. Likewise, it’s easier to improve the area without affecting the entire structure due to the possibility of separating parts.
The reparation cost will depend on the size of the house. Also, it will depend on the extent of the damage. Consider that estimates could sometimes change due to issues identified after the repair process starts.
Adding Underpinning to the Beam
Most of the time, the interior support areas of a pier and beam home, since they are in the most vulnerable area, can be affected by settlement because they are in the most vulnerable area and might be under-built and under-supported. Taking this into consideration, one of the things that can be affecting the perimeter support beam can be the distribution problems of the settlement and weight.
Consider the home’s weight because some foundation repair methods will work better than others, and you should look after the ones that will last way longer. The number of support needed will affect the price and the reparation method, and the process you choose will affect the amount of time it will take for the project to be completed. We also have an article offering more detail about slab-on-grade foundation repair methods.
What to do first, remodel or fix the foundation?
Suppose you are living in a home-like this, probably. In that case, you are thinking of remodeling, updating it, or making changes that will make a huge difference. We recommend you fix your foundation first and then remodel it because many piers and beam homes are older and possibly built long ago, approximately before 1950.
We recommend you take care of foundation issues first if you have any future remodeling plans and are considering taking your property to the next level. Once you know you have foundation issues in your pier and Beam, we assure you will save yourself a lot of headaches and an enormous amount of wasted money looking after these first.
Don’t risk putting changes and advantages into your house and throwing them into the trash. If you remodel before correcting foundation issues, you risk damaging brand-new finishes, paint jobs, and flooring materials if your house continues to settle and become unstable after remodeling.
We often find ourselves working on a pier and beam foundation for the reason the owner wants to begin that remodel finally.
Pier and Beam’s foundation is generally long-lasting; however, it requires regular inspection and maintenance. Always get professional assistance either for the checks or repairs. Enrique Hernandez Construction LLC offers several services to help you with all aspects of your home construction.
Call our professionals and request your free estimate!