Foundation Repair and Concrete Lifting in Point Pleasant, WV

Bowing walls are caused by hydrostatic pressure, which occurs when groundwater collects near the foundation walls of your Point Pleasant home and exerts a great deal of strain on them. Because the foundation walls are part of what supports the rest of your house, if they are compromised, the rest of your house will be as well. The concrete blocks begin to detach themselves from the mortar joints as the wall leans inward, effectively shattering the wall. The groundwater that had been pushing up on the wall starts to seep through, and it’s no longer just an uneven wall to be concerned about. A flooded basement or crawl space results in humidity, which is a separate issue.

Mold begins to form in your crawl space or basement, posing a health risk as the spores spread throughout your home. When it comes to circulation, the humid, moldy air in your crawl space or basement can affect the temperature of the rest of your house, raising your energy bills as your HVAC system tries to combat it. Wood rot is caused by mold in your crawl space or basement, which affects the floor joists and causes bouncing, sagging floors. All of these problems are caused by the leaks from a buckling wall. If this sounds laborious and costly, you may be disappointed to learn that it can be far worse.

If the situation is allowed to progress, the upstairs portion of the house will be severely impacted. The home begins to break in several places when one of the main support structures (the wall) fails. As the foundation wall bends, cracks in the drywall, ceiling, tile floors, and window frames will appear. As the frames shatter and distort with use, doors and windows will jam, and your floor will become uneven. To avoid any of these problems, consult your local specialists for a repair solution as soon as you see bowing walls.

In some cases, the most common remedies aren’t always the most effective. Waterproof paints, for example, are both inexpensive and simple to obtain. They are popular among DIYers since they are simple to install and are intended to ensure impermeability in basements. Waterproof paints, on the other hand, are not suitable for use in basements, and you would be much better off using true waterproofing treatments. Professional solutions appear to be more expensive at first look, but when you consider the harm that can result from improper waterproofing, the money invested is a drop in the bucket.

Waterproof paints aren’t meant to be used indefinitely. They only last a few years on a wall before flaking off and peeling. This means you’ll have to repaint the basement walls of your Point Pleasant home every few years, which isn’t ideal because most waterproof paints demand a fully clean surface free of dust, mold, and paint before application, so repainting isn’t an option. Because the more times you repaint a wall with waterproof paint, the less effective the paint becomes, your basement will remain humid despite your efforts. Consider using a basement wall vapor barrier that can prevent water vapor from seeping through concrete without flaking.

Our basement wall vapor barrier is constructed of 12-mil polyethylene, making it far thicker and more effective than waterproof coatings. It’s also treated with antimicrobial chemicals to prevent mold growth. Because waterproof paints include a lot of components that mold may devour, there’s always the possibility of fungal growth on your walls if you use them. Because our vapor barrier is strategically placed and attached to the basement walls, there’s no way it’ll ever come off. It’s anti-tear and intended to deal with water vapor better than paint, making it the best solution for basement waterproofing.

Mudjacking is a long-established method of raising concrete that includes injecting a cement slurry beneath the settling structure. PolyRenewal™, on the other hand, lifts the slab with polyurethane foam. Many in the industry consider PolyRenewal™ to be the best repair procedure for a variety of reasons. While mudjacking gets the job done, employing cement has a number of negative repercussions. PolyRenewal™ improves on everything mudjacking accomplishes well while removing all of the bad side effects.

The convenience is one of the reasons why PolyRenewal™ is so popular. Installers may work with weaker concrete structures because the holes used to inject the polyurethane foam are much smaller than the holes used for traditional mudjacking. Because the instrument used to inject the foam is smaller, the lifting technique can be performed on difficult-to-reach concrete. But ease for installers isn’t the only benefit: cement takes 24 to 48 hours to cure, so you won’t be able to use your Point Pleasant home’s driveway for days. Polyurethane foam, on the other hand, cures in 15 to 30 minutes, allowing PolyRenewal™ to complete the work much faster.

Mudjacking cement is a rough, heavy material that isn’t good for placing on top of dirt that has already been dislodged. Because of the pressure it exerts on the soil, it has the potential to induce even more settling. The slab is supported by polyurethane foam, which is both sturdy and light. Because it causes less soil disturbance, it is a far better material for concrete lifting than cement. Many concrete repair experts prefer PolyRenewal™ for long-term, dependable repairs.

Foundations settle in three ways, each of which is more disruptive than the others. The first is uniform settling, which occurs when the home starts to sink uniformly. Although this type of settling is uncommon since soil nearly never erodes uniformly, it does occur. Warped and disconnected handrails from front porches and decks are the most evident indications of this type of settling. Because these portions of the house are not connected to the foundation, they will begin to separate from the rest of the structure as the house sinks.

Tipping settlement is the second type of settling, and it occurs when the home begins to sink to one side. The foundation remains intact with this type of settling, therefore cracks are limited, though this does not guarantee that this will always be the case. Uneven flooring, tilted chimneys, basement leaks, and disconnected decks and front porches are the most visible indicators of tilting settlement. Again, just because there are no fractures in the foundation due to tilting settlement does not mean the structure of your home is safe. If allowed to progress, this type of settling can quickly evolve into the most disruptive: differential settlement.

Differential settling occurs when a section of your foundation separates from the rest of the house and settles on uneven ground. Foundation fractures are prevalent with this type of settlement, which can result in basement flooding from groundwater, warped window and door frames, damaged floor joists, upstairs wall and ceiling cracks, and a home that is less energy efficient. The other types of settling are inconvenient for your property, but differential settlement is very damaging, costing you far more in repairs. Call us for a free home inspection and rapid, permanent repair solutions if you fear your Point Pleasant house’s foundation is settling in this way.

If you detect any white patches on the concrete in your Point Pleasant home, it could be efflorescence. It’s common to mistake efflorescence for mold, but it’s actually salt. On a molecular level, water is an erosive element capable of displacing a wide range of particles. When water is poured into concrete, the moisture displaces the salts and minerals that make up the concrete. Along with the moisture, these salts climb to the surface of the concrete structure.

Although the water evaporates, the salts remain on the concrete’s surface, collecting and producing white clumps. Efflorescence isn’t the same as mold. Mold is a type of microbe, whereas efflorescence is simply salt deposits. It will not injure you if you come into close proximity to it, and it will not harm you if you engage with it. Efflorescence on your concrete, on the other hand, could indicate a problem with your home’s drainage system.

You won’t have to be concerned about efflorescence on concrete that is less than a year old because it is produced by manufacturing faults. However, on older concrete, it means that the salt has been displaced by water exposure. Efflorescence is an indication that you need to invest in waterproofing solutions because a moist basement is certain to have foundation difficulties in the future. If the efflorescence is on your outdoor concrete, you may not need to be as concerned because outdoor concrete is exposed to precipitation and melting snow on a regular basis. Keep a watch out for symptoms of slab sinking, since moisture may permeate through the slab and into the soil.

The appearance of a persistent, musty odor in your Point Pleasant home indicates that something has gone wrong somewhere. Unfortunately, a musty odor in your house can be caused by a variety of factors. For a non-professional, determining the exact underlying cause(s) can be nearly difficult. This is why, if a thorough deep-cleaning and airing does not eliminate the odor, we recommend contacting an expert.

The presence of standing water is the most benign of the various reasons. Stagnant water has a distinct and disagreeable odor that is not overpowering. As a result, you’ll notice that the odor is heaviest where the problem is, and it shouldn’t be an issue across the house. The presence of mold in your home is a more serious source of a musty odor. Mold has a distinct dry, musty odor with a sweet undertone, and it can trigger hay fever-like symptoms. Please do not touch any mold formations you encounter in your home. They could be poisonous, especially if they’re black mold.

Finally, there’s a potential that the foul odor in your home is the result of a bug infestation. If pests are present in your home, the odors will be rather distinct. If you have rodents in your house, for example, the odor would most likely be ammonia-like (like urine). However, if you have cockroaches, the odor will be vinegary and slightly sharper than musty. If pests are to blame, further indicators of infestation will appear, such as droppings, nest constructions, bite marks, and carcasses.