Additional Foundation Problems

Common Foundation Problems

Your foundation is one of the most important elements of your home. Ensuring it's in tip-top condition is a must. Unfortunately, changing soil conditions, fluctuating temperatures, and other environmental factors can leave your foundation vulnerable. Two common foundation problems that homeowners face are street creep and leaning chimneys.

Street Creep Repair

Like many materials, concrete expands when it's hot and contracts when it's cold. This cycle puts stress on concrete surfaces, which can cause them to crack and shift over time. Contractors place expansion joints in sidewalks, driveways, and other concrete slabs to allow them to expand and contract independently and reduce cracking.

While expansion joints mitigate damage caused by the expansion process, they can begin to deteriorate or become filled with materials like sand and gravel that prevent them from doing their job. As a result, the concrete will expand as a single unit, and the street will begin to "creep." Street creep exerts tremendous pressure at the edge of the concrete where the driveway meets a garage slab or foundation wall.

Street creep can cause significant foundation damage, but it's a slow process. A typical block-length street generally shifts a fraction of an inch per year. However, that movement eventually adds up to several inches and has the potential to lead to serious foundation problems.

Our Solution to Street Creep

Thrasher Foundation Repair uses a proven two-step process to repair foundation damage caused by street creep. Our trained structural technicians will install new expansion joints to reduce the pressure and create the necessary space between your foundation, driveway, and other concrete slabs. We'll also install wall anchors to stop the inward movement of foundation walls.

Leaning Chimney Repair

A tilting chimney can be a scary sight for homeowners. In addition to being dangerous, a leaning chimney is often a symptom of a much larger foundation problem. Chimney damage is a common sign that the foundation soils cannot support the weight of your home, which causes the foundation to sink or settle. Without the proper support, your chimney may begin to separate or tilt away from the house. Ignoring the warning signs of a tilting chimney can have disastrous results. It may fail and eventually fall without repair, further damaging your home and foundation.

If there's a noticeable gap between your home and the chimney, filling it with caulk or mortar might seem like the obvious solution. However, this method is merely a temporary fix and can lead to more foundation problems over time. Properly repairing a tilting chimney means addressing the underlying issue. Thrasher Foundation Repair's chimney repair services get to the root of the problem, stabilizing your tilting chimney and restoring the structural integrity of your foundation.

Our Leaning Chimney Solutions

Since the problem typically begins with the footing and foundation, similar solutions used to repair bowing walls can be applied to leaning chimney repair. Our proven methods support your chimney in various ways, from attaching consistent weight or pressure to reaching load-bearing soil. Helical piers, braces, and hydraulic jacks are all practical solutions to keep your chimney upright and aligned with your home.