Lifting a Foundation in Spring Lake, NC

Wednesday, March 28th, 2018 by Mary White

Challenge

Melissa, of Spring Lake, NC, hadn’t been in her new home all that long, only a couple months at best. One day as she was outside, she noticed a crack on the exterior of the home, and immediately became concerned. She had thought that her furniture leaned toward the home’s center somewhat, and now she made the connection. She had also experienced a sinking feeling in her flooring from the home’s settlement. Asking around, she had been given all kinds of different advice from friends and others, but she wanted the opinion and careful eye of a professional contractor. She gave us a call at Southeast Foundation and Crawl Space Repair.

On the day of the appointment, Justin from Southeast Foundation & Crawl Space Repair arrived eager to inspect the property and assist Melissa by taking a look at the compromised foundation, as well as other areas of the home. Justin was looking for additional signs that might point to a weakness in the foundational structure. He saw the cracks on the home’s exterior that Melissa had made reference to when she called Southeast Foundation to request the estimate. He could see signs of foundation settlement, and also noted cracks in the foundation visibly apparent inside the crawl space as well. The crawl space also showed signs of deterioration from moisture, and beams and joists were covered in mold growth. It was apparent to Justin that Melissa’s issues were caused by a perfect storm of moisture and settlement. The good news, however, was that Team Southeast could help. Melissa was eager to get the project started.

Solution

Southeast Foundation & Crawl Space Repair crew arrived to begin the project and delivered the two-fold structural solution for Melissa. Using Push Piers, Southeast would be able to reinforce the homeowner’s foundation, and eliminate future foundational cracking. A heavy-duty steel bracket was first positioned below and against the foundation footing for each Push Pier. Then, 6 steel Push Piers were driven deep down in the ground into strong bedrock below, in order to provide firm footing that would fully support the weight of Melissa’s home in the future, protecting against any further settlement.

With the foundation secure, the next step to making Melissa’s home safer was to proceed with installing a full crawl space encapsulation system. But before they started on any encapsulation, they first had to remove all debris from the space, including all fallen insulation. It was also important to remove any mold contamination, so the team applied Mold-X2 to all joists and beams. Team Southeast uses Mold-X2, a powerful cleaning agent, to remove mold stains in less than 20 seconds.

After removal was complete, the team installed our SmartSump, a pump that collects and contains crawl space moisture that is redirected to its tank. Then, a discharge line was attached to transport water out to the lawnscape outlet, installed outside away from the home. Next, the team sealed off the crawl space from the earth, addressing the floors and walls first. Because these walls allow permeation of moisture over time, it is yet another means for the crawl space to become a damp environment.

Next, by sealing off each crawl space vent, we ensured that the dehumidifier could gain complete control of the relative humidity in the crawl space, without the interference of outside air and moisture. We then insulated the crawl space walls with SilverGlo, another powerful Southeast product. Its graphite-infused interior and its outer radiant barrier allow heat to continuously be reflected back into the crawlspace, saving energy. This would cease the transfer of moisture into Melissa’s crawl space from the surrounding walls.

We then installed polyethylene drainage matting, for directing water to our SmartSump system. The 20mil-thick CleanSpace liner was layered on top of the drainage matting, creating a thick white barrier between the earth and Melissa’s crawl space. This barrier will help seal out moisture, which in turn guards against future mold and rot. Each pier support underneath the home was also wrapped in CleanSpace and sealed.

Finally, not only did we need to block moisture in Melissa’s crawl space, but we also needed to control the relative humidity. By installing our high-efficiency Sani-Dry Sedona dehumidifier, we can ensure that the humidity of the crawl space stays at a controlled level, preventing mold growth and continuously keeping the area dry and free from problem-causing moisture.

After the team finished the encapsulation, they inspected the work to ensure it was completed thoroughly. Then, after the work space was clean and tidy, the job was complete. Melissa was pleased, and now has the peace of mind that her home will be a safer, healthier place to live for many years to come.