Basement Waterproofing and Foundation Repair in Lancaster, OH

Crawl space encapsulation involves several precise steps that are best left to trained professionals. Your crawl space can be both delicate and dangerous, so trust the pros to take care of inspecting and repairing this area.

Every home is different, but here are the steps experts, like our team at Ohio Basement Authority, take to encapsulate crawl spaces:

• Remove any debris, failing insulation, and standing water
• Dig interior perimeter trench and place interior drainage inside
• Install a sump pump and connect it to the drainage
• Seal vents and place thermal insulation on walls
• Install crawl space supports under floor joists
• Cover crawl space walls and floor with a vapor barrier
• Add an energy-efficient dehumidifier

Unfortunately, repairing leaks at home is not as simple as covering the leak and calling it a day. There is a reason why you should hire certain contractors to do this for you, as it can be very dangerous. 

• Consequences of Improper Repairs 

You may have heard of some DIYs that discuss how to repair leaks and cracks at home. However, some of these DIYs involve removing parts of your walls or floor and adding new material in that hole. This can be dangerous for many reasons. 

If you were to demolish the wrong area of your basement wall or floor, you may quite easily break a water pipe, electrical line, or cause part of your basement structure to cave or collapse. You may also inadvertently weaken your basement or foundation structure. Even if you have “successfully repaired” the leak, a weakened basement or foundation can result in more problems that will arise much later. 

• DIY Repairs Do Not Address the Problem 

Although some basement flooding can result from minor leaks or cracks, basement flooding can occur from various things. These problems include, but are not limited to, drainage system failures, weakened basement structure, the clay bowl effect, or hydrostatic pressure. Patching a hole or crack in the wall is merely a temporary solution at best. 

If one does not properly address the source of the problem, basement flooding will just continue to happen time and time again. In fact, this repeated flooding can do more harm than good in the long run. Any amount of water can cause damage to property, even if exposed just once. Continuous exposure to water and a lack of consideration toward the source leave things patched, not fixed. 

If your home has shifted and settled due to unstable soil, Ohio Basement Authority will install a pier system beneath your foundation to permanently stabilize and help lift it.

Steel helical piers or push piers are placed deep into the soil, bypassing problematic surface soils. They are advanced far enough until they hit bedrock or more stable load-bearing strata that won’t be affected by the elements.

Helical piers have screw-like blades on the ends of each pier, making it easier for them to “bite into” the soil. They are ideal to use on lighter structures.

Push piers, also known as resistance piers, offer the same support. They are manually pushed into the ground and work best with heavier buildings.

Usually, the average Lima homeowner will be able to tell when their concrete is uneven due to the fact that some slabs stick up more than others. This can pose a dangerous tripping hazard for you and your family and ruin your home’s curb appeal. However, stubbed toes and scrapes will not be the only damage you and your family will have to worry about with these uneven slabs. Uneven concrete may be a sign of much more substantial damage just below the surface. This damage can easily spread down to the foundation and impact the rest of your home. Indeed, it is possible that your foundation is already damaged and that damage is spreading outward. Either way, this can spell plenty of costly repairs if you do not call an expert to take a look at these slabs as soon as possible.

Sometimes you may not be able to tell your concrete is uneven. This can lead to damage going unnoticed until it becomes out-of-hand. You definitely should not wait around until then. Fortunately, there is a simple way to be able to tell if your concrete is truly uneven or not. Wait until a storm has passed by, and watch how the water acts after a few days.

Puddles will form on both even and uneven concrete alike. However, all that water should wash off from these even slabs down to a nearby drain within a few days. If you notice any lingering puddles around your home, then it is very likely that your concrete slabs have become uneven. You should set up an appointment with our concrete experts as soon as you can to have this repaired before it can extend down and negatively affect your foundation.