The weight of an average, unfurnished house is about 50 tons. Your average foundation will be close to 7.5 tons. Your foundation, then, is under immense stress, even from its own weight. Thankfully, a block foundation is one of the most common kinds of foundations and is more than up to the task. Over the years even a good, strong foundation needs attention. Especially if you have: Foundation cracks, Warped ceilings and walls, Signs of structural damage or warping, or Water damage.
You may wonder how to reinforce a concrete block foundation if you have these problems or others.
Keep reading to know how to reinforce a block foundation. If you're wondering "what is a concrete block foundation," we can help you with that too!
What Is a Concrete Block Foundation and How Can I Reinforce It?
A concrete block foundation is a foundation type that supports the shell of the home or building. If you have a house in a colder climate with freezing and thawing cycles you likely have a concrete block foundation.
In addition, it has vertical rebar embedded in the concrete high enough to cover the first four courses of concrete blocks.
Concrete blocks are denser and stronger than cinder blocks. Once the outside concrete block foundation footer cures and blocks are laid, the inner area gets a concrete pour of its own.
There are four major ways to repair this kind of foundation if you encounter damage or need to augment the foundation to support more weight.
Underpinning
Underpinning is a method of increasing the depth of a foundation or spreading the weight over a larger foundation surface under the ground.
There are four main ways to accomplish this.
• Screw piles and brackets
• Pile and beam
• Piled raft
• Mass pour
The most preferred method is the screw piles and brackets if signs of sinking is present helical piers. They bored down into the ground and bedrock under the home. Screw piles are ideal because they cause no vibration to the foundation on installation, reducing risks of cracks improves the foundation of areas with a small footprint. Steps, porches, and other small concrete areas are commonly and other materials are injected into holes made in the concrete.
House Lifting and Leveling
The most extreme lengths of foundation repair involve lifting the home entirely off the foundation. A hydraulic jack lifts the home from below, aided by screw jacks to keep it level. Homes aren't always suitable for this kind of treatment, but it's common when you move the actual structure to a different location. Grout pumping in block cavities and reabar are you used to reinforce and strengthened Bowed blocks walls.
Concrete Block Foundation Repair and Reinforcement: Cured
Concrete block foundations are great foundations, but they also need occasional attention. If you have a block foundation in need of help, you need BOL-DAN.
We're masonry specialists, trained, willing, and able to evaluate the damage to your foundation and home. We know through experience the best method to repairing your foundation and securing your structure's integrity.
Make sure to get in touch today if you suspect your foundation may be the root of the issue!