Repairing the foundation of someone’s home is often only thought of in times of emergency.
The homeowner may be sitting in his living room when he notices a crack in the wall or, in more severe cases, sees a large crack in the bricks on the outside of the house. This is disturbing to say the least.
Your home is often your most expensive investment. Foundation problems are sometimes discovered when the homeowner wants to sell the home and the buyer has hired an independent inspector. Time and money are even more crucial because the homeowner is trying to sell their home quickly while earning enough for a down payment on another home.
How can foundation problems be solved? Some call in professionals and some do it themselves. Professionals use many different techniques and methods. Mud lifting is a process used by foundation experts to troubleshoot foundation problems. There are two methods of this technique: filling the void and lifting the interior floors.
Filling the void
Foundation problems in certain parts of Texas are often the result of settlement of the foundation perimeter. When building a house, concrete piers are installed under the perimeter grade beam. The first attempt to fix the problem is by using industry tools to return the house to its original position. After readjustment, a void is usually created under the main slab.
Professionals then use a “mud lift” technique to fill this gap. This is done by drilling 2 “holes through the perimeter grade beam that surrounds the house and pumping a mixture of soil and grout into a vacuum. The holes are then filled with a flowable mixture of soil / grout. .
Raise interior floors
In other situations, the inside of the slab may have settled. Mud lift is used to lift interior floors and is accomplished from inside your home by drilling 2 “holes through the slab in areas that have settled and pumping a soil / grout mixture under the foundation associated with more complicated foundation problems.
Although it sounds simple enough, this can be a delicate and complicated process to get it right. By being familiar with common land issues in the area and through extensive experience, the process can become second nature to seasoned professionals.
