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Foundation & Structural Repair
Foundation cracks? Crumbling concrete? Sagging floors? Post and beam issues? Wallace Underpinning can help.
Foundation, posts, and beams are your home’s infrastructure. They support the floors, walls, and roof. Problems with any of these could place your entire house and its occupants in jeopardy.
If you plan on selling your home, be forewarned that not disclosing defects like foundation issues can create legal complications. This is true, even when neither the real estate agent, nor the home inspector have flagged the issue. Many of our referrals come from realtors and home inspectors, to ensure the home is ready for sale and safe for occupancy. While you still need disclose repairs, the issue is easier to discuss when adequate measures have been taken to protect future occupants and their investment.
Foundation Replacement
It’s a misconception that crumbling foundations are a superficial problem. Weakened concrete can threaten an entire building’s structure and safety. It turns out that crumbling concrete eventually stops withstanding pressure, and water infiltration can compromise your foundation’s steel reinforcement.
Theoretically, concrete lasts forever—after all, Roman concrete is still standing, right? It turns out if it’s not done properly, concrete doesn’t last forever—it could have been improperly mixed, laid with independent layers, water has infiltrated it, there are honeycombs (air pockets), or built on poor soil.
We may only have to replace parts of the affected foundation in most cases. If your entire foundation must be replaced, then we have proven techniques to replace your old foundation while leaving the rest of your home untouched. The best part is you can remain in your home throughout the process.
Post & Beam Repair
If your floor sags, doors won’t close, or cracks appear in the drywall, then your house’s structural integrity may be at stake. This could come from issues like undersized support beams, rotten posts, and undersized footings that are settling. This is an urgent problem to address before it worsens—and becomes more costly to repair in the future.
Slab Repair & Replacement
Basement floor slab cracks are common in most homes. This may be due to soil conditions, the absence of steel reinforcement, tree roots, improper concrete curing, or poor construction.
These concerns aren’t merely aesthetic. Gaps in basement floor slabs allow water in and can become breeding grounds for termites and carpenter ants. Worse still, they can allow radon gas to seep into your home, which is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Radon exposure risks increase if your home is situated in affected areas, such as North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Polyurethane foam injection seals these non-structural cracks and acts as a vapor barrier.
In some cases, basement floor slabs may require replacing (rather than repair). For example, if there are structural issues, or if the damage is too widespread for repair to be effective. You may also opt to pour a new slab, if you want to install in-floor heating, insulation underneath your slab, install a radon barrier, or flatten the floor surface before renovating.
