Chances are you came across this page because you have a crack in your foundation and need to know what to do about it. The first thing I suggest is figure out IF you need to anything about it. Buyer Beware – there are companies out there that will try to sell you something if you call and say “I think I have a foundation problem”. This is not to say all foundation repair companies are high pressure sales or dishonest, but just like anything else – a well educated consumer is the best defense.
1) Not all cracked foundations need to be repaired.
We generally use these ways to determine if a foundation needs to be repaired:
A) The crack continues to get wider of over time (i.e. it was 1/8″ wide last year and is now 1/4″)
B) The crack is higher on one side than the other (this is mostly for concrete floors, slab on grade homes, etc)
C) The crack is excessive (i.e. When you first noticed it you could stick two quarters in the crack)
D) There are cracks in the sheetrock or sheetrock tape is pulling
E) An engineer says it needs to be fixed
This list is not all inclusive but should give you an idea of what to look for. Of course when in doubt get a qualified contractor involved (i.e. Foundation Worx or one of our competitors we trust – did we tell you we know of other companies in Atlanta that repair foundations that we actually know and like? I may be the only owner who will give you 2 names to companies that you should use if you don’t use us).
2) Not all foundation repair contractors are the same.
Most people know this from experience, but I would generally suggest going online to various review sites to see a history of good reviews. Do not discount a company for 1-2 bad reviews – the old saying is you can please some people some of the time but you can’t please all the people all the time. Once again – Atlanta is a big place and I do not know of any company that is perfect – including us.
3) Not all foundation repair products are the same.
Helical Piers, Resistance Piers, Carbon Fiber – these are all types of products your foundation repair contractor can use to repair your cracked foundation. There are lots of manufacturers out there, some of the good and some not so good, and some that are out right terrible and liars. Go with a national manufacturer with a proven track record. This should narrow the list down to 4-5 manufacturers and you will find AB Chance at the top of most lists (think Michelin tires as a good example).
4) Not all warranties are the same.
Life of the Structure vs. Lifetime Warranty vs. 10 year warranty. Find out what each one means. The reality is that if a company installs quality products the right (key word right) way – it will not matter what type of warranty is given. When quality products are installed correctly the systems will work for 25-100 years. A warranty of bad installation or of poor products is – well it is much like buying an extended warranty on a Yugo.
We wish you good hunting when it comes to repairing your cracked or settled foundation. We know we will not fix every foundation in Atlanta, but we certainly would like the opportunity to meet with you and see if there is a good fit. Call our main office at 404-662-2454, email us or fill out a contact form.
