When it comes to home repairs, some problems are easier to spot than others. One of the most apparent problems that a homeowner can notice is floor leveling issues. Since we walk on our floors every day, cracks, loud floorboards, sloped or warped floors, and other related issues usually become readily apparent. But the question is: what should you do about your uneven floors?
Today we have the ultimate guide for all things floor leveling, starting with why your floors are warping in the first place to how to resolve the issue and prevent future problems down the line.
Understanding the Cause for Unleveled Floors
If you have noticed your floorboards warping, bending, or becoming uneven, you’re likely wondering why this is happening. Issues with the floor becoming unlevel are indicative of foundation problems. Other signs of foundation problems include cracks in the walls, exterior cracks, sticking doors and windows, and a visible slant to the home.
Over time, foundation can gradually begin to sink, crack, settle, or shift. While there are many factors that can contribute to an uneven foundation, one of the largest culprits is soil and its moisture level.
Too much moisture can cause the soil to expand, while too little moisture can cause it to contract. This can wreak havoc on a foundation’s stability, causing foundation damage that can lead to warped floors, cracked walls, and a host of other problems. The solution to this predicament is foundation repair and house leveling services that will permanently restore your home to its original level.
Why House Leveling
Foundation repair and house leveling might sound like big projects, but they are actually much more affordable than one might think. Repairing the structure of your home is a necessary investment needed to restore the structural integrity of your home and guarantee its lasting structural success. Foundation repair is the only way to permanently resolve foundation damage symptoms, such as warped floors, and guarantee the lasting safety of all residents and the property value of the building. House leveling is a restorative process that lifts the home back to a level position in order to provide an overall facelift. Not only does house leveling restore the home to its original evenness, but it fortifies the home to prevent future disrepair.
Without foundation repair, the home could continue to shift, warp, crack, and even entirely move off the property. This is especially dangerous for homes that are elevated, such as hillside homes, and homes in Southern California that are susceptible to extreme weather in the form of earthquakes, mudslides, and flooding.
Floor Leveling Solutions
If you suspect that your home is suffering from foundation damage, it’s important to consult a professional contractor right away. California Foundation Works provides free no obligation inspections in order to evaluate your home and offer free project repair quotes. We repair multiple types of foundations, including slab foundation, pier and beam foundation, and the less common basement foundation. Homes with slab foundation have foundations mostly composed of concrete, while pier and beam foundations contain a mixture of concrete foundation beams, concrete columns or pads, and wooden beams.
We always assess every home on an individual basis in order to craft custom repair solutions for each homeowner. No matter which type of foundation your home has, we’re here to help with our custom foundation repair solutions.
The Leveling Process
In order to restore your home to its original position, floor leveling is a necessary process. While we customize each project in order to address specific foundation issues at their source, there is a general floor leveling process that many projects adhere to based on the foundation type. Pier and beam foundation is typically leveled by using a jack or a lift to carefully raise the home and attach beams to jacks underneath the house. This process is referred to as shoring, with careful attention paid to lifting the jacks in order to minimize internal damage. On the other hand, slab foundation issues are at times resolved by installing concrete piers and concrete or steel pilings after excavating areas of the home. The usage of steel push piers, helical piers, plate anchors, or hydraulic lift slab piers can all be included in repair solutions based on individual needs.
Our services include foundation replacement, foundation crack repair, sister foundation installation, foundation underpinning retrofit, soft story reinforcement, slab settlement and crack repair, hillside retrofitting, caissons foundation, and more.
Related: Foundation Underpinning Retrofit with Piers
About Us
We understand that having a secure home is an invaluable necessity. Not only does it shelter and protect your loved ones, but it’s also a major investment. The last thing any homeowner wants is to see their property value plummet. It’s our number one priority to ensure the safety of all residents and the lasting structural success of your building.
No matter the type of project, we always ensure that the homes are brought up to current building codes. To offer only the best services, we carefully select our contracting crew so that members of our team represent top tier workers with pooled decades of foundation repair experience and project precision.
We encourage all homeowners to address any foundation problems as soon as possible before seismic activity and stormy weather has the chance to strike your home!
Related: Los Angeles Floor Leveling
