Understanding Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Methods

Are you the proud owner of a pier and beam home and recently you’ve discovered signs of trouble?

At Childers Brothers. We’ve been doing Foundation Repair here in the Amarillo, TX area (basically a 300-mile radius) for close to 50 years. We’ve seen it all, done it all, fixed it all, and know everything there is to know about this business.

That includes pier and beam foundation repair. There are several different points at which a pier and beam foundation might fail and a number of different potential causes. And in our time, we’ve probably seen them all. That allows us to implement a pier and beam foundation repair that is tailored to your specific problem.

Common Signs Of Pier and Beam Foundation Trouble

Cracks. Especially cracks appearing on interior walls that clearly show a portion of the foundation is being damaged. It’s becoming increasingly uneven.
Sections of framing are sagging. This is typically a sign that the home is settling much more than it should be.
Wait a sec, is the chimney leaning? Are gaps appearing between baseboards and walls? Are elements of the exterior, like veneering, starting to crack?
Fixtures in your home are slanting; doors and windows are becoming stuck or are unable to fully close.
Are artworks and pictures on the wall slanting no matter how much you try to make them straight?
Plumbing pipes are moving out of position, excessively clogging, or you’re hearing odd gurgling sounds.

If these symptoms sound familiar, first and foremost … call your local foundation specialists as soon as you possibly can. Here in our neck of the woods, homeowners call Childers.

You want to get scheduled pronto and have a professional inspection done. Their inspection should give you all the specific answers and data points needed to fix the problem with your home.

We base our inspections on a strict 27-Point Analysis.

The last thing you want to do is procrastinate on needed pier and beam foundation repairs. Foundation issues are like serious engine trouble, if you put them off for too long there will inevitably be some kind of expensive failure.

What to Expect With Pier and Beam Foundation Repair

The cause of your pier and beam problems is the #1 factor any foundation expert will look to define. Are we talking about termites? Moisture-based issues? Settlement? Upheaval? Failing joists? All of the above?

Cost?

Nationally, pier and beam foundation repair methods can vary from a little over a thousand dollars to $10,000 or more. It’s a wide range. Much depends on how extensive the repairs need to be.

Major variables include the size and scope of your foundation and the extent of the damage. Is it so bad many of the piers and beams must be replaced?

On the low end, you might just have your piers and beams re-shimmed. On the high end, you may need to completely replace piers and beams and/or repour concrete foundation — upgrading.

The type of crawl spaces that featured prominently in older pier and beam homes also can open up a whole host of potential problems.

Reasons Pier & Beam Foundations Fail

Here at Childers Brothers, we’re experts at adjusting piers and beams and have seen all the major reasons pier and beam foundations fail.

Deflected (Fallen) Grade Beams
Sunken Supports
Cracked & Broken Joists
Rotted Sill Plates
Malfunctioning Beams

Whether we’re replacing rotted joists, lifting pressed pilings, installing helical piers for extra support, or replacing old shims, pier and beam foundation repair is professional work. It is definitely not something to try and DIY. Remember, the primary goal is to address the cause, not just cover it up and apply a band-aid-like solution.

Our solutions for pier and beam homes are meant to be very long-lasting, to both address root causes and prevent new issues from arising or getting worse.

Core Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Methods

Which method of pier and beam foundation repair is right for you depends, in large part, on which aspect of the foundation is failing.

If it is simply a matter of settling or expansive soil push the piers out of alignment, then our pier and beam adjustment services are what you need. Our adjustment process uses special techniques that can solve problems caused by settling or expansive soil.

Because the piers will continue to be susceptible to these forces, we recommend having the piers adjusted every 2-4 years. It is a form of maintenance that will be well worth it given the host of problems that can pop up if your piers and beams get too out of alignment.

Simple adjustments, however, aren’t always enough. This is especially true if one of the foundation pieces itself has weakened or begun to break. Depending on which section of the foundation is failing we might need to:

Repair or replace old piers with new sturdier options.
Repair or replace old sills (main & shaker).
Repair or replace old beams.
Repair or replace old joists.

These are repairing the symptoms. In some cases, like if the underlying cause was simply the age of the materials, that might be enough.

If not, however, other fixes might be recommended.

For instance, if expansive soils are the culprit, soil stabilization would likely be necessary to keep the problem from recurring.

If moisture problems are causing wood rot, we might recommend having a waterproofing company encapsulate your crawl space in order to keep it dry.

Because these types of residential foundations have been around so long, getting them fixed, adjusted, and updated is quite common.

Bottom Line

At the first sign of trouble, contact your local foundation specialist. Once they get your inspection completed, they can tell you exactly what’s going on and then offer the best pier and beam foundation repair solutions.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, replacing or reinforcing elements of your pier and beam system is typically the best move.

If you happen to be in or anywhere around the Amarillo, Texas, area, just give Childers a call. Our free 2-point analysis will get you completely informed in less than an hour. Thanks for your time today.