Full Foundation Repair Process

Are you a Texas homeowner experiencing foundation issues?

Curious what the foundation repair process looks like?

Well, it really depends on a) the specifics and variables of your unique situation and b) what kind of foundation repair company you work with.

In and around the Amarillo, TX area, we’re known as the ‘Relentlessly Reliable’ company with an iron-clad word-is-bond warranty.

To boil our process down for you into three easy steps, here’s what it looks like.

Step #1: Perform A Detailed, Professional 27-Point Inspection

This is the major difference between your average foundation repair outfit, and a truly professional company – inspections. Why do so many solutions fail to hit the mark? Because the diagnosis on the front end was off… or completely inappropriate.

And it’s not just foundation repair, but really any kind of home improvement or residential maintenance projects like roofing or siding.

What does an average ‘just going through the motions’ foundation inspection look like?

They stop by in their truck, look around, and ask you a few rudimentary questions. No specifics. No real digging or prodding or trying to understand your unique situation. They’re sizing YOU up more than your predicament.
They glance at the visible problem areas (cracks, sagging, bowing, etc.) and perhaps take some mental notes.
Maybe they even run back to their truck to grab a level and set it on the garage floor or driveway to see how uneven it is.

Then they toss a few rough numbers or guesstimates at you to see if any stick. Within 10 minutes, they’ve come and gone.

Now, when Childers Brothers show up, we’ve got our inspectors outfitted with every tool and technological gadget they could possibly need. They’re prepared to go through a 27-point checklist to perform a deep, specific, and detailed analysis of your foundation.

We want to see if heat/AC is leaking out of cracks around your windows and doors.
We want to check the moisture content of your concrete slabs.
We want to look into and below them to see what’s going on.
We want to digitally measure everything for down-to-the-decimal accuracy.
We want to generate computer models, record our analysis, and more!

Only after this extensive research, which is FREE by the way, do we progress into Step #2.

Step #2: Diagnose & Apply A Science-Based Solution

Truth be told, after close to a half-century in business, we’ve pretty much seen and done it all. Not much surprises us anymore. We know that over 90% of the cases we’re going to come across in our area of the country can be solved through these proven science-based methods below.

That being said, every solution is custom. There are no cookie-cutter foundation repair projects because of the nature of our environment and building structures!

Helical Piers

These are heavy-duty piers made of steel that are screwed into the strong layers of earth deep below your home. Each one can hold 12,000 lbs and up to 800,000 lbs. Once we’ve got them anchored into the load-bearing strata, we raise them with absolute hydraulic precision and level the foundation.

How big can projects get with helical piers? Tremendous. They can be used for everything from single-family homes to airports and hotels. (Learn More About Helical Piers)

Soil Stabilization

Your soil performs two core actions: swelling and shrinking. Both of them can have dramatic impacts on foundations! Did you know that expansion alone costs American property owners $2-$3 billion every year (and then some)? That’s more than all the more ‘mainstream’ causes like earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes combined. (Learn More About Soil Stabilization).

Here’s how we can help:

Childers Brothers uses a technological tool called the EcSS 3000TM Soil Stabilizer.
The EcSS 3000 alters the structure of foundational soil molecules.
Yes, it’s an environmentally friendly solution that’s been used on hundreds of millions of square feet of both residential and commercial properties. It’s also been studied by major universities and proven effective.

Basement Stabilization

Are you seeing walls in your basement crack? Are the cracks wider at the top? Are those floors uneven, or is the drywall falling apart in certain areas? These (and plenty more) and signs of trouble. (Learn More About Basement Stabilization).

Whether we’re using H-beams, carbon fiber sheeting, or both, our basement stabilization methods are time-tested and proven effective in three important ways:

Strengthen: Our goal is to make your basement walls stronger than they were before.
Stabilize: This is a long-term solution to help your walls hold their structural integrity.
Straighten: Along with the proper excavation, we straighten out bowing or bent walls.

Pier & Beam Adjustments

If you have a crawl space foundation, this is where our crew will get down in there and re-align your piers and beams. Using modern and classic approaches, we help you deal with the impacts of soil upheaval & settlement.

With these typically older homes and their foundations, we see various issues (Learn More About Pier & Beam Adjustments).

Although we need to get our hands dirty and get on-site to give you a specific diagnosis, these are the most common issues we run into:

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

Slab-Lifting Foam

This is a FAR less expensive route than completely tearing out concrete foundations or slabs and repouring from scratch. While not typically used to lift entire homes, ‘foam jacking’ works great for driveways, basement floors, patio/porches, garage floors, sidewalks, and steps.

Along with costing less, here are the three other significant benefits.

It’s Permanent: Slab-lifting foam is a life-long solution. The only thing that can cause it to weaken and break down is sunlight.
It’s Lightweight: Slab-lifting foam is ultra-light, leaving the soil under it in perfect condition. Other solutions like mud jacking are much heavier and can actually make the settling issue worse.
It Looks Better: Since slab-lifting foam expands under the concrete, it requires very few and very small holes. This makes for virtually unnoticeable patching. Again, compared to mud jacking that requires more (and bigger) holes. (Learn More About Slab-Lifting Foam).

Step #3: Get The Work Done – Restore Your Foundation

This last step is where our professional crews take the reins and implement the best custom solution to suit your needs. Our residential projects tend to be fast, efficient, and an absolute pleasure for homeowners (vs. the usual messy run-around).

If you’re in our neck of the woods — basically a 300-mile radius around Amarillo, TX — you know who to call: Childers Brothers. But overall, the point here is to let the professionals handle the foundation repair process to ensure you’re covered, and everything is done with impeccable attention to the details. Thanks for your time today.