Foundation Repair Services

SERVICES

Foundation Repairs

Cracked, leaking foundations are more common than you might think. In fact, living in a place like Vancouver, BC, where the annual rainfall is markedly higher than many places in the world, it is only to be expected that foundations – situated as they are below ground, pressed against soggy, water-soaked soil – will take strain. Some more than others.

When saturated soil presses against your foundation, it can put immense pressure on the foundation, creating cracks and other opportunities for water to penetrate the walls. This is commonly referred to as ‘Hydrostatic Pressure’, and is often the major cause of basement water problems. Think of it this way: with water weighing slightly more than 60lbs. per cubic foot, it’s not a stretch to understand that if the soil around your basement becomes saturated with water, there could be tens of thousands of pounds of hydrostatic pressure against your foundation. With this amount of pressure, it’s again not a stretch to understand why and how water will find its way through even the smallest crack or gap in your walls.

It’s worth noting here that even a well-constructed basement foundation can’t provide a perfect barrier against hydrostatic pressure – it is just one of those quirks which mother nature is so fond of throwing at homeowners. Which is why it’s imperative to come up with effective waterproofing and drainage systems and solutions that can relieve that pressure. Solutions which your Urban Water Works team already has years of experience in.

Along with hydrostatic pressure, foundations can also lose integrity and suffer serious damage over time simply due to:

  • Trenchless
  • Hydro excavating
  • Excavator
  • Hand digging

Trenchless involves digging two holes, one at the curb stop and the other typically at the foundation. The old water service/ water line is cut at both ends, then a cable is put through the existing line and the new water service is pulled in behind the old water service, minimizing damage to your property.

How will you know when your foundation is in need of repair? Signs of a possible need for foundation repair may include things like:

  • Water stains on floors and walls
  • Signs of Efflorescence on the walls (i.e., a crystalline deposit of salts often seen on the surface of concrete, brick, stucco or natural stone surfaces)
  • A musty or damp smell
  • Spalling (i.e., when water enters brick, concrete, or natural stone and consequently forces the surface to peel, pop out, or flake off)
  • Flooding
  • Honeycombing (i.e., when areas of the surface present as coarse and stony)
  • Sagging or bouncy floors
  • Visible cracks in your exterior stucco – an almost certain sign of a foundation that is compressing, shifting or settling (i.e., moving enough to cause cracking)
  • Cracks in your drywall (which will present as gaps and/or diagonal cracks in the weak areas around doors, windows and vents)
  • Sticking or jamming windows and doors that require extra force to open and close.
  • Unlevel or sloped floors
  • Obvious cracks in concrete slabs in and around your home (for e.g., in your basement or carport)

These are just some of the signs that your foundation may be failing underfoot.

It is also important to note that these issues won’t fix themselves: your foundation and associated concrete slabs won’t re-settle or re-shift ‘into place’ and magically fix the issue over time. Once the signs have appeared, it’s time to call in the experts to assess the damage, repair the issues, and get your home back on solid ground.

There is good news: if you identify the damage before it becomes too advanced, and get the foundation repair specialists in right away, most foundation issues have relatively simple, permanent solutions. At Urban Water Works, you can trust our knowledge and years of experience to get your foundation repaired quickly, expertly, and cost-effectively.

Whether your foundation problems are cosmetic blemishes or a matter of extreme structural importance, we have the expertise, and all the latest tools and technologies, to tackle them with minimum disruption to your life. We have solutions to all your foundation issues, regardless of the cause or the resulting effects, and will have your foundation, and your home, stabilized and structurally sound in no time at all.

Our Urban Water Works team can address all of your foundation concerns quickly and efficiently, giving you peace of mind and a home built on foundations that allow you to sleep safely and soundly.

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