Cold Weather Foundation Tips

Did you know that a busted pipe under your home can cause massive foundation issues due to the soil shifting and expanding due to the amount of water? You can stop this from happening by taking a few winter precautions on your home and winterizing you pipes;

Protect Your Pipes located in attics, crawl spaces, basements, and near outer walls can be susceptible to freezing in extreme temperatures. When the forecast calls for unusually cold temperatures, let water drip from hot and cold faucets overnight. Also try keeping cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate in places like below sinks. If you open the cabinet doors, be sure to remove anything inside the cabinets that may pose a safety to hazard to children, such as household cleaners. For exposed pipes in your attic, basement, or crawlspaces, add extra insulation around them.

By doing these few minor things you can save your self the costly expense of fixing a busted pipe and later your foundation.

Check out our website at www.piers-r-us.com and click here for more Good to Know Foundation Tips!Well its a cold windy day here in Wichita Falls and surrounding areas but that hasn't stopped our crew from loading up and driving to Lawton Oklahoma to do some foundation repair on a home.

Those guys are top knotch in my book,

-Your Wichita Falls Foundation Experts

Crowell Texas Foundation Repair

Well its a cold and rainey day today but that did not stop our amazing crew from traveling to Crowell Texas to repair a home that was in need of foundation repair. I've said it before and Ill say it again, we have the most amazing guys that work for us. They will work in 110 degrees and below freezing to ensure your homes foundation is fixed. We gave the crew the option of rescheduling this morning and they wanted no part in rescheduling they loaded up the truck and off they went to Crowell...I call that dedication !!!!

Check out our website for more information on how we can help you with all your foundation needs. http://www.piers-r-us.com/

Where is the Real Value in Foundation Repair?

There are many foundation companies to choose from and many people want to go with the most affordable option, which is understandable in times like these. With the 'cheapest' repair also comes most costly repairs in the future. With economic instability home values are the first priority to new home owners. Conscious buyers are more aware of future maintenance costs of their new property.


Does your foundation repair company offer you a lifetime transferable warranty on all foundation work done? Transferable means the warranty stays with the home not the current homeowner, this can be a great added value to the home. This along with the 3rd party engineering reports we offer will give potential home buyers piece of mind that the investment they are about to make will not cost them in the long run. But you need to remember the old saying " You get what you pay for" we might not be the cheapest but we are the best. We offer numerous payment plans and will work with any budget. To add value and trust to your home remember where the value is in Foundation Repair.

You can find information about us on a lot of places on the web places such as, Thumbtack General Contractor, Facebook, Google, Bing, Yahoo and Angie's List just to name a few.

Foundation Damage Causes Wichita Falls | Texoma

When a home has foundation repairs made to it, it is crucial the foundation is maintained. Similarly to changing the oil in your car to ensure it does its job, your home foundation needs to be maintained too to ensure it does its job. Wichita Falls and the surrounding areas have lower soil density than most Texoma areas, maintenance is mandatory in order to sustain the value of your property.


A Guide To Soil Moisture & Foundation Damage
Foundation problems can be caused in the Wichita Falls and surrounding areas can be caused by loose soil, not enough water and many other reasons.
If all soils beneath a foundation swells uniformly or shrinks uniformly it is unlikely to cause a problem. But when only part of the foundation heaves or settles, differential movement causes cracks and other damage.
If all soils beneath a foundation swells uniformly or shrinks uniformly it is unlikely to cause a problem. But when only part of the foundation heaves or settles, differential movement causes cracks and other damage.
Water is the main enemy in expansive soils problems. There is either too much water, causing the soil to swell, or not enough, causing the soil to shrink.
Most differential movement is caused by differences in soils moisture. After construction, soil beneath part of the foundation becomes wetter or drier than the rest of the soil.


Soil Moisture
This is the most serious threat since the swelling potential of expansive soils is much greater than the shrinkage potential. Moisture gain can come from plumbing leaks, subsurface water like wet weather or a high water table, or surface water. Surface water is improper drainage of landscape water or rainwater.
Poor drainage can be a major contributor to soil moisture gains. Roof runoff should be directed away from the house through the use of gutters. Gutter downspouts should not be permitted to discharge the water next to the foundation. Surface drainage next to the foundation should slope away from the house approximately ¼ ” per foot.


Foundation Settlement & Damage
The soil may be at or near its optimum moisture content when the foundation is built, but it may lose enough moisture during a drought to cause the foundation to settle. Settlement is usually greatest near the perimeter of the foundation where the soil dries most quickly.
If the soil content is very low when a slab-on-grade foundation is poured, soil to the slab edges regains moisture first because it is directly exposed to rain water or irrigation water. If the soil moisture is extremely high during construction, the slab will hold in the moisture except at the perimeter, where it is exposed to more wind and heat. In cases like this the slab edge loses moisture at a different rate than the soils under the house and the house will settle.
If the bearing soil was not compacted properly during grading, the foundation is subject to settlement as the supporting soil consolidates.

Soil Conditions Wichita Falls & Texoma
Also of concern is when a structure is supported by various soil conditions in the Texoma areas. In this case the house may settle differentially. As an example, if one half of the foundation sits upon expansive clay and the other half bears on select fill and/or rock, the amount of seasonal movement will vary from one half to the other half. If the foundation system is not properly designed, the differential movement may cause damage to the foundation and structure.

If your experiencing foundation problems in the Wichita Falls and surrounding areas, please visit your trusted foundation repair experts.

Good to know foundation information

When a home has foundation repairs made to it, it is crucial the foundation is maintained change the oil in your car to ensure it does its job, your home foundation needs to be maintained too to ensure it does its job.

A Guide To Soil Moisture & Foundation Damage

Foundation problems can be caused by loose soil, not enough water and many other reasons.

If all soils beneath a foundation swells uniformly or shrinks uniformly it is unlikely to cause a problem. But when only part of the foundation heaves or settles, differential movement causes cracks and other damage.

If all soils beneath a foundation swells uniformly or shrinks uniformly it is unlikely to cause a problem. But when only part of the foundation heaves or settles, differential movement causes cracks and other damage.

Water is the main enemy in expansive soils problems. There is either too much water, causing the soil to swell, or not enough, causing the soil to shrink.

Most differential movement is caused by differences in soils moisture. After construction, soil beneath part of the foundation becomes wetter or drier than the rest of the soil.

When there is a gain in soil moisture:

This is the most serious threat since the swelling potential of expansive soils is much greater than the shrinkage potential. Moisture gain can come from plumbing leaks, subsurface water like wet weather or a high water table, or surface water. Surface water is improper drainage of landscape water or rainwater.

Poor drainage can be a major contributor to soil moisture gains. Roof runoff should be directed away from the house through the use of gutters. Gutter downspouts should not be permitted to discharge the water next to the foundation. Surface drainage next to the foundation should slope away from the house approximately ¼ ” per foot.

When there is a loss of soil moisture:

The soil may be at or near its optimum moisture content when the foundation is built, but it may lose enough moisture during a drought to cause the foundation to settle. Settlement is usually greatest near the perimeter of the foundation where the soil dries most quickly.

If the soil content is very low when a slab-on-grade foundation is poured, soil to the slab edges regains moisture first because it is directly exposed to rain water or irrigation water. If the soil moisture is extremely high during construction, the slab will hold in the moisture except at the perimeter, where it is exposed to more wind and heat. In cases like this the slab edge loses moisture at a different rate than the soils under the house and the house will settle.

If the bearing soil was not compacted properly during grading, the foundation is subject to settlement as the supporting soil consolidates.

Also of concern is when a structure is supported by various soil conditions. In this case the house may settle differentially. As an example, if one half of the foundation sits upon expansive clay and the other half bears on select fill and/or rock, the amount of seasonal movement will vary from one half to the other half. If the foundation system is not properly designed, the differential movement may cause damage to the foundation and structure.

Big Job today !!!

Our crew is hard at work today in Walters, Oklahoma doing a 16 pier job. I have to say our crew may be the best around, they are hard working to say the least. Some times I'm not sure how they do it and keep a positive attitude all the time especially when it was 110+ outside during the summer. Thankfully the temperatures is getting cooler and it will give the guys a little relief. I hope the winter isn't too bad for them either, I'm not sure which is worst being cold or being hot.

We have has a lot going on here lately and that is great, we have a website up now it can be found here at
 Piers-R-Us, go check it out and tell me what you think !!!!

What to Look for In a Foundation Repair Specialist?

You need to sell your house? Your real estate agent says you're in need of foundation repair! What do you do? Here are a few things to look for when choosing your next Foundation Repair Specialist.

1) Will they return your property the way they left it? Will they relocate all of your shrubs and plants?

2) Are they working with their own trusted crew? Are they picking up day-workers down the street? Trust is a big issue with foundation repair, communication is essential between workers and the crew leader and you.

3) Will they foundation repair experts provide you with City Permit Specifications or Third Party Engineering Reports? All needed to approve foundation pier repair completion.

Please consult your local foundation repair specialists for more information.