Crawl Space Encapsulation Helps a 1970s Murfreesboro Home
A homeowner reached out to us with foundation concerns. Find out how we removed old cellulose insulation, encapsulated his crawl space, and installed piers.
More often than not, home repairs can be a pretty frustrating experience. Nevertheless, it’s essential to keep your house in a good condition for you and your family. So, how do you go about repairs that include foundation, basement, and crawl space problems?
Well, with a quality team of professionals and their help, the whole process might be way easier than you’d imagine. We received a call from a homeowner who had noticed signs of settling in his home and was concerned about the health of his foundation. Our local team in Nashville, TN, met with the homeowner and discussed the state of his home. He was noticing signs of foundation settlement and wanted to ensure the house stays in tip-top shape for when one of his descendants inherits it. Next, our team carried out a careful inspection and recommended a range of solutions to restore the home to its previous state and ensure its longevity going forward.
The job took a mere two days. The client’s home is now safe and secure with high-end foundation and crawl space repairs and no signs of previous damage. Delighted with the job done by the team, the customer can now get on with his life without losing sleep over the state of his home. And more importantly, his family won’t have to worry about the health of the foundation or crawl space when they inherit the home in the future.
Meeting with the Homeowner
Oftentimes, when homeowners reach out to professionals, they may not be aware of the consequences foundation issues could be having on the health of their home. Foundation and settlement problems can have far-reaching ramifications and our customer’s home was no exception. His home was in a pretty bad state, which he was not necessarily aware of. Here’s his story.
The homeowner contacted our team because he wanted to be proactive and prevent any potential problems that may be brewing. After all, his home was built in the late 1970s and he wanted to continue living there for the remainder of his life. He had been living there for 17 years and had not encountered any serious structural problems. Nevertheless, our team discovered numerous issues with his foundation and crawl space that he simply couldn’t notice as he is not a professional.
To help him better understand the problems his home was facing, our inspector explained how the weather and the soil around his home were impacting its foundation and crawl space. Since our homeowner lives in Murfreesboro, outside of Nashville, TN, his home had been a victim of a combination of warm temperatures, clay soil, and moisture. Clay soil can cause serious harm to a home’s foundation and crawl space.
When you pair clay with warm temperatures and rain or groundwater, you have a perfect recipe for the disaster known as expansive soil. The clay soil reacts to higher temperatures by expanding; hence, allowing your house to slowly sink into the ground. Most of the time, it’s the reason behind basement, foundation, and crawl space damage.
The Initial Inspection
Clear and open communication between the inspector and the homeowner stands behind all successful home repairs. Without it, the process can, and usually does, end up going sideways. That is why we do our best to communicate as frankly and plainly as possible with our customers.
We communicated what we saw on site with the homeowner, helping him understand how the repairs would benefit his home. We saw clear signs of foundation settlement, with cracks developing near the doors. The structural integrity of our customer’s home was threatened and the crawl space was struggling.
The Repairs
Repairing such damage would require a multi-step approach. First, one of our installation crews had to find a way to fix the foundation. After that, they would need to address the cracks in the crawl space. Here’s what they came up with.
When it comes to dealing with concrete slab and foundation problems, there aren’t many better options than piers for stabilization. Hence, our team placed 10 push piers under the problematic foundation walls to address the foundation settlement. The push pier installation depth ranged from 4’ to 18’.
But apart from this solution, the homeowner was more than willing to encapsulate the crawl space. Therefore, the team put in place a vapor barrier after removing the cellulose insulation around the perimeter. The team also installed a dehumidifier and fixed the crawl space door.
The Bottom Line
Quality foundation and crawl space fixes are complex and require professional assistance. So, don’t hesitate to contact us if you suspect there’s something wrong with your home. The good news is, initial inspections are free and our team won’t hesitate to openly talk to you about what type of work you’ll need to do.
So, don’t allow the weather and soil to endanger the safety of your home and your family. Contact us for a free inspection and repair quote now. Our team in Nashville, TN, will be more than happy to come around and help you with any type of foundation, crawl space, and basement repair.
