Buying a House With Foundation Piers? What To Know
If a home has foundation piers, it usually means there were some structural issues in the past, which might be something you’d want to think about when buying a home.
Below, learn what foundation piers do, what it means when a house has them, and how a foundation repair expert can provide peace of mind.
What Are Foundation Piers?
Builders sometimes install foundation piers during construction. For example, they might use helical piers when a new home needs a deep foundation. However, the most common reason for foundation piers is to strengthen a foundation after differential settlement. This happens when the property settles at different rates, causing instability.
There are different types of foundation piers, including
Read more: 5 Things To Know About Foundation Piers
What Causes Foundation Problems?
If a home you’re interested in has foundation piers, it might mean that differential settlement occurred in the past. Here are a few ways this could have happened:
- The home was built on expansive soil: Soil with a lot of clay content can expand when it absorbs water and shrink again when it dries out. This can put stress on a foundation and cause differential settlement.
- Drainage problems around the property: Poor drainage leads to various problems. If the yard slopes toward the foundation, it can saturate the soil outside the basement walls, resulting in hydrostatic pressure. This can cause the walls to crack or bow inward.
- Improper soil compaction before construction: Soil must be correctly compacted before laying a foundation on top of it. Otherwise, the soil may cause movement beneath the property, contributing to differential settlement and other issues.
- Weather changes: If you build a home on expansive soil during the dry months, the soil can expand when it rains, causing foundation movement.
- Flooding: Flood water, even if it moves slowly, can shift a foundation.
- Extensive excavation: Digging a hole too close to a foundation may cause differential settlement and other trouble.
- Earthquakes: Seismic activity also causes ground movement that can destabilize a foundation.
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Foundation Settlement
It a Good Idea To Buy a House With Foundation Piers?
Most homes experience foundation problems eventually. A property with foundation piers suggests a previous structural problem that has now been fixed, which can be a good thing.
That said, you should consider the following before buying a home with foundation piers:
- Did the foundation repair come with a transferable warranty? If so, will transferring the warranty into your name cost anything?
- Is the company that installed the foundation piers still around and likely to stay in business? If the company stops operating, you won’t be able to use your warranty.
Tip: Never purchase a home without asking a professional to inspect it. A foundation repair contractor or structural engineer can examine the property and tell you if it has any structural damage.
Read more: Should You Buy a Home That Needs Foundation Repair?
When To Think About Walking Away From a House With Foundation Piers
You might not want to buy a home with foundation piers in the following circumstances:
- The repair doesn’t have a warranty or is no longer under warranty.
- You can’t transfer the warranty into your name.
- The company that installed the foundation piers is no longer in operation.
- A foundation repair expert or structural engineer says the home still has structural problems.
How Do I Know If a Property Has Foundation Piers?
There are two ways to find out:
- Ask the seller or your real estate agent
- Ask a foundation repair contractor or a structural engineer. They can see if the homeowner has made foundation repairs to the property.
How Long Do Foundation Piers Last?
Foundation piers can stabilize a home for many years. Made from strong materials like concrete and steel, they are positioned in the ground where the soil is most stable. Piers spread the weight of a property evenly, making them one of the most effective foundation repair solutions.
Get a Foundation Inspection
Buying a home with foundation piers doesn’t mean disaster. However, you should always get a professional like Groundworks to inspect the property before you sign on the dotted line.
We can tell you whether a foundation is stable and likely to cause problems in the future.
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