What are the Pros and Cons of Concrete Piers?

What are the Pros and Cons of Concrete Piers?

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What are the best reasons to install concrete piers to help your home’s foundation?

These are some of the many pier systems we can install to solve foundation problems. Once you’ve reached the point where your home is no longer structurally sound, it may be worthwhile to explore home piering with materials like steel or concrete. Olson Foundation Repair can tell you anything you want to know about these and other maintenance measures whenever we visit your home for a free diagnostic inspection.

Pros for Installing Concrete Piers

We normally do these when there are framework (rather than foundation) issues affecting the home. The best time to consider concrete piering is when you have steel posts supporting your home, but they no longer sit on a proper fitting. You can use an additional concrete support pier to help pick up the slack.

You might also find older homes where the floor is sinking or deteriorating. Finally, sometimes the floor joists, ones surrounded by a dirt floor, show extensive damage. In these scenarios, you could install concrete footings.

This isn’t just a simple cinder block post, either. Concrete piering involves heavy-duty posts, with pads, all attached to a new or existing girder. This gives you much more help to support the weight of the home. So, while concrete is significantly less durable than steel, it has plenty of value and purpose in certain contexts.

Are There Any “Cons” to Concrete Piers?

As usual, the only time there’s a con to any task, it’s either because the solution doesn’t match the problem, or you received subpar installation work. One crucial step (for concrete piering or anything else) is to make sure you understand what the foundation contractor will do and WHY they’re doing it, prior to the project.

That’s why we emphasize initial consultations and inspections. It offers you, the customer, the opportunity to comprehend the scope and magnitude of the foundation/framework damage. Plus, it includes a cost estimate to help you make budget decisions and determine how to pursue financing options (if applicable).

Benefits of Foundation Piering

Whether the best approach involves installing concrete or steel to support your home, it’s helpful to understand the benefits of the job. Here are a few reasons you may opt for foundation piering for your Kansas City home.

  • It can help the foundation cope with difficult soil conditions. This could be hills and slopes, but it also involves the soil composition itself. We have lots of clay soil in our region, which is vulnerable to freezing and thawing, causing it to expand and contract, and take its toll on the foundation.
  • It’s also the beginning step you should take to waterproof your home if you’re struggling with structurally driven water intrusion.
  • Even though this isn’t a “cheap” project, by any means, it’s much more cost effective than older methods with far more excavation and labor.
  • With proper installation, this is a remedy that will last decades, and you won’t have to deal with new wall cracks for a long time.

Olson Foundation Repair – Helping you Regain Home Stability & Peace of Mind

So, if you’d like to explore foundation piering options for your home, then consider the reliable workmanship of Olson Foundation Repair. We’re the KC metro area’s best contractor for this work, which involves plenty of precision, and isn’t amenable to the “DIY” approach. Fortunately, we have a variety of foundation repair and waterproofing methods, and many of them don’t require an exorbitant cost investment.

You can contact Olson Foundation Repair anytime to inquire about concrete piers, steel piers, wall restraints, or any other way we resolve the most difficult foundation shifting.

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JOHN MURPHY

Owner