Let’s check out the pros and cons of installing wall bracing to address residential foundation problems. This is a more elaborate measure, where we install piers underneath your home to reestablish stability. It’s not a simple task, but it gets the job done for a long time, allowing you to regain peace of mind.

Wall Bracing: Many Significant Pros & Benefits

There are a lot of pros to this approach, but first, let’s go over the basics of installing piers.

If you have a house experiencing very serious shifting, usually settling downward, we’ll go underneath the footing to drive steel pipe down to the bedrock. Then once we’ve done that, we go underneath the foundation to put in a bracket plate, lift the frame of the home, tighten it altogether, and backfill everything.

How do we know when this is a viable solution?

You can tell you might need something like this if there are serious structural impediments like doors/windows not opening, floors off balance, or sheetrock damage. We install heavy-duty piers to give the structure much more stability. After handling the fundamentals, we can address the doors, windows, and floors that are out of place or damaged.

Cons of Pier Installation? Only if You Hire the Wrong Contractor

There aren’t any obvious cons to installing piers. The only legitimate con would be to install them when you don’t need them. In other words, don’t get conned by an unscrupulous contractor into doing something expensive when a simpler fix will suffice.

Contact a Structural Engineer for Uncertain Scenarios

Sometimes, we arrive at a house, and the solution isn’t immediately clear. It’s common for us to call a structural engineer to review the foundation structure and offer an expert opinion. This will come as an official, notarized letter, too.

The engineer will either recommend structural repairs or declare the home structurally sound. If it’s the latter, then you can go with simpler cosmetic solutions for cracks and superficial damages.

Unfortunately, there are contractors who will find cracks and immediately insist you need pier installation. That’s why you want the opinion of a structural engineer, which we’re more than happy to obtain for you. Olson Foundation Repair doesn’t push premium repair options when there are more cost-effective measures available.

Whatever you do, don’t get conned by a company trying to sell you steel piers just to make more money. Other than that, the only other minor “con” against piers is if it requires outside excavation where we may have to dig up the yard a little.

Other Important Benefits to Wall Bracing

You may recall one of our previous posts, where we addressed some of the other benefits of installing wall braces. Here are a few other perks to this reliable foundation solution.

• Our method involves putting the piers entirely underground, so it doesn’t change your home aesthetic at all. The only minor inconvenience may come from temporary landscaping disruptions if something’s close to where we excavate.
• This is a crucial first step to waterproofing your home if you’re struggling with related leaks, cracks, and other damages.
• It’s also a great way to preserve older homes, even if they’re over 100 years old.
• Once you’ve done this to re-stabilize your home, you’re good for decades and won’t have to revisit the same problems.

Olson Foundation Repair: Pier Installation Done Right the First Time

Olson Foundation Repair offers Kansas City homeowners several options for addressing foundation issues. You can call us for a free inspection, we’ll assess the problems, help you understand them, explore solutions, and make an offer. This is how we approach every potential project whether it’s minor, like epoxy injections, or more elaborate, like pier installation.

Every service comes with competitive service warranties, and if problems occur, we’ll honor our commitment and revisit the issue. That’s the reason we enjoy lots of positive customer feedback from folks in Kansas City, Lenexa, Overland Park, Prairie Village, and other nearby communities.

If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of wall bracing, or would like for us to inspect your home foundation, then contact Olson Foundation Repair anytime for help in Kansas City.