foundation repair waterproofing

What Is House Leveling and When Is It Needed?

House leveling is the process of restoring a home to a square and level condition. It’s used to correct the problem of foundation settling, which occurs over time as the earth beneath the house erodes or becomes compressed.

Your home may need house leveling foundation services if you’ve noticed any of these warning signs:

  1. Windows and doors that stick – in severe cases, the frames may crack and the glass might shatter.
  2. Cracks in the walls – either inside or outside the home.
  3. Sloping or lopsided floors – that can affect a room’s appearance or even its comfort.
  4. Corners that are out of square – If interior walls no longer meet at a 90-degree angle, then a settling foundation is the likely cause.
  5. Cracked or leaking pipes – due to constant pressure on the home’s plumbing fixtures.
  6. Squeaking or cracking noises – which can indicate that the home’s frame is beginning to fail.
  7. Gaps around ceiling trim or crown molding – this is a likely sign that you need foundation repair.

 House leveling is one of the many Dallas-Fort Worth foundation repair services we provide. Get in touch with us today to schedule your free inspection.

Contact Align Foundation Repair to schedule a home inspection and leveling today.

What Can Cause a Home’s Foundation to Sink

Believe it or not, the ground under your feet is constantly shifting and moving. Most of us don’t notice these changes because they occur slowly, over a period of many years.

A number of things can speed up this process, including the natural settling that occurs after a home is constructed. To understand why, consider that a typical American house can weigh up to 80 tons, which is 40 times heavier than the average automobile.

All of that weight creates constant pressure on the soil underneath your home, amplifying the natural effects of erosion. Eventually, your house will begin to sag and slope, compromising its safety and livability.

Repair the damage from a sinking foundation. Contact Align Foundation Repair for a free estimate.

We Can Fix Your Sinking Foundation

As North Texas foundation repair experts, we have the equipment and expertise needed to make your home sound and level once more. We use industrial-grade hydraulic lifts along with steel or concrete pilings to anchor it to the bedrock deep in the earth. This creates a true long-term solution to the problem.

Get in touch with us today to schedule a visit from one of our trained technicians. You’ll soon have the facts you need to take the next step.

Home foundation repair inspection contractor

End of Summer Means Time for Foundation Repair

If you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, then the end of summer is the perfect time to think about foundation repair. Here are the reasons why:

  1. Hot weather can cause the soil around your home to dry out and settle – robbing your foundation of needed support.
  2. Plants and trees in your yard draw water out of the earth – contributing to the soil’s moisture depletion.

The best way to guard against these problems is to contact our foundation repair services company today to schedule a free inspection. Here, we look more closely at those three factors mentioned above.

How Dry Soil Can Hurt Your Foundation

Anyone who lives in the Lone Star State knows just how brutal our summers can be. Months of hot, dry weather can suck the moisture right out of the soil, causing it to contract and robbing your foundation of much-needed support. Common signs of this problem include:

  • Cracks along the perimeter of your home
  • Warped or buckling floor tiles
  • Loose or damaged bricks
  • Gaps along window frames
Seeing signs of trouble in your foundation? Contact Align Foundation Repair for a free estimate.

Plants and Trees May Contribute to the Problem

The plants and trees around your home need moisture to survive. They draw this essential liquid in through their roots, speeding up the soil contraction process and taking a further toll on your foundation.

Dallas Foundation Repair Services You Can Trust

Autumn is the perfect time for an inspection performed by your local Dallas-Fort Worth interior foundation repair professionals. That way, you can catch any problems before cold weather sets in. After all, who wants to spend the holiday season worrying about home repairs?

Align Foundation Repair is known and respected throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area for our expertise, affordability, and outstanding customer service. Our rates are fair and our work is guaranteed.

Contact us today to schedule your free, no-obligation inspection. The sooner you reach out to our North Texas foundation repair experts, the sooner your foundation problems will be in the past.

Investor show hand holding a model home and coin

Does Foundation Repair Add Value to Your Home?

Foundation repair adds value to your home by protecting it from serious structural damage. If your foundation is in trouble, then it’s important to have the problem corrected right away. Otherwise, you might find yourself on the hook for expensive repairs that will turn potential buyers away.

Does Foundation Repair Increase Home Value?

The answer is absolutely “yes,” foundation repair does increase home value, when you consider what may happen if structural problems in your foundation are allowed to develop and worsen.

Here’s what you can expect if foundation problems are not addressed:

  • Big repair bills – that will only grow bigger the longer you put off the work.
  • Declining home values – the housing market will de-value your home if it has serious structural integrity issues.
  • Difficulty selling your house – home inspectors will red-flag any obvious foundation problems to potential buyers.
  • Jeopardizing your quality of life – a failing foundation will impact every aspect of your home’s construction. Eventually, the floors and walls may begin to buckle, jeopardizing your wellbeing. In extreme cases, the home might even become unlivable.
Head these problems off before they can start. Contact Align Foundation Repair for a free estimate.

Align Foundation Repair provides comprehensive foundation repair services that are affordable and backed by guarantees. If you are concerned about foundation problems impacting the value of your home, reach out to us today to schedule a free inspection.

Does Foundation Repair Affect Home Value?

Repairing your foundation will do more than protect your home. It will also lay the groundwork for future projects that will make your house not only more valuable but more enjoyable as well.

Having a strong, healthy foundation is a crucial first step before pursuing big home improvement projects, such as remodeling your kitchen or adding an extra room to your house.

Our Dallas-Fort Worth interior foundation repair professionals can help you ward off future trouble while maximizing your upcoming opportunities.

Raise your home value and contact Align Foundation Repair today.

Foundation Repair Services You Can Trust

Here at Align Foundation Repair, we’re known and trusted throughout the local Dallas-Fort Worth area for our expertise and our ethics. Here’s what you can expect when you do business with us:

  • A thorough inspection of your home’s foundation – so you’ll know exactly what kind of shape it’s in.
  • A free, no-obligation estimate – giving you the facts you need to make an informed decision.
  • Rates that are fair and honest – we’ll do everything possible to make your foundation repairs affordable.
  • Work that’s guaranteed – once the repairs are complete, you can relax and enjoy some much-needed peace of mind.

Contact our North Texas foundation repair experts today to schedule a visit from one of our technicians. With our free inspection and price quote, you will get all the facts you need to make an informed decision about how best to address your home’s foundation issues.

Architecture detail of damaged house corner dilapidated old building facade wall over blue sky background. Private abandoned home fall to ruin. Exterior House

How Foundation Problems Can Also Cause Roof Damage

Foundation problems can damage your roof in three ways:

  1. By forcing the ridgeline to curve.
  2. By pushing beams out of place.
  3. By creating gaps between shingles or other roofing materials.

Roofing work alone may correct these problems for a while. But foundation repair is essential to prevent them from coming back.

Contact our foundation repair services company today for a free inspection and to have your questions answered by our friendly professionals. For now, let’s take a closer look at how roof problems and foundation problems are connected.

Where Your Foundation Goes, the Rest of Your Home Will Follow

Foundation problems can cause trouble throughout your house, not just the parts that are underground. To understand why, consider that modern houses are held together by tightly connected wooden frames. The frame is supported by the foundation, which is held up by the earth itself. It only takes one weak link to create problems throughout the entire system.

Unexplained damage to your home can be signs of foundation damage. Contact Align Foundation Repair for a free estimate.

A lot of things can damage your home’s foundation. These include:

  • Soil contraction – here in North Texas, the fierce heat of the summer sun can cause the earth around your home to expand and contract. This creates “push and pull” pressure on the foundation that weakens its structure over time.
  • Thermal expansion – the sun has a similar effect on the foundation itself, which soaks up solar heat during the day and releases it at night.
  • Root growth – underground roots from nearby trees and large bushes can literally poke holes in your foundation. Roots also contribute to moisture evaporation.
  • Normal settling – the average home can weigh anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 pounds. All that weight puts constant pressure on your foundation, forcing it deeper into the ground while bending it out of shape.

Because every part of your home is interconnected, these issues can spread throughout the frame and eventually affect the roof, too. When that happens, you may notice any or all of the following problems:

  • A groaning or creaking sound coming from your attic.
  • Gaps or cracks in the wooden decking beneath your roof’s exterior.
  • Loose or missing shingles.
  • Bent or damaged roofing panels (in the case of a metal roof).
Seeing signs of trouble in your foundation? Contact Align Foundation Repair for a free estimate.

For all these reasons, it’s a good idea to have a qualified Dallas-Fort Worth interior foundation repair contractor perform an inspection, no matter what kind of home problems you’re having. Otherwise, you could sink a lot of money into costly repairs without addressing the underlying cause.

Foundation Repair Services You Can Trust

Here at Align Foundation Repair, we serve the people of North Texas by providing quality service at affordable prices. Our work is guaranteed and we’re happy to furnish references from past customers.

The sooner you act, the sooner your home problems will be in the past. Contact our North Texas foundation repair experts today to schedule your free, no-obligation inspection and estimate.

Foundation Repair Inspection Free Estimate

Is Foundation Repair Worth It?

If your home has developed foundation problems, professional foundation repair is definitely worth the investment to protect your home’s value and livability. Here’s why:

  • No amount of home improvements can make up for a bad foundation – since the foundation is what supports the rest of the structure.
  • A strong, solid foundation is the first thing that a home inspector will look for – selling or financing a home with foundation problems is virtually impossible.
  • Foundation repair is more affordable than you may think – especially when you consider the many financing options that are available. Our customer service experts will be glad to give you all the details.

Let’s look at each of these points in more detail.

Contact Align Foundation Repair to protect your home’s value and livability today.

Your Foundation Is the Most Important Part of Your Home

In America, the average family house weighs between 100,000 and 200,000 pounds. Your foundation’s job is to bear that heavy load 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here’s what can happen when it begins to fail:

  • Floors start to sink – you will notice sagging or uneven floors.
  • Door and window frames begin to separate from the surrounding walls – making them hard to open or close.
  • The walls in your home can move out of square – giving the rooms an odd-looking oval shape.
  • Your roof can spring a leak – believe it or not, foundation damage can create a chain reaction that affects even your roof.

Align Foundation Repair provides professional foundation repair services to prevent and rectify these problems. The cost of putting off the work will only get higher over time, taking a bigger bite out of your finances.

Seeing signs of trouble in your foundation? Contact Align Foundation Repair for a free estimate.

Keeping Your Home in Sellable Condition

Interested in selling your home? Remember, buyers will almost always hire a professional inspector to give your house a top to bottom check. Any trouble with the foundation will immediately become known to the potential purchaser, putting the sale in serious jeopardy.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why foundation repair services are such a smart investment. The cost of being stuck with an unsellable home is too great a risk.

Worried about the cost? Don’t be! We have several financing options from which to choose. Our friendly staff will do everything possible to fit the repairs within your budget.

Foundation Repair You Can Trust

Contact us today to learn more about our Dallas-Fort Worth interior foundation repair services and to schedule your free, no-obligation inspection and estimate.

Our North Texas foundation repair experts will give you all the facts you need to make an informed decision. Make sure to ask about our special financing options!

Basement or crawl space with upper floor insulation and wooden support beams. An area of limited height under the floor of a house with concrete wall and floor.

What to Expect During the Crawl Space Encapsulation Process

The primary purpose of Crawl space encapsulation in North Texas is to control vapor (humidity/moisture) in the crawlspace.   Vapor above safe limits can cause excess organic growth, like mold, and cause sever lumber damage, weakening the structural integrity of the foundation system – think of the lumber like a sponge for vapor, a food source for the organic growth.  Additional benefits of encapsulation are a healthier crawlspace leading to improved indoor air quality.

The installation is relatively quick, typically less than a week and will have minimal impact on your daily activities. The professionals at Align Foundation Repair can answer any questions you may have when you contact us for your free estimate. Read on below for what to expect from crawl space encapsulation

Crawl Space Encapsulation Step-By-Step

Most crawl space encapsulation projects follow these five steps:

  1. Cleaning out the crawl space itself – We’ll remove clutter and debris.
  2. Performing repairs – This step is only needed if we find damage to structural system. An estimate of damaged lumber is provided prior to install, generally along with the proposal for the vapor barrier.
  3. Laying out the vapor barrier/retarder – This is the most essential step in the encapsulation process – the material is rolled across the ground and attached to the piers and foundation walls with a dual adhesion system. We lap each layer and join the seams together with a low perm acrylic tape. The pressure-sensitive tapes provide maximum adhesion for a long-lasting seal.

Align only uses vapor barriers that conform the American Concrete Institute (ACI 302.2R-06) not allowing a permanence value over 0.010 PERMS.  Which allows it to be called a vapor barrier.  All vapor barriers are vapor retarders, not all vapor retarders are vapor barriers.  This is very important to complete a quality install.

Steps 4 and 5 are optional – WHY?  A lot of times the excess vapor is primarily caused by soil moisture evaporation, if the vapor barrier alone resolves this without creating other issues, then the passive ventilation systems can be considered adequate.  Drainage correction is typically recommended at a minimum with encapsulation.  This reduces the need for additional mechanical systems, lowering cost and maintenance, while still providing high level of benefit.

  1. Sealing vents – Sealing off passive vents is done when vapor levels are still high meaning the vapor barrier and passive ventilation are not sufficient enough.  This step has to be accompanied by mechanical dehumidification, ventilation, and drainage.
  2. Installing a heavy-duty dehumidifier and/or sump pump –This allows for complete control of the vapor levels under the home.  This is the most ideal situation because we have full CONTROL of the crawlspace and is the most beneficial way of install.  However, this does require additional maintenance and may not be required or necessary depending on site conditions.

We gain entry to your crawl space either through the existing access door or by tunneling under the foundation. This means you won’t have to worry about dirt and debris being tracked through your house or disruption to your daily life. The work itself typically takes no more than 2-5 days.

What You Can Expect Once the Job Is Complete

Once we’ve finished our crawl space encapsulation services, you can look forward to the following benefits:

  • Cleaner, fresher air inside your home – since most of the air circulated by your HVAC system comes from your crawl space.
  • Protection from moisture-related problems throughout your house – including the crawl space itself, where your floor joists are vulnerable to warping, splitting, or buckling from overly humid air.

Crawl Space Encapsulation Dallas

We’d love to tell you more about the benefits of crawl space encapsulation in Dallas. Contact us today for your free quote. We can soon help you to have a cleaner, safer, healthier place to call home.

foundation repair waterproofing

What Slab Leaks Can Do to Your Slab Foundation

A slab foundation leak can inflict serious damage on your home, either by causing it to heave upward or sink downward. This problem typically has one of two causes:

  1. Water supply leaks: caused by fresh water entering your home from your local utility provider.
  2. Sanitation leaks: caused by septic wastewater building up underneath your foundation.

Our Dallas slab foundation repair experts can correct both types of problems. But first let’s see what causes these issues in the first place.

Water Supply Leaks

Your home’s water supply is under constant pressure from the pumps that circulate it throughout your community. Over time, this can weaken the connections that hold the pipes together, causing water to leak underneath your foundation.

When this happens, you may notice any or all of the following problems:

  • Foundation upheaval: caused by expansion of the soil beneath your home due to moisture.
  • Sinking foundation: Water weakens the soil beneath your home.
  • Skyrocketing water bills: this is often the first warning sign that your water supply has sprung a leak.
  • Muddy soil around the perimeter of your home: which stays wet no matter how dry the weather is at the time.
  • Warping, buckling, or creaking floors: due to increased humidity in your crawl space or under your slab.
  • A hissing sound from underneath your home: due to pressurized water spewing out beneath the foundation.

These types of leaks are often the easiest to spot because of the effect they have on the homeowner’s water bill. A sanitation leak is harder to diagnose, although the damage it causes to your foundation can be many times greater. Let’s see why.

Sanitation Leaks

As the name implies, this problem is caused by leaks in your sewer line. It can go undetected for months or sometimes even years. When it does become obvious, it’s often because the foundation itself begins to sink into the ground. Left uncorrected, this can cause severe structural damage to your home.

Here are some warning signs that you may be dealing with a sanitation leak:

  • A sinking foundation: when the soil beneath your home becomes saturated to the point that it can no longer support the foundation.
  • Sewer line problems: such as drains that stay perpetually clogged no matter how much you plunge them.
  • Swampy soil around your home: especially if it has an objectionable odor.

Slab Repair Here in North Texas

No matter what caused the problems you’re experiencing, our slab foundation repair services can help. We’ve been serving the people of Dallas-Fort Worth and the surrounding region for more than 20 years. Our rates are fair and our work is guaranteed.

Our crews cover a wide range of DFW slab foundation repair service areas. Get in touch with us today for a free inspection and estimate from our slab foundation repair experts. You’ll soon have the facts you need to make an informed decision.

Cleaning gutters during the summer time.

4 Tips to Protect Your Foundation During Fall

With autumn on its way, now is the time to protect your home’s foundation from the upcoming changes in the weather. Here are four helpful tips for foundation protection:

  1. Clean and inspect your gutters.
  2. Make sure the property around your foundation is properly graded.
  3. Inspect exterior for signs of shifting.
  4. Call an experienced foundation repair contractor if you notice any warning signs of a damaged foundation.

Let’s look at each of these points in more detail.

Cleaning and Inspecting Your Gutters

Your gutters are your home’s first line of defense against rainwater erosion. But they need your help in order to do their job. Here’s how to keep them in good shape during the autumn months:

  • Clean them yourself or hire a professional to do the job for you: If you go the DIY route, then remember to follow basic safety precautions like using a sturdy ladder and eye protection.
  • Keep an eye out for cracks, corrosion, and other signs of damage and replace your gutters if necessary: this will cost you much less than repairing a damaged foundation.

Checking the Grade Around Your Foundation

A properly landscaped home will have soil that slopes away from the foundation and towards the street. This prevents rainwater from pooling around the perimeter of the home and entering your crawl space.

Checking the grade around your home is easy and requires no special tools. A landscaping company can correct any problems you find. You can also do the work yourself if you have the tools and the know-how.

Giving Your Foundation a Close Examination

Gutters and grading are essential for foundation protection. But all the precautions in the world may not be enough to prevent damage from occurring.

That’s why we recommend inspecting the perimeter and crawl space of your home 2-3 times a year. Here’s what to look for:

  • Cracks wider than about ¼ of an inch.
  • Standing water or excessive moisture in your crawl space.
  • Brick damage and Siding damage.

Call an Experienced Foundation Repair Company

If you notice any of the tell-tale signs of a troubled foundation, our foundation experts serving North Texas are ready to provide you with a free inspection and estimate. We provide a variety of professional foundation repair services, including pier and beam foundation repair, drainage system repair, crawl space encapsulation, and more. We’ve served the people of the Dallas-Fort Worth area for more than 20 years by providing excellent service at affordable prices. Our work is guaranteed, and we’re happy to provide references from past customers.

Remember, the earlier you catch the damage, the more money you can save in potentially costly repairs. We invite you to get in touch with our Dallas-Fort Worth foundation experts today for your free, no-obligation estimate.

Deep crack in old brick wall - concept image

Foundation Repair From the Interior

Is the inside of your home telling you that you need interior foundation repair services? It might be, if you notice any of the following warning signs:

  1. Cracked Sheetrock™ or drywall.
  2. Doors or corners that are out of square.
  3. Door or window frames separating from the surrounding wall
  4. Weak, slanted, or creaking floors.
  5. Cracked flooring tiles.
  6. Loose or missing nails.

Let’s look at each of these signs in more detail.

Cracked Drywall

Drywall, also known as gypsum board or Sheetrock™, can develop long, zigzagging cracks as a result of foundation damage. If you notice this problem, then we urge you to contact an interior foundation repair contractor right away.

Doors or Corners That Are Out of Square

A failing foundation can cause your home’s frame to bend, bow, or buckle. When this happens, you may notice doors that no longer fit their frames or interior corners that are out of square. These problems will only grow worse if left uncorrected.

Don’t dismiss stuck doors as harmless. Contact Align Foundation Repair at the first sign of a problem.

Door or Window Frames Separating from the Surrounding Wall

In extreme cases, your home’s door or window frames may begin to separate from the surrounding wall. The first sign of this problem is usually a small gap that grows wider over time. Eventually, this can seriously diminish your property values or even make your home unlivable.

Weak, Slanted, or Creaking Floors

The floors of your home need a strong foundation to stay level and stable. As a foundation deteriorates, the floors themselves can begin to creak or shift out of place. This is one of the most common warning signs of a distressed foundation.

Cracked Floor Tiles

This problem can show up in your kitchen, bathroom, or throughout your home. Simply replacing the tiles will do little good unless you address the underlying cause.

If your floor tiles are cracking, it may be more than just cosmetic damage. Contact Align Foundation Repair for an inspection.

Loose or Missing Nails

Sometimes a failing foundation can cause the nails in your floors or walls to loosen or even pop out entirely. This is a serious problem that requires immediate attention.

Texas Interior Foundation Repair Services

As a leading Dallas-Fort Worth interior foundation repair company, we have the equipment and training needed to put your home back in top shape. Our rates are reasonable, and we’re happy to provide references from past customers.

The sooner you act, the sooner your foundation problems will be in the past. Contact us today to put our North Texas foundation repair experts to work for you.

Foundation Repair Inspection Free Estimate

4 Advantages of Hiring a Contractor for Foundation Repair

Plenty of home improvement tasks are within the reach of the average DIYer. But, when it comes to foundation repair, it’s best to leave the work to a professional. Otherwise, you endanger your home, your budget, and even your health. Here are four advantages of trusting the work to a skilled contractor.

Advantage Number One: A Foundation Repair Contractor Has the Proper Tools for the Job

To see why having the right equipment is important, let’s do a little math. Concrete weighs an average of 150 pounds per cubic foot. Assuming that you live in a single-story home with 1500 square feet, this means that your foundation can weigh as much as 225,000 pounds!

Lifting this kind of heavy-duty weight requires the professional equipment used by qualified foundation repair contractors. Trying to do the job with automotive jacks or other household tools is a recipe for disaster.

Advantage Number Two: Foundation Repair Services Have the Expertise

Repairing a foundation requires in-depth knowledge and expertise. A residential home is a complex structure designed by an architect to meet strict building codes. It has thousands of interdependent parts made of wood, glass, metal, and dozens of other materials. Altogether it can weigh over 400,000 pounds. Why safeguard such a complex structure to anything other than a fully qualified professional?

Advantage Number Three: Foundation Repair Companies Have the Coverage

Foundation repair experts are insured and crucial safeguards to have in place in case something goes wrong. This is another reason why tackling the job on your own is a risk that’s too great to take.

Advantage Number Four: A Foundation Repair Company Has the Muscle Power

Not only do you need the proper equipment and expertise to handle foundation repair properly, you also need the labor. Doing the job right includes:

  • Digging up and removing flowers, plants, shrubs, small trees, and other landscaping features.
  • Excavating the earth around the foundation.
  • Inserting the piers.
  • Putting all those flowers, plants, shrubs, small trees, and other landscaping features back in place once the job is over.

Once you consider the amount of time and effort it will take to complete these tasks, it’s easy to see why leaving the job to a professional makes a lot of sense.

Call Align Foundation Repair Today

Here at Align Foundation Repair, we specialize in providing quality foundation repair services to homeowners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Our work is backed by industry-leading warranties. See the difference that working with a professional foundation repair company in Dallas makes. Get in touch with us today to schedule your free inspection and estimate.