Foundation damage can be a serious matter. The foundation of your home has to be level and stable to support your house properly. If the soil shifts under your foundation due to a water leak or other problem, your foundation could start to sink.

There are two main methods for raising a sunken foundation. One is to inject foam or cement slurry under the foundation and the other is to raise and support the foundation on piers. Here's a quick look at how these foundation repair methods work.

Jacking With Foam Or Slurry

Foundation raising was traditionally done with a cement mix that resembled mud. Mud jacking is still done today, but foam jacking is becoming more popular. The foam is injected under the slab and expands to raise the foundation. It hardens quickly to create a foundation for the sunken slab to rest on. Mud jacking is basically the same. As the mud slurry is injected under the concrete, the slab slowly raises up and rests on the mud which quickly hardens.

These methods of foundation repair are quick and more affordable than using piers. They can make your foundation level again and replace poor soil with a sturdy base. However, this type of repair may not be suitable for all situations. If it isn't, your foundation repair contractor can use piers instead.

Supporting With Piers

Piers are posts that are driven into the ground that your house is placed on when the soil isn't stable. The piers are driven deep enough to get past the unstable soil. Your house is jacked up before driving the piers in place and then lowered onto the piers once the piers are set.

Piers can be made of concrete or steel. They can look like posts or be helical. Some piers are easy to install in tight places, so getting piers may be possible even if you have a tiny yard. Piers can be installed inside or outside of your home.

If the piers are needed along the perimeter of your house, the piers will probably be installed outside. Piers needed to support the middle of the slab may be installed inside through the floor of your house. Installing piers can be disruptive, but piers are permanent solutions for foundation damage.

Finishing With Crack Repairs

If your concrete slab cracks as it sinks, the foundation repair contractor will need to repair cracks once the slab is level. This could involve patching the cracks with hydraulic cement or epoxy. This is necessary for stabilizing the crack and for keeping out water and termites.

For more information about foundation repair, contact a local professional.