Foundation Inspection Services in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

While people often don’t think about it, a foundation is vital to your home. If problems occur, they could have serious ramifications throughout your home. At Pier Pressure Foundation Repair, we offer foundation inspection services for homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Our inspections uncover issues affecting your foundation, including settlement, structural movement, drainage issues, and foundation damage. 

What Happens During a Foundation Inspection?

During a foundation inspection, our team examines various parts of your home to uncover any issues that may affect your foundation. 

Often, our foundation inspections begin by examining the exterior walls of a foundation. We’ll look for misalignment, water damage, and cracks. Once the exterior of the home has been checked, we’ll move on to the interior. During this time, floors and walls are examined for signs of irregularities, such as drywall cracks or uneven floors. Our inspectors have high-tech tools at their disposal, such as moisture meters and digital levels.

Following the inspection, the inspector will discuss any findings and the overall condition of your foundation with you. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions or clarify information.  We’ll then provide you with the inspection findings and recommendations. Depending on the foundation’s condition, the inspector may recommend further action. By better understanding your home’s foundation, you’ll be better informed when making decisions regarding any issues that may arise. 

Signs You May Need a Foundation Inspection

Signs of foundation trouble may appear around the inside and outside of your home and indicate the need for a foundation inspection. We’ll cover a few common examples here. Please remember that if you are unsure whether you have a foundation problem, it is best to err on the side of caution given the issues that could arise.

• Uneven floors: A common sign of foundation trouble involves floors that slope, dip, or have other unevenness. 
• Soft floors: Floors that feel like they have give, are soft, or are bouncy suggest moisture trouble that could potentially have ramifications for your foundation. 
• Gaps forming around windows, doors, trim, and more: Foundation movement could cause parts of your home to pull apart. Signs may be subtle and may include gaps forming around windows, doors, and trim, or light shining through gaps. Along with separating, trim may warp. Gaps may form around where walls meet baseboards or ceilings. 
• Difficulty opening or closing doors and windows: Issues with doors or windows could be due to misalignment. If doors and windows require more effort to open or close, or aren’t latching properly, foundation movement may be the culprit. 
• Moisture in crawlspace: Moisture or water appearing in a crawlspace may indicate a compromised foundation. Moisture may weaken concrete, erode mortar joints, and damage support systems.
• Foundation movement: The foundation itself may show signs of trouble. Some of these signs include some corners of the home appearing lower than others, slab cracks, and porch and house gaps. 
• Cracks appearing on floors or walls: While not all cracks indicate trouble with a foundation, it is essential to understand the difference between those and cracks that indicate serious problems.

Common Foundation Problems in North Texas

Your North Texas home may encounter a variety of common foundation problems. While some foundation problems discussed here are common to homes everywhere, others, such as those involving expansive clay soil, are more common in the North Texas area. 

• Roots: Roots from plants such as trees and shrubs could contribute to foundation issues. Roots have the potential to shift soil and, if big enough, may even shift foundations. 
• Slab leaks: As slab leaks deposit water into the ground, the water could move soil and cause expansive clay soil to expand and shrink as it dries. 
• Improper drainage: If drainage isn’t properly directed away from your home, water may accumulate around the foundation and contribute to foundation problems.  
• Expansive clay soil: This type of soil is common to the North Texas area. When it absorbs water, it expands, and when it dries, it shrinks. This movement is detrimental to foundations. 

Foundation Settlement and Structural Movement in DFW

Foundation settlement and structural movement may occur in your Dallas-Fort Worth home. Foundation settlement is normal, although structural movement may be a cause for concern.

• Foundation settlement: A normal process in which a home’s foundation settles downward. If the movement is excessive, it may require professional attention. 
• Structural movement: This includes foundation movement in any direction, such as downward settlement and lateral movement. If structural movement is outside of normal foundation settlement, it may require professional attention.

Drainage and Soil-Related Foundation Issues in Dallas-Fort Worth

Expansive clay soil is common in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and as discussed previously, it can be problematic when combined with improper drainage. A home’s drainage system should take rainwater away from a foundation. When water gathers around a home’s foundation, it is particularly detrimental in areas with expansive clay soil. Moisture can contribute to foundation problems, and when it encounters expansive clay soil, it may cause soil movement as the soil absorbs it and dries out. Improper drainage could contribute to erosion that harms foundations.

Slab Foundation Inspections

While slab foundations have their own advantages, they are not immune to foundation issues. Inspections are a crucial step in locating issues and determining how to proceed. At Pier Pressure Foundation Repair, we are knowledgeable about slab foundations and offer professional inspections of each. While inspections may differ slightly for each type, we have the skills to identify issues in both and advise on the best way to resolve them. 

Engineered Repair Recommendations

Once our team has created a report based on the foundation inspection and recommends an action be taken to level the home, an independent engineer will review the plan and verify the positioning of the leveling piers. Using an independent engineer provides an unbiased evaluation of the proposed repair plan.

Why Choose Pier Pressure Foundation Repair?

If you believe you are experiencing foundation problems, you likely have many questions, including which foundation repair business to select. Over the years, our many clients have chosen us for different reasons. Here, we’ve included a few reasons that we believe will help you make your decision.

• Free quotes
• Lifetime transferable warranty on foundation repair jobs
• Independent engineer-approved repairs
• Five-star reviews and testimonials from satisfied clients
• Member of Good Contractors, Realtors Association, Angie, and the Texas Builders Foundation

Schedule Your Free Foundation Quote

If you’re located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and believe you are experiencing foundation issues, let the professionals at Pier Pressure Foundation Repair conduct an inspection. Our inspections help uncover problems and determine appropriate next steps. Don’t wait for foundation problems to escalate; let the team at Pier Pressure Foundation Repair go to work for you.

Contact us to schedule a free foundation quote in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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