Foundation & Basement Repair in Steamboat Springs, CO

Sump pump systems are incredibly durable pieces of equipment with long lifespans. However, they are not immune to breakdowns and will eventually need to be replaced. So, if your sump pump is draining slowly, your home is experiencing periodic flooding, or your sump pump is making a lot of noise, there is a chance that it is simply deteriorating due to age, or that it has broken entirely. There are other possibilities, however. 

Sump pump breakdown is the most serious possible cause of these issues, but it is also the least common. Unless there has been a period of extreme weather that has really put your sump pump to the test, it is unlikely that your sump pump system will break down without any forewarning. Instead, it is more likely that your slow drainage and flooding are caused by blockages, clogs, and other temporary issues. These issues can also account for an increase or change in the noise levels that your sump pump creates. 

Submersible pumps are particularly vulnerable to debris and can become clogged with sediment, a build up of hard debris, or even suffer damage to their floating switch as a result of entanglement. Each of these issues can cause failure to drain the pit or a lack of efficiency in water removal, but they are also relatively easy to fix with the help of an experienced professional. Finally, total failure can be caused by damage to the wires which connect it to its power supply. Telling whether your sump pump is entirely damaged or simply in need of repair is something that a professional is best placed to decide. However, you can perform some basic checks for debris and power failure before calling for expert help.

Bowing walls are a sadly common occurrence in and around Grand Junction, CO, because of the heavy, expansive soil and often stormy climate. There are many things that you can do to prevent bowing walls in your home, most obviously taking care of your property’s drainage systems; but there are times when this issue is unavoidable. In these cases, repairs will be necessary to prevent localized or widespread collapse in your home. There are repair methods that can straighten walls, as well as prevent further deviation.

Carbon fiber reinforcement is the easiest and least obtrusive measure when it comes to dealing with bowing walls. The problem is, it’s also the only method of repair that offers no ability to rectify the deviation of a wall. For this, you need more robust measures like wall anchors or wall beams. Each of these methods has its own strengths and limitations. As such, they are best suited to different situations. A professional assessment is key to ascertaining what will suit your home best.

Wall anchors, for example, are best suited to a home’s basement that has interior space and at least 10 feet of space outside their walls. Made up of the interior plate, an earth anchor, and a connecting steel rod, wall anchors require some excavation, but they can be tightened to apply pressure and straighten a bowing wall. By contrast, wall beams require no outside space, but they take up some space inside a room. They, too, can be adjusted to gradually straighten a wall over time and will prevent collapse.

Waterproofing a property’s basement or crawl space is common in Grand Junction, CO, for several reasons. There are a lot of older properties in this area and older homes tend to lack the resistance to water that newer properties have thanks to progress in construction methods and materials. There are many different benefits to undertaking this process, but they can be roughly split into the categories of direct benefits and indirect benefits. The precise nature of the benefits that you can expect will depend on your home and your situation.

The benefits of waterproofing that are categorized as direct in nature are those that concern your property’s structure and stability. For example, properties that have a waterproofed crawl space or basement are far less likely to become flooded as a result of exterior sources of moisture and far less likely to experience high levels of relative humidity. Once a property has been properly waterproofed, it is unlikely to have moisture problems unless the source of water is your plumbing system and its attached appliances.

The indirect benefits of waterproofing your home concern the climate within your home and its effects on you and your family. A home that has been properly waterproofed and has lower levels of relative humidity also will have a lower risk of mold formation and pest infestation. This has significant benefits for the health of anyone in the home, especially if they have underlying respiratory and auto-immune conditions. Secondly, waterproofing helps prevent the stack effect from impacting a home and can make the interior climate and temperature more stable, thereby increasing energy efficiency. This will save you money in the long run and make your home far more comfortable.

There are two answers to this question, both equally true. First, hydrostatic pressure is the most common cause of damage to the foundation and wider structure of properties in Grand Junction, CO. Secondly, hydrostatic pressure is a naturally occurring force that is created and exacerbated by the soil and climate in the area. Because the soil around Grand Junction is largely clay-based and the climate can be very wet at certain times of year, the levels of hydrostatic pressure can be very high and cause many issues.

Hydrostatic pressure is something that all buildings are designed to withstand, but to a certain degree. The issues that often occur as a result of hydrostatic pressure arise because the level of pressure has reached an unbearable level, which is far beyond the normal, planned-for level. This can occur for many reasons including poor drainage, unusual levels of rainfall, localized or widespread flooding, and even flooding from a property’s plumbing system.

Once hydrostatic pressure has started to go beyond the level that your home can cope with, there are different issues that can arise. As well as potentially cracking your property’s foundation, the lateral pressure that is applied can also cause sinking, lateral movement, and, in properties that have a basement, bowing walls. Each of these issues, in turn, can cause secondary and tertiary issues like dampness, increased humidity, mold formation, wood rot, pest infestation, flooding, as well as rust and corrosion to your property’s pipes and appliances. So, there also is a third answer: hydrostatic pressure is also a threat to your health and the interior climate of your home in many ways.

We understand that a few sinking or uneven concrete slabs may not seem like a huge problem, and many Grand Junction homeowners certainly put off lifting and repairing them until a time that they deem most convenient. We urge you not to do this, however. Instead, you should lift and stabilize sunken concrete slabs as soon as you see them. The consequences of not acting could be severe for you, your home, and your bottom line!

The most immediate dangers associated with not lifting and stabilizing concrete slabs that have become sunken and cracked are accident and injury. Uneven surfaces around your home are dangerous, especially when the weather is wet and cold. The formation of ice and water on your uneven slabs and driveways can make a small risk of tripping a certainty and can make the injuries sustained more serious. Those who are more at risk than others, such as the very young, the elderly, and those with mobility issues are even more susceptible.

The other danger of waiting when it comes to sunken concrete slabs around your home is the very real chance that they will deteriorate in condition so severely that they will be unsalvageable. If this happens, then the cost of restoration (and the time required to undertake the work) can skyrocket. This is because slabs that have been too badly fragmented will be impossible to lift and stabilize; they will have to be entirely replaced. This is something that not many companies offer, and it involves a lot of disruption to your property (especially if the surface that is being replaced is often used, like a driveway). So, yes, you should lift sunken concrete slabs. Quickly doing so with the help of a concrete lifting expert will help prevent avoidable damage and injuries.

Insulation is an incredibly important part of waterproofing in any home and has numerous benefits for any space. In a basement, however, proper insulation is doubly important (especially if you intend to finish the space and make it into an inhabitable bedroom or living space). The benefits of proper insulation are many and varied, but there are some limitations to consider. 

The main benefit of insulation is the way in which it helps to create a controlled interior climate that is comfortable and healthy. It does this, primarily, by increasing your property’s ability to retain the heat and cold that your HVAC system creates. This is crucial to creating a consistent internal temperature, which is better for you, but also makes your home more energy efficient. As such, insulation could help you save money on your energy bills. 

The limitations of insulation are few, but they are important. First, the right kind of insulation must be utilized to ensure the best results. Fiberglass insulation, for example, is very effective but not overly suitable for damp spaces like basements. Foam insulation, by contrast, is far more resistant to water and just as effective as fiberglass insulation. Secondly, to get the best results you should deploy insulation as a part of a wider waterproofing process.