Foundations

Foundations are one of if not the most important components of your home.

Have you been noticing excessive cracking in your foundation and or cracks in the walls and floors of your basement? These could be signs that your foundation is in need of help. Other signs to look for are uneven floors, interior plaster cracking, windows and doors sticking or larger than normal gaps forming around windows and doors, nails popping, leaning walls or chimney and areas of your foundation sinking.

Don't worry, as in many cases, only a section may be in need repairing but don't put it off longer than you have to, waiting can lead to further problems down the road.

GMG Construction Inc. is here to help and we have you covered with all of our general contracting services. If you're concerned about your foundation and think it may be in need of some repair or replacement, phone us today at 206-779-5609 or Email us to set an appointment for a no-obligation inspection.

More about Foundations

Foundation replacement is called for when the damage to your foundation is so extensive that repairing it would be ineffective. It is also recommended when the cost of repairs is the same or more than the cost of replacing the foundation. Sometimes you do not need a new foundation, but if you have breaks in your foundation due to earth movement, age or even poor drainage, which is common in the Puget Sound area, you may need to have it repaired or replaced. Left unchecked and uncorrected, these breaks in the foundation and or stem walls can lead to additional cost down the road and in many cases it can pose a risk to your structure, especially in the case of an earthquake.

There are many reasons for foundation replacement. The most common are foundations that were constructed of un-reinforced masonry, that of brick, mason blocks or stone. In some cases the original concrete was made of poor quality materials or has badly deteriorated over the years. Poor compaction of soil before the foundation was built, building on organic soil and improper drainage, can cause sagging that leads to cracking. Poor construction and improper placement of footings, prolonged exposure of the concrete foundation to water and moisture resulting in deterioration and crumbling of the concrete, oversized cracks or excessive amount of cracks in close proximity to each other, no weatherization materials applied or lack of maintenance to a stressed foundation and stems walls that have rotated out-of-plumb are all reasons that your foundation may need attention.

New and reconstructed foundations have to be built according to rigorous building standards and codes and may possibly need permitting and the assistance and expertise of an architect. Everyone involved in the project has to comply with industry-prescribed procedures, techniques and methods. The replacement of an existing foundation can be particularly complicated and labor-intensive.

  

Foundation forms showing reinforcement before and after concrete is poured.
This is new construction.



In this picture is an example of Cribbing. Cribbing is technical form of building a block structure using heavy block timber to hold the house in place above the old foundation. It can be done as many times as necessary to build to a desired height. It also creates a safer environment during construction.

Example of Cribbing a House