Owning a home is by far the most rewarding achievement most people make. As a place to grow their family and create lasting memories, nothing tops the gratification of a place to call your own.
But with time, no matter how large, new, or expensive, houses settle, and this natural process can sometimes lead to uneven floors, sticking doors, and cracked walls. While many homeowners may chalk these issues up to typical wear and tear, they could indicate a deeper problem—foundation shifting.
When this occurs, the wisest homeowners will contact a foundation repair company near them to inspect their foundation and determine if house leveling is necessary to correct the imbalance. Let’s explore house leveling, why it’s essential, and why polyjacking is the best solution for addressing foundation issues effectively.
Understanding House Leveling
House leveling is restoring a home to its original level or close to it. It’s often needed when the foundation has shifted due to soil movement, water damage, or the home’s natural settling over time. A settling issue can cause various structural problems, ranging from minor cosmetic issues to serious safety hazards that put not only the home but also your family at risk.
Signs your house may need leveling include:
- Uneven or sloping floors
- Cracks in walls, ceilings, or around windows and doors
- Gaps between walls and ceilings or floors
- Doors and windows that stick or don’t close properly
- Noticeable sinking or sagging in certain areas of the home, such as a chimney or porch that is separating from the main housing structure.
These issues should be addressed as soon as they’re noticed to prevent further damage.
Many construction professionals in the Virginia area use different methods to solve this common issue. But the question remains: What’s the best way to level a house?
Traditional House Leveling Methods
Before explaining why polyjacking is the best solution, let’s examine traditional house leveling methods.
Pier And Beam Leveling
This method is typically used for homes built on pier-and-beam foundations. If your home has a crawl space or basement, it’s built on a pier and beam foundation. To repair a sloping foundation using this method, the contractor will install additional piers or beams beneath the house to provide extra support. In some cases, shims (small metal or wood pieces) are added to raise or lower specific areas of the house. While effective for pier-and-beam homes, this method can be labor-intensive and disruptive to the home environment.
Concrete Slab Leveling
For homes built on concrete slab foundations, leveling often involves mud jacking. Mudjacking injects a mixture of cement, sand, and water under the foundation to raise it back to its original position. While mud jacking is widely used, it has its downsides, including being time-consuming, messy, and prone to shrinkage or breakdown over time due to the organic materials involved. You can find yourself again going through the same process (and paying for it) in several years.
Enter Polyjacking: A Better Solution For Concrete Slab Foundations
Polyjacking, or polyurethane foam injection, is an innovative and modern solution for houses with concrete slab foundations. Due to its many advantages over traditional methods, it has quickly become Hampton Roads’s go-to method for homeowners and contractors. Let’s explore why polyjacking is the best way to level a house when you have a concrete slab foundation.
What Is Polyjacking?
Polyjacking involves injecting high-density polyurethane foam beneath the foundation to lift and stabilize it. The foam is injected through small holes drilled into the affected areas. As the foam expands, it fills voids and raises the foundation, effectively leveling the house. Once injected, the foam solidifies within minutes, providing long-lasting stability and support.
Benefits Of Polyjacking
Precision And Efficiency
One critical advantage of polyjacking is its precision. Because the polyurethane foam expands, it fills every nook and cranny beneath the foundation, providing an even and accurate lift. This method ensures that the house is leveled with minimal disruption to the structure. It’s also a much faster process than traditional methods, with most jobs completed in just a few hours.
Minimal Disruption
Traditional methods like mud jacking can involve heavy machinery, large crews, and lots of noise. Polyjacking, on the other hand, is a much quieter and less invasive process. The small injection holes (typically about the size of a penny) mean there’s minor damage to the surrounding areas, and the process is quick and clean. Counting on a smaller repair crew ensures no disruption to your daily life and a team you feel comfortable having in your home. Additionally, the surrounding landscape isn’t damaged in the process, so you don’t have to worry about rebuilding your entire property.
Long-Lasting Results
Unlike mud jacking, which can be prone to shrinkage or breakdown over time, poly jacking offers long-lasting results. The polyurethane foam used in polyjacking is highly durable and resistant to moisture and erosion, ensuring the foundation remains stable for years. Polyjacking often comes with warranties that reflect its durability, giving homeowners peace of mind.
Lightweight Yet Strong
The polyurethane foam used in polyjacking is lightweight yet incredibly strong. This makes it an ideal solution for house leveling, as it won’t add unnecessary weight to the foundation. Additionally, because the foam is so lightweight, there’s less risk of further soil settlement, which can sometimes occur with heavier materials used in traditional methods.
Environmentally Friendly
Polyjacking is also an environmentally friendly option. The foam is eco-friendly and safe for use around homes and businesses. Plus, the process requires less energy and fewer materials than traditional methods, so it’s a more sustainable solution for leveling homes.
How Polyjacking Works: Step-by-Step
Now, let’s take a quick overview of the polyjacking process used by a Virginia foundation repair team to achieve simple, fast, and safe house leveling.
1. Inspection And Assessment
Before any leveling work begins, a professional contractor will inspect your home’s foundation and assess the areas that need leveling. This helps determine the specific locations for the injection of the polyurethane foam.
2. Drilling Injection Holes
Small holes are drilled into the foundation at precise locations. These holes are typically less than an inch in diameter, minimizing any disruption to your home. These small insertion areas also produce a cleaner and more polished final product.
3. Injecting Polyurethane Foam
The polyurethane foam is then injected into the holes. As the foam expands, it fills the voids beneath the foundation, gently lifting the home back to its original level. The foam hardens quickly, providing immediate stabilization.
4. Sealing The Holes
Once the foundation has been leveled, the injection holes are sealed, leaving the surface looking clean and restored. Since the polyurethane foam is resistant to water penetration, you don’t have to worry if it rains after you get your house leveled.
5. Final Inspection
After the process, a final inspection is conducted to ensure the house has been properly leveled and stabilized. The contractor will also check for any additional adjustments that may be needed and give you tips on how to maintain and care for your new foundation.
Why Polyjacking Is The Best Investment For House Leveling
When it comes to house leveling, homeowners want an effective, long-lasting, and minimally disruptive solution. Polyjacking ticks all of these boxes. Its precision, speed, and durability make it the best choice for leveling homes, especially compared to traditional methods like mud jacking or pier and beam leveling.
Additionally, polyjacking is cost-effective in the long run. While it may have a higher upfront cost than mud jacking, the long-lasting results and minimal need for future repairs make it a better investment for homeowners looking to maintain the stability and safety of their homes.
Count On AMC911 For All Of Your House Leveling Needs
From Virginia Beach to Gloucester, smart homeowners all over Virginia have relied on the expert and friendly team at AMC911 to fix their foundations. Based in Norfolk for over 30 years, we’ve believed that a strong foundation paves the way to better living, and our in-house crews stay up to date on the latest methods to ensure your repairs will last for the life of your home.
If you’ve noticed signs of foundation issues in your home, don’t wait—contact the professionals your neighbors trust. Get your free inspection today!
