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Protect the value of your home
When your home has issues with its foundation, basement or crawl space, you need to respond immediately. If left untouched, these problems jeopardize your family’s safety, ruin your property value, and cost you extra money.
Basement
Basement leaks damage your belongings, produce mold & mildew, and cause extensive damage. We can find the source and provide a solution.
Crawl Spaces
Crawl spaces are common targets for foundation settling, water intrusion, cracking and biological growth. We have solutions for all of these issues.
Foundations
A settling or cracked foundation can cause a host of problems for the rest of your home. We can assess the damage and provide you with options.
How Mold Forms In Your Basement
Humidity in the soil and air releases destructive water vapor, debris, contaminates, and pollen. This damp air carries mold spores and musty odors, providing the perfect environment for insects and other pests, as well as wood rot. These issues affect your home’s structure and the quality of air in your living spaces.
How Water Enters Your Home
When water saturates the ground around your foundation, it applies pressure (called hydrostatic pressure) to create cracks in the concrete.
Floor Cove Joint
Floor Cracks
Wall Cracks
Signs Your Foundation Is Settling
All foundations settle, but sometimes portions of the foundation sink at different rates. This causes your home’s structure to pull in opposing directions. Building components like wooden beams and concrete walls are not designed to bend or stretch- so they begin to twist or warp.
Signs Your Foundation is Settling
Inside Your Home: you may see cracks forming in the drywall across your ceiling, or in the walls around windows and doors. Not sure if the cracks are superficial or settling? Open and close the doors or windows in the room with the cracks. If the doors/windows "stick" and are hard to move, this is a sign your foundation is settling.
Outside Your Home: you may see cracks in the foundation, especially near the windows that are difficult to open or close.
What Causes A Leaning Chimney?
A chimney begins to lean when its foundation is settling at a different rate than the house’s foundation.
Foundation Settling
In most cases, a chimney is built on a foundation that is separate -but connected- to the house’s foundation.
A chimney is a heavy structure, built out of brick or stone. Because it’s a significant amount of weight in a small footprint, your chimney often settles faster than your house does. When this happens, the connection between the foundations is strained, and can crack or separate.
Once the chimney is no longer securely anchored to your home, it begins to lean. This is when a gap can form between your chimney and house, allowing drafts and water to intrude.
What Causes Biological Growth Like Mold?
Biological growth can show up in anyone’s home- old, new, basement, crawl space... All it needs is a bit of moisture. You may smell it before you see it; a musty or earthy smell is a common sign of biological growth.
Mold, Mildew, and Bacteria
Mold, mildew, bacteria, and other biological growth are all by-products of a wet basement or crawl space. These organisms are everywhere in our environment, and can enter your home on your shoes, gym bag, or even through a draft in your foundation.
What Causes Cracked Interior Walls?
If your foundation is settling, it can create cracks in the drywall. All foundations settle, but sometimes portions of the foundation sink at different rates. When this happens, cracks develop- especially around doors and windows. These are tell-tale signs your foundation is settling unevenly.
When the foundation is unlevel, your home’s structure is pulled in opposing directions. Building components like wooden beams and concrete walls are not designed to bend or stretch- so they begin to twist or warp.
As the wooden components of your home warp, they move the framing of the house. Drywall is not flexible; it will not bend or twist.
Another sign of settling is sticking doors and windows. You can test for this yourself:
1. Open the window nearest the developing crack. If it’s hard to open or won’t stay open, you have a settling problem.
2. If there’s a door close to the crack, test this also. A sticking door may not close or it may not stay closed without being locked.
What Causes Sagging Floors?
Your floor begins to slope or sag when the wooden flooring structure is compromised or damaged. The most likely cause is moisture in your crawl space.
Because most crawl spaces do not have a floor, the exposed ground under your home allows water, insects, and other vapors to enter the crawl space.
Fiberglass insulation is often an additional issue, because it absorbs moisture. Most older homes have fiberglass insulation installed between floor joists and beams. Damp insulation means damp wooden floor components.
Damp wood will rot, sag, and deteriorate. It will also grow mold and provide an ideal “home” for insects like termites. All of these issues increase the rate and severity of damage to your floor.
What Causes Uneven Concrete Around The Home?
Uneven or cracked concrete around the home usually means that the soil beneath it has shifted and that it can no longer support the weight above it. This is commonly caused by changes in the soil composition due to excess moisture.
Water Washing Out
Poor Compaction
Soil Overload
What Causes Your Doors & Windows to Stick
If your foundation is settling, it could make your doors or windows stick. All foundations settle, but sometimes portions of the foundation sink at different rates. When this happens, entryways become hard to open, or won’t stay closed. These are tell-tale signs your foundation is settling unevenly.
When the foundation is unlevel, your home’s structure is pulled in opposing directions. Building components like wooden beams and concrete walls are not designed to bend or stretch- so they begin to twist or warp.
As the wooden components of your home warp, they move the window and door frames. Once the frame shifts in place, it prevents your door or window from moving smoothly. Another sign is cracking in the drywall around these sticking doors and windows.
What Causes Your Foundation Walls to Crack or Bow Inward?
When water saturates the ground around your foundation, it applies pressure (called hydrostatic pressure) that creates cracks in your concrete.
These cracks often start off very thin, as hairline cracks. These cracks may include water intrusion, but not always.
But once a crack forms, it creates a weak spot that widens each time the hydrostatic pressure pushes on it.
If cracks are left untreated, they expand or multiply.
When the foundation wall weakens enough, it develops a break. This looks like a long horizontal crack in a poured concrete wall.
If your foundation is made of concrete blocks, this type of crack can also resemble a staircase.
If you see these larger cracks it’s an indication that your foundation is beginning to bow or move inward.
What Causes Your HVAC to Lose Efficiency?
Like all machinery, your heating and cooling systems need regular maintenance. But there are conditions within our homes that can interfere with good HVAC performance.
Humidity & Drafts Can Cost You
Air conditioning functions by removing heat and moisture from the air. This means damp air takes more energy to cool; so your HVAC system has to work harder for the desired results.
Drafts that let in outside air interfere with the temperature settings you’ve chosen. If your insulation is inadequate (or is falling down), your HVAC will have to run more often to maintain temperature.
Why Should You Have an Egress Window in Your Basement?
If you are planning to finish your basement, you should install an egress window. This provides a secondary exit that can be used in case of fire or other emergencies.
International Building Codes mandate that every bedroom should have two exits, in case of emergency.
For a basement bedroom, the first is the stairway up to the main floor. The second needs to be an exit (egress) window.
Solutions
1. Address the moisture issue
Waterproofing your basement or crawl space is the first step. You need to manage any water getting into your home. This starts with water drainage and a sump pump.
1. Control Moisture
A whole-home dehumidifier gives you the ability to set and maintain a consistent humidity level in your home. A humidity level of 50% can reduce- or eliminate- viruses, bacteria, mold spores, and pollen. It also reduces the workload for your HVAC system; drier air is easier to cool.
1. Epoxy Fill
For smaller cracks, we use an epoxy fill repair. This stops water leakage, and the repair can be painted over to match the rest of the wall. Depending on the severity of the crack, we may need to repair the crack from the inside and the outside of the foundation.
1. GeoChannel
GeoChannel is ideal for crawl spaces. It can be placed on top of or next to the foundation footing. The fabric lining filters out soil and debris to prevent clogs and allows for optimal water flow.
1. Repair Your Wooden Flooring Structure
Does your floor have high and low places in it? This indicates you have damaged joists. If your flooring slopes towards an outside wall, that’s probably a failing sill plate or band board. If you’re seeing one of these conditions, your damaged components need to be repaired. Depending on the extent of damage and type of support, they need to be either reinforced or replaced.
1. Your Best Solution is Helical Piers
Helical piers are steel posts that hold your foundation stable and secure. Piers are screwed into the ground outside of your home until they reach stable, undisturbed soil. Once installed to the proper depth, the piers are attached to the foundation with brackets.
2. Install Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam insulation thoroughly blocks air flow from the outside, repels moisture, and has a “life” expectancy of 80+ years. It also adheres to the surfaces it’s sprayed on, unlike fiberglass batting which can (and does!) fall down.
2. More About Settling & Piers
-The most common causes of uneven settling are soil erosion and poor soil compaction. -To solve your issue, you’ll need to install helical piers. Helical pier pricing will vary, depending on the number required, the installation method, and the depth needed to gain stability. -Some contractors use push piers instead of helical piers. We have installed both, and have determined helical piers are a better choice for residential properties.
2. More Significant Cracks
If your wall is developing long horizontal cracks or stair-step cracks, we typically recommend carbon fiber straps. If your wall is bowing more than 2 inches, you’ll need helical tiebacks or wall anchors instead. The goal of these repairs is to secure the wall and restore stability to your home.
2. Repairing Your Main Beam
If your floor is sloping towards the center of your home, this indicates an issue with the main beam. When the center beam is weakened or failing, it needs to be replaced by a steel beam. If your beam is solid? The support columns below the beam may be the issue. In this case, those should be replaced with adjustable floor jacks
2. Treat the Affected Area
We use Anabec products in our treatment of biological growth. Their products are designed to complete the job with the smallest impact on your home and its surroundings.
2. Water Tunnel for Basements
Water Tunnel is an excellent solution for basements. It is installed below the floor, and allows water to flow away from your basement at a rate of 140 gallons per minute.
3. Encapsulation
Encapsulation prevents both moisture and biological growth from damaging your home’s air quality. It can also blocks drafts and improve your HVAC performance.
3. More About Cracking & Bowing Walls
- There are 3 major crack types, and we discuss the significance of each. - Cracks in the brick exterior of your home aren’t always a foundation concern. - Are the lintels above your doors or windows causing cracks? We talk about how lintels rust in this blog.
3. More About Sagging Floors
You can learn more about causes, repair methods, and costs in our Library. A few suggestions: -What’s causing your floor to sag? Discover all of the possibilities. -This article gives a detailed review of the flooring components, how they’re repaired, and what they cost. -These are the most frequently asked questions (and answers) from homeowners about sagging floors.
3. Read More About Water Intrusion
You can learn more about benefits, costs, and methods in our Library. A few suggestions:
- Want to know more about how hydrostatic pressure develops, and what it does?
- This article breaks down the different waterproofing methods we offer, along with their costs.
- Not sure which waterproofing solution is the best fit for your home? We explain how your floor type ultimately determines this.
3. Watch Our Helical Piers Playlist
Sales Director Nolan Beery explores if helical piers are the right fit for your situation. You can also watch our full playlist on our YouTube Channel.
4. Learn More From Our Team
Acculevel’s Director of Sales explains carbon fiber straps, when to use them, and what they cost. You can also watch Nolan demonstrate the strength of carbon fiber straps.
4. Read more about Biological Growth
Go to our Learning Center to learn more! A few suggestions: Find out how dangerous mold and bacteria can be to your family. Get the details on costs and options for treatment. Or determine which waterproofing option is best for you.
4. Read more about HVAC Performance
Go to our Learning Center to learn more! A few suggestions: we detail 10 ways you can improve your HVAC performance. Get the details about spray foam and its benefits. Learn why we encourage everyone to invest in a quality dehumidifier.
4. Take Our Crawl Space Repair Course
Nolan Beery, our Sales Director, explores the ins & outs of crawl space repair.
4. Take our Online Basement Waterproofing Course
Acculevel Sales Director Nolan Beery answers: Do I need basement water drainage? Or take our entire Basement Waterproofing Course!
5. Check out our YouTube Channel
Sales Director Nolan Beery discusses the value of spray foam, among many other topics on our YouTube Channel.
5. Watch our YouTube Channel
Sales Director Nolan Beery discusses biological growth, and if it’s a good option to DIY.
Create A Barrier With White Cap Encapsulation
Encapsulation is a durable, professional grade crawlspace and basement liner that serves as a vaport barrier with poly-cord reinforcement and an anti-microbial additive manufactured directly into the material. The encapsulation process leaves your crawlspace or basement clean and provides a safe space for storage or other uses.
Egress Windows Add Value
A well-installed egress window can increase the natural light that enters your basement. It can also allow you to add resale value to your home, by increasing the livable square footage.
Kill Mold And Seal Area From Moisture
Our mold treatment and prevention coating is a water-based fungicidal which is applied to treat and prevent the growth of mold, mildew, fungi, bacteria or other fungal organisms. The sealant coats and protects surfaces in unconditioned crawlspaces or basements.
Lift Concrete To Original Position With Slab Jacking
Slabjacking is a process where discreet holes are drilled through a sunken concrete slab so that stabilizing foam material can be injected underneath. The stabilizing foam is completely safe and can lift concrete back into it’s original by filling voids caused by erosion. The holes are then patched, leaving a more refined finish compared to other techniques such as mudjacking.
More About Egress Windows
We walk you through how Acculevel installs an egress window, step by step. Ready to install an egress window, but need to check your budget? We review the costs for you, also.
Provide Lateral Support With Tie Backs
Tie-backs are also long, screw-like shafts just like those used in helical pier installations. When installed at an angle instead of straight down, they can provide lateral stability to basement or retaining walls.
Reinforce Wall With Carbon Fiber Straps
We combine carbon-fiber kevlar straps with incredibly rigid epoxies to reinforce basement walls with stronger than steel strength. These epoxies are designed to bond the carbon fiber straps directly to the structure by permeating both the foundation and carbon fiber.
Supplement Lateral Force With Wall Anchors
Wall anchors are comprised of metal plates and a steel shaft. These anchors provide supplemental lateral force to stabilize bowed and cracked walls. This installation is quick and requires minimal excavation or disturbance to the surrounding landscaping.
Watch Our Channel
Acculevel Sales Director Nolan Beery reviews when your basement needs an egress window.
Water Removal With Sump Pumps
All Acculevel waterproofing systems drain into a top-of-the-line sump pump system and include safeguards against power outages and pump failures. It is extremely important to have a second battery-operated pump in the sump liner in case of mechanical or power failure. Acculevel battery back ups are dependable and flexible.
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From our Satisfied Customers
There are hundreds of options when choosing a foundation and basement repair specialist. See why so many choose Acculevel.
"Definitely satisfied with the work Acculevel performed. The crew did a great job and cleaned up the area after the work was completed."
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"The crew was very diligent and got the job done. They are completely satisfied! Happy as a Lark!"
"The job was completed thoroughly. I could not have been more pleased with how well everything went."
"Acculevel did a great job! The crew did wonderful work and cleaned up after themselves as well. We are very satisfied!"
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1,811 Zip Codes Serviced
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New In Our Learning Center
Originally posted 12/26/19, updated 8/6/2021 When your floors slope, ripple, or sag, you know there’s something wrong with the structure […]
Learn More aboutHow much does it cost to fix sagging floors? A full pricing breakdown.Originally posted 12/26/19, updated 8/6/2021 When your floors slope, ripple, or sag, you know there’s something wrong with the structure […]
Watch How much does it cost to fix sagging floors? A full pricing breakdown.
Financing Options Available
Do you need financing assistance on your repair? We have several financing options you can explore and see if they're right for you.
Explore Options
* To qualify you must purchase the whole home solution that is presented by your Project Advisor at the time of your first consultation