English is an odd language, with many irregular verbs and terms borrowed from other languages. This makes it one of the harder languages to learn, and can lead to misunderstandings- even between native English speakers.
Andy Beery founded Acculevel in 1996 with a goal to help homeowners protect their greatest investment. We specialize in foundation repair, waterproofing, and concrete leveling. Part of meeting this goal is to respect our customers and their time.
When you contact the Acculevel call center to schedule an estimate, we try to verify that we offer a service that can help you with your specific concern(s). We know how valuable and limited your time is, and we don’t want to squander it on meeting with a contractor who can’t address your home’s problems.
But sometimes, the ambiguity of the English language interferes with that goal. One of the most common misunderstandings we have is with “lifting” a home.
We Use Helical Piers to Lift a Settling Foundation
When someone in our industry says your home is settling, what they mean is that one section of your home is sinking at a faster rate than the rest. In many cases, this can be repaired by using helical piers to lift this section back up to match the rest of the foundation. If you think your foundation is settling, this article reviews the symptoms that you should look for.
We also have an online course that will explain all about helical piers:
We Do Not Lift Entire Homes
There are situations where a homeowner wants to raise their entire home. Typically, this is done for one of three reasons:
- They want to replace some (or all) of the foundation with a different material.
- Some (or all) of the foundation needs to be rebuilt because it is failing.
- They want to increase the height of their foundation. This is most common in flood-prone areas.
These are all valid reasons to explore lifting your home, but it is not something Acculevel can do. We repair foundations, but cannot remove them or replace them. Helical piers are designed to stabilize and secure your home’s foundation; they cannot raise your home and hold it aloft while repairs are done.
If this is a service you need, we recommend you look for a “house mover,” instead. These are companies who specialize in lifting homes up and off of their foundations. They have the knowledge and experience to hold an entire home together and elevate it off its base, without major structural damage.
Do You Need Your Foundation Repaired?
Are you unsure about the type(s) of repairs you need? We have a free interactive tool that will help you evaluate the issues you’ve noticed.
Whether you need our services or that of a house mover, I hope you will check out our guide of questions to ask a contractor. We developed this document as a team, to cover all of the relevant topics you should review before deciding which company to hire.
If you live within our service area and would like an Acculevel project manager to come to your home and evaluate your area(s) of concern, please contact our call center for an appointment.
