Strengthen Your Foundation in Seattle WA
There are a variety of methods for strengthening a home’s foundation. You can strengthen your foundation in Seattle WA, by simply adding more piers and floor beams underneath the house. Another option is to retrofit shear walls at the corners.
But when should you consider strengthening your foundation?
Older Homes
Typically, homes constructed prior to 1940 were usually not bolted to the foundation. If an earthquake strikes, these homes could easily shake off the foundation.
Most homes built after 1940 made use of weak building materials. If the cripple wall is weak, your home is at risk when earthquakes strike. A cripple wall is the one surrounding the crawl space beneath a house, and connects the home and the foundation.
If you are living in an older home, it’s best to earthquake-proof it by bolting the house to the foundation. Kunkel Moving can help strengthen your foundation in Seattle WA.
Adding a Story
Before you can add an additional story to your home, you need to ensure the building and the foundation can take up the additional load. It’s likely that the building and the existing structure can’t take up the excess weight. Before you plan on adding a second story to your home, hire an expert team to strengthen your foundation in Seattle WA.
Decayed Foundation
If you find out that the foundation sills of your home are decaying, it’s time to replace the sills. Foundation sills are the horizontal beams that separate the building frame from the foundation walls. How do you check for a decaying foundation or sills? Check inside basements as well as crawl spaces. Use a screw driver to test the sills. If the sill is soft and chips off easily, it’s a sign of decay.
Whether you are thinking of adding additional story to your house, want to make it stronger against earthquakes, or the foundation has weakened, strengthening your home’s foundation is the first step to take.
Be sure to hire a professional foundation repair service in Seattle. When you want to strengthen your foundation in Seattle WA, don’t make it a DIY project. There are serious risks involved, and it’s a difficult task to say the least, and is best left to experienced professionals.
Contact Kunkel for a Free Estimate
Contact Kunkel Moving on 1800 490 4220 to strengthen your foundation in Seattle WA. Our expert team of structural repair experts offers professional foundation repair services.
