Foundation Repairs

At Tillotson, we know you want to be proud of your home. Without having to spend a lot of money to fix or re-fix issues.

The problem is wet basements, leaning walls, sticking windows and doors make you feel discouraged and hopeless on how to fix these problems once and for all. We believe your home should be your castle – not just a safe and comfortable place but a place you can be proud to invite people to. We understand home repairs are necessary, but they shouldn’t empty your bank account either. As your foundation contractor, we will provide professional experts who can recommend solutions to your problem and make the process as painless as possible.

Here's how we do it…

• Schedule your no obligation inspection and let’s find out what’s causing the problem
• We’ll thoroughly inspect your home and provide a detailed proposal to meet your needs. And your budget
• Get the problem fixed once and for all and invite people over again

Until you get started, download our FREE PDF: “Top 10 DIY Jobs to Feel More in Control of Your Home”. Stop mother nature from damaging your home little by little and instead address the issue so you can enjoy time with your family and friends.

Signs of Foundation Failure

Basement foundation can be attracted by a variety of structural issues: hydrostatic pressure, ground water, exterior drainage problems, soil expansion and contraction, just to mention a few.

Here are signs that you could be having one or more problems attracting your basement foundation.

• Cracks in drywall on walls and ceilings
• Separation in flooring and wall grout lines
• Cracks in foundation walls and slab floors
• Sticking or non-latching doors and windows
• Leaning or bowing foundation walls
• Chimneys that lean or tilt away from home
• Stair step style cracks in brick siding and chimneys
• Mantels, counters, and cabinets that slope
• Cracks in drywall on walls and ceilings
• Subsurface water
• Water intrusion over or under the footer
• Excess moisture, humidity and order
• Sagging crawl space floors

Causes of Foundation Failure

• Evaporation caused from heat and drought
• Transpiration from tree roots and vegetation
• Improper working or poorly designed drainage
• Building on backfill and poorly compacted soil
• Poor local soil conditions and organic debris
• Un-maintained and overflowing gutters
• Flooding and washout from creeks and rivers
• Earthquakes and other seismic activity
• Lack of water on foundation during dry conditions

Services Offered

Foundation Piering & Leveling

Our Stabilization-Guys have years of experience with foundation stabilization. Piling or piering is the technique of driving steel pipe pilings below a structures foundation to correct the settlement. Piers can be used to stabilize the structure to prevent further sinking or used to raise the structure back to a suitable level.

Process of Piering:

• Initial evaluation to determine a foundation issue is present
• Expose foundation footing
• Drive Stratos Pier® System
• Lift / Stabilize foundation
• Back-fill / Replace concrete

Advantages of Piering:

• Cost is up to 10 X Less than replacing the foundation
• You can continue living in the home as the piering process in done
• Low impact on your yard when compared to replacing the foundation
• Low need for heavy equipment to be used
• Fixed both unstable soil and make the foundation back to level in one step

Foundation Crack Repair

When a foundation wall cracks due to movement, it must be repaired. Carbon fiber straps or epoxy are an appropriate repair to regain structural integrity. Polyurethane can be used to prevent water from penetrating the wall. Cracks wider than 1/8 inch are cause for concern.

Process of Foundation Crack Repair:

• The crack is first evaluated and cleaned out
• Then either an epoxy or polyurethane is injected in the crack, or carbon fiber is installed over the crack

Advantage of Foundation Crack Repair:

• Resale value of home is not reduced
• Stops where moisture can get into your home and therefore cause mold
• Reduces the change of further cracks and structural damage to your property

Wall Bracing

Many times, a leaning or bowing wall can simply be braced in its current state. Using this method eliminates the need to excavate on the outside and will lower the cost of the repair significantly. When bracing the wall, the I-beams are used in the same manner as when straightening the wall. The braced wall will not be straighter than it was, but it cannot ever get any worse.

Process of Wall Bracing:

• Steel I-Beams are installed upright along with joist brackets which will in return stabilize and/or improve the integrity of the wall.

Advantages of Wall Bracing:

• Stops foundation walls from continuing to bow inward
• Process is relatively quick and has a low impact on your property
• Low impact to your landscaping and yard
• Low impact on framing if you want to do so
• Can have a straightening effect on a wall over time without excavation

Drain Tile System - Waterproofing

Have a basement that just won’t dry out? Or do you have 100-year-old foundation? Leaks can be stopped with an interior or exterior drain tile system. A drain tile system is a collection of pipes installed around your foundation and discharged to a sump pump or daylight. The pipes are perforated to allow water to drain into them. These are designed to keep the water table far below the bottom of the basement floor, this controls the capillary action or wicking of water or water vapor on to the basement floor.

Process of Drain Tile System:

• Concrete is removed by jack hammer or saw cut
• Soil is then removed to make room for the drainage title tube
• Gravel is poured over the drainage tile tube
• New concrete is poured over the gravel and made smooth. (This system is incorporated with a sump pump and discharge.)

Advantages of a Drainage Tile System:

• Water is collected at the lowest point in the basement
• Water is collected from leaking walls
• Only system over time that is proven to work
• If needs lateral drain-tile can be incorporated into the project
• Once completed the floor in the same height
• Transferable warranty
• Gravel is added to provide better drainage

Excavation and Grading

One of the first steps in ensuring you have a dry basement is diverting the water away from the basement. Surface water can be defined as water that collects on the ground usually as a result of precipitation. Surface water can often be diverted away from your home to help protect the foundation. Keeping as much water away from the foundation as possible is always a good idea. This is accomplished by grading and extending out the leaders and downspouts. Drainage swales, french drains, and collection basins are typically used to divert surface water.

Process of Grading:

• This is kind of intuitive, but many times overlooked. This is simply making a positive slope away from your foundation so water not running toward your home to minimize the water that can get to your foundation.

Advantages of Grading:

• Keeps water from ever getting to your foundation in the first place
• Low cost and some time this alone can eliminate some of your foundation issues

Sump Pump Installation

How do you know if you need a sump pump? You live somewhere that experiences large accumulation of rain or snow. You live in flat or low-lying areas that hold and trap water. Your basement has water intrusion from cracks and floor joints. Mineral deposits showing on walls and floors from excess moisture. You have a finished basement that contains costly items you want to protect against water damage and subsequent mold growth.

Process of Sump Pump Installation:

• This is a tub with a pump where the drainage tile system connects to
• Water that enters the tub is pumped or what's called discharged outside your home

Advantages to Sump Pump Installation:

• Prevents flooding and rainwater from getting inside your property
• Reduces humidity levels in your basement
• Makes indoor air quality better
• Reduces the change of mold growth and allergens

Crawlspace Encapsulation

50% of the air you breathe in your home is the same air contained in your crawl space from a phenomenon called the stack effect. Crawlspace encapsulation significantly cuts down mold, mildew, and allergens. And has been known to help asthma sufferers have less symptoms at home.

Process of Encapsulation:

• Thick plastic is layed over the ground
• The plastic is tied to the rim joist by tie off or foam
• Before any plastic or vapor barrier product is installed, it is very important to check for any other issues
• Once the vapor barrier is in place it can hide these issues

Advantages of Encapsulation:

• Reduce moisture and therefor humidity that can get into your home
• Reduces allergens that can get into your home
• Reduces potential for mold because of the lack of moisture
• Relative non-invasive: Work in done under your home
• Reduce ways insects and rodents can get into your home

Tie-Back & Deadman

A wall leaning or bowing more than 2 inches, should be pushed back into place which will restore the integrity of the foundation. This can be accomplished by using wall anchors or steel I-beam braces.

Things that Cause Bowing Walls:

• Clay soils: In Nebraska and surrounding states clay soils are common. Clay soils expand with moisture like rain and snow then contract in dry periods. This expansion pushes the wall inward leafing a space. Soil fills in around the wall as the soil contracts. The next wet period causes the wall to be pushed inward again and the process repeats.
• Frost: Soil that has moisture will expand when it freezes. This expansion will push basement walls inward.
• Hydrostatic Pressure: This term refers to water pressure in the soil the pushes against the basement wall. When the water table is high and has no place to go water saturated soil is pushing on your basement wall. This pressure over time moves your wall inward.

Process to Fix Bowing Walls:

• With the use of anchors and plates and in some cases, dead man (concrete weight incorporated in the ground), walls can be kept from bowing further.
• When soil becomes dry and therefore contract you can in some cases tighten the nut on the plate. This tightening can push the wall back closer to its original position.

Advantages of Foundation Wall Anchors:

• Ease of application even with limited access
• Can be done with lightweight equipment
• Can be installed in all kind of weather
• Does not cause more unsettled soil to which letter would cause more problems down the road
• Torqued after being installed. So, you know right away they are doing their job