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About Jim Hise
Expertise
I am the owner of EXPERT BASEMENT REPAIR in Cleveland, Ohio. I can identify the reasons for movement or cracking in home foundations, basements and walls. I am familiar with most waterproofing and water control methods. I am familiar with and have installed Ramjack, Dixie MacLean, and A.B.Chance™ helical and push pier systems, including tiebacks, steel beams, and rod and grout repair and also several carbon fiber stabilization products. I am currently certified to train Fortress carbon fiber installation and perform carbon repair in the greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio region. I have been involved with all aspects slope stabilization for over 10 years. Please remember to tell me what city you live in to help me answer your question up front!
Experience
17 years of structural foundation fault identification and most repair and stabilization methods. I introduced Fortress carbon fiber to this region of Ohio. I have always been on site and involved in order to monitor each project I am responsible for.
Publications
Waterproofing magazine issue #2
Education/Credentials
Associates degree...and the school of hard knocks! Formerly certified by A.B.Chance company from 1993-2005. I have a construction and home improvement background for almost 35 years. I bought, restored and resold distressed property. I worked with 4 different foundation repair companies and am familiar with most methods. I also worked for a waterproofing company for several years. I teach ongoing education classes for home inspectors, adult education and Realtors in foundation fault identification and repair.
Past/Present Clients
Hundreds of residential, commercial and some industrial.
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You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Foundation Stabilization and Repair > Foundation Repair
Expert: Jim Hise - 10/29/2009
Question
We’d appreciate your help with probable foundation damage. Our one-story East Texas home was built in 1986 on a concrete slab. We moved here in 1997, and as far as we know, no foundation repair has ever been done.
The exterior brick on the front of the house has cracks coming from the two bedroom windows, with the damage worse near the corner of the house. The brick ledge appears to be cracked across the front and around the corner. Also, the brick has pulled away vertically from the left side of the window frame close to the corner, tapering from an inch wide at the top. Inside, there is minor sheet rock cracking coming from the window nearest the corner, but the window opens/closes properly.
Our type FfB soil has “fine sandy loam” for about 39 inches and “silty clay loam” for the next 19 inches. The underlying material is mudstone, “fractured and partly weathered in the upper part”. The soil drains poorly and prairie crayfish are a major concern. We have dozens of tunnels in the yard, with some extending under the edge of the slab.
We know to contact a structural engineer, followed probably by several foundation repair companies, and would appreciate answers to the following questions: What should we ask of a structural engineer? What should we ask of a foundation repair company?
Also, do you have any experience with foundation problems caused by prairie crayfish tunnels extending under the slab? We can’t find anything from searching online.
Your previous posts on this subject were informative. Thank you in advance for your continued help.
Answer
Rick,
I lived in South Texas for 10 years and never heard of your Prairie crayfish. In Cleveland, Ohio we have burrowing moles, voles and chipmunks which can undermine a foundation and cause damage.
First ask your engineer his specialty. If he says high rise buildings, you need to move on. Ask your engineer to clearly spell out the problem and scope of the repair. Ask him what he suggests for foundation stabilization...helical or pipe piers, concrete underpinning or something else? Have him explain the soil borings so you know how deep the piers or underpinning must be installed in order to be below the "active zone" and into stable strata. Ask for a contractor suggestion or two. Find out if anything needs to be done about water drainage and how to handle it.
I suggest you study upon piering and underpinning methods on the web before you open your wallet.
Seee www.expertbasementrepair.com www.basementquestions.com and www.basementdepot for additional help and information.
Good luck, Jim
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