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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 > sinking foundation
Expert: Jim Hise - 10/30/2009
Question
We live in Michigan near the lake. Our home, built in the 1950's, is definitely sinking. We also are likely on an old landfill. We've had several foundation repair companies give us relatively similar quotes on helical piering. I have a problem with the "open-ended" contracts - where there is a preset depth of 21 feet and additional charges after that depending on how far they need to go. Then I'm not sure of trusting those companies that have a set price per pier regardless of depth because I'm not sure if they will go down deep enough since it may be cost prohibiting for them. Most of the companies seem to think that they will probably need to go to 35-40ft for our specific area, but there are no guarantees, obviously. Well, I don't want to be stuck with them digging down even further, and paying even more for the piering. I have a bit of a dilemma since I have each company telling me why they are the better one to chose. I would appreciate some advice....very reluctant to sign one of these open-ended contracts.
Thanks!!
Answer
Effie,
The only way to know how deep the piers will go until termination is to obtain a soil boring.
It needs to be deep enough to show you the depth needed to obtain stable strata.
This testing is often a few thousand dollars...but then you can run your numbers for the actual pier costs with the exact extra depth...well, not exact but close.
If you hit bedrock push piers should be cheaper and will work fine. If you don't hit bedrock I'd personally stay with helical piers. You should get a lifetime warranty with the installation. Make sure whoever does the job puts benchmarks on the foundation and gives you a copy. The marks locate the piers after the job is backfilled, and provide an existing elevation to monitor any possible future settlement.
Ask your structural engineer who he likes?
Regards, jim
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