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How do You Repair a Settling Foundation in an Old House without Damaging the Structure?

To repair a settling foundation in an old house without damaging the structure, we use a meticulous, engineered process called professional steel piering. This method is particularly effective for historical renovations because it provides a permanent solution with minimal vibration and site disruption.

Our process follows these critical steps to ensure structural safety:

  1. Engineering and Assessment: We begin with a geotechnical evaluation and load calculations performed by a licensed engineer. This results in a stamped engineering plan that specifies pier locations and embedment depths, ensuring the repair is tailored to your home’s specific structural needs.
  2. Driving to Refusal: We excavate small, localized access pits (typically 2×2 feet) to expose the footing. Using a hydraulic drive system, we drive galvanized steel piers deep into the ground until they reach competent load-bearing strata or bedrock—often 8–12 feet deep in the Littleton area. This bypasses unstable expansive clay soils.
  3. Synchronized Lifting: Once the piers reach refusal, we use synchronized hydraulic jacks to raise the foundation. This lift is performed gradually—often fractions of an inch per hour—to prevent stress to the historic framing and finishes.
  4. Immediate Stabilization: Because steel piers are immediate-load-capable, the structure is stabilized the moment they are secured, requiring no cure time. Finally, we fill any voids with non-shrink grout and restore the landscape.

As family-owned and operated experts since 1996, we recommend consulting a licensed structural engineer for a definitive diagnosis and design recommendations for your specific property.


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