Problems we would run into would be where the homeowner needs Foundation Repair:
- Large cracks in the foundation and transferring into the masonry work above the foundation.
- Footings fail and sink or get pushed up
- Fieldstone foundations that deteriorate
- Water infiltration through walls or underfloor
- The client wants to have higher ceilings in the basement (underpinning)
What A&A does when it comes to repairing a foundation or fixing a sinking foundation:
(1) We can underpin the footings to create new support for the house, basement crack repair and waterproofing on all walls, then repair the masonry with brick replacement and tuckpointing. We can also install screw piles into the footing to support the house instead of undermining it and then do the crack repair in the foundation wall, the waterproofing and the brick repair.
(2) We would cut out the old footing and form and pour new ones (the footings have rebar in them), which are fastened to the bottom of the house’s foundation wall. We then install screw piles to prevent the footings from sinking. If the footings are moving up, it is usually because of the soil’s high moisture content; when it freezes, it pushes up against the foundation. The foundation wall can be lifted if it isn’t connected. This action is called “frost jacking.” It can be fixed by changing the soil, installing a plastic vapour barrier (roll of plastic) with waterproofing behind the plastic sheet and then installing rigid foam insulation against the wall.
(3) We would either remove the bad mortar between stones and install new mortar (tuckpointing), or we can brace the house, remove sections of the foundation wall in phases, form and pour new footings with a foundation wall and then a waterproof wall. We can also install anchors into the wall and pour a new wall beside the existing wall.
(4) We would do internal water management if the outside isn’t accessible or if they have expensive landscaping around the house. We would dig a trench along the inside perimeter wall and install a weeping tile in the track that would go to a sump pit with a pump inside to shoot the water outside when it fills up. A backflow preventer is installed after the pump to stop water from draining back into the sump. We then install a drainage board on the wall, overlap it over the weeping tile, and pour new concrete.
* In most cases, clients are eligible for rebates on the sump pump and the water management system from the city.
A&A is certified to install sump pumps. The interior system will also prevent water from entering the basement floor. We also do exterior waterproofing, digging down the footings and installing new weeping tile and gravel at the footing. We repair the wall if there are any cracks, we parge the wall, then we install Aqua-Bloc tar membrane and Delta MS drainage board. This will stop water from coming through the wall.
(5) we will underpin and lower the basement floor if a customer wants a higher ceiling. We can also do bench footing and step down to have higher ceilings.
