Foundation Repair in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids Elite Foundation books free foundation inspections across Grand Rapids and nearby cities. A licensed local contractor checks the walls, floors and footings, explains what is causing the damage and gives you a written quote. Below is how the common repairs work, so you know what you are being offered.

Foundation crack repair

Cracks are the most common reason people call. The direction of the crack tells you most of the story.

Crack	What it usually means	Usual fix
Thin vertical crack in poured concrete	Shrinkage as the concrete cured	Seal it if it leaks
Diagonal crack from a window or corner	Some settling or stress at a weak point	Seal it, and check for settling
Horizontal crack in block or poured wall	Soil pushing the wall inward	Wall bracing or anchors (bowing walls)
Stair-step crack along block mortar joints	Settling or soil pressure	Depends on whether the wall is leaning
Crack wider at one end, getting bigger	Active movement	Find the cause before sealing

How a leaking crack is sealed

The contractor installs small ports along the crack and injects polyurethane (flexible, expands to fill the crack and stop water) or epoxy (rigid, bonds the concrete back together where strength matters). Done right, the material fills the crack through the full thickness of the wall, so water cannot find a way around it. Surface patches and hydraulic cement on the inside often fail because water keeps pushing from the outside.

When a crack is serious

Width is a rough guide, but movement matters more. A crack that is getting wider, lets in water, or comes with a bulging wall or sticking doors needs a closer look. More detail in how big a foundation crack is serious.

Settling and sinking foundations

When the soil under a footing compresses or washes out, one part of the house drops. Signs include:

• doors and windows that stick or no longer latch;
• diagonal cracks in drywall above doors;
• floors that slope toward one wall;
• gaps between the wall and the floor or ceiling.

Push piers and helical piers

Both move the weight of the house from the weak soil to deeper, firmer ground.

• Steel push piers are driven down beside the footing using the weight of the house as resistance, until they reach soil that can carry the load. Then the house can sometimes be lifted back toward level.
• Helical piers have steel plates shaped like a screw and are turned into the ground. They work for lighter loads, like porches and additions, and where the house is not heavy enough to drive push piers.

The number of piers depends on how much of the foundation has dropped. That is the main thing that drives the price.

Other foundation repairs

• Wall reinforcement for bowing and leaning walls: carbon fiber, steel braces and wall anchors. See bowing basement walls.
• Tuckpointing of block and stone foundations, where old mortar has washed out.
• Wall replacement, when a wall has moved too far to brace and has to be dug out and rebuilt.

What foundation repair costs

National ranges from HomeGuide:

Repair	Typical range
Sealing a crack	$250 – $800
Repairing settling, sinking or bowed walls	$4,500 – $20,000

Ask for a written quote that lists the number of piers or braces, the length of wall treated and the warranty. See foundation repair cost in Grand Rapids for what changes the price.

Questions

Can a cracked foundation be repaired?

Yes. Most cracks can be sealed by injection. If the crack comes from settling or soil pressure, the cause has to be fixed too, or a new crack will open next to the old one.

Should I fix a foundation crack that does not leak?

A thin, dry vertical crack that is not changing can usually wait. Mark the ends with a pencil and the date, and check again in a few months. If it grows, get it inspected.

When should I worry about settling?

When doors start sticking, floors slope, or cracks keep getting wider. A little settling in the first years after a house is built is normal. Ongoing movement is not. More in when to worry about foundation settling.