Four Signs You Should Choose Concrete Underpinning Over Resin Injections

If your foundation is not doing its job, you may need to hire someone to do some underpinning. This process strengthens the foundation and helps it hold the home more effectively. The two main options are concrete underpinning and resin injection. Here are signs you may want to choose concrete underpinning.

1. You have time and room for excavation.

The process of concrete underpinning involves excavating under and around the existing foundation. Then, a new foundation is essentially poured around the existing foundation, and the two are tied together with pins that run from the existing concrete to the new concrete. This process requires machinery and space.

If your home doesn't have accessibility for large machinery, you may want to speak with a professional about resin injections. With injections, you just need to get the heavy machinery reasonably close to the property, and the underpinners use hoses to inject the resin in the ground.

2. You are adding weight to the structure.

There are a number of reasons you may need underpinning. However, in many cases, it is because you are adding weight to the house. If you are adding a second floor to your home, you should definitely opt for the extra strength and stability provided by concrete underpinning.

3. You are not dealing with soil subsidence issues.

In other cases, you may need underpinning due to soil subsidence issues. In basic terms, this means the soil is not holding up the home and that the foundation is sinking. Resin is a much more effective underpinning option in these situations because it directly addresses the condition of the soil.

4. You want predictable project costs.

With concrete underpinning, a contractor can usually come in, look at the situation, take measurements, and make a fairly accurate estimate. They can easily tell how much time and materials they need in most cases. In contrast, it's impossible to test the soil quality around the entire area. As a result, if you opt for resin, your costs may vary. To explain, if the underpinner is shooting resin into the ground, a large pocket could end up taking lots of resin, and if there are too many air gaps like that, it could drive up the cost of the project unexpectedly.

Still can't decide if concrete or resin underpinning is right for you? Contact an underpinner, such as those at Jeffrey Hills and Associates, today to talk about your project and what you need.


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