Structural Foundation Repair

Just before the Holidays it was a busy few months, and this blog to show you a Structural Foundation Repair I just completed using Carbon Fiber Straps.
Little about foundation cracks... Foundation settlement or movement is caused when a home or any structure is built on expansive clay, soft or improper backfill soil placed around it, other causes are seasonal high water table and Hydrostatic ground pressure which was the cause for the foundation failure on this job I just completed, it can also be cause by improper maintenance around foundations,i.e back pitched drainage, gutter and leader failure,etc. Such settlements can destroy the value of structures and your home and even make them unsafe. So if you have any crack in your foundation wall, no matter how small it is, you should have it fixed and it is not sufficient to simply fill the crack, because you should restore the structural stability of the structure. This in most cases requires reinforcement to prevent further wall movement.
If you located in NJ, drop me an email with some pictures and I will make a suggestion what should be done, or I will meet with you and assess any damage that has occurred and determine the best plan for your situation. Small cracks can end up causing big problems in the future and more expensive repairs. 
About Carbon Fiber, that is the strongest material out there, it can withstand pressure 10 times better then steel. When foundation block wall starts to move or bow out, the mortar joints on the inside open from the deflection inward. Using Carbon Fiber straps which are bonded to the wall with a high strength epoxy, prevent the deflection and prevent mortar joints to open up further and due to that its increasing the load strength of the wall, so basically it will permanently stabilize the foundation from further movement.
Yes it's a strap it gets attached to the foundation with high strength epoxy. The strap runs from the top course to the bottom course 4'OC. The strap is only 4 1/8" wide and 1/8" thick. Here is a few pictures of the strap I took to give you a visual.

In addition, we do the same repairs on the concrete poured foundation wall, only when working with concrete wall, we use injection system to seal the crack .i.e we drill holes along the crack and we install injector ports and starting from the bottom up and fill the crack. in addition we use carbon fiber staples... The strap is used on the block wall. It is new technology and is the most advanced system today for structural foundation repair, which is used on bridges, etc and this form of repair remedy is suggested by most architects and engineers who're familiar with this system...

The following is a few pictures from the job I just did, you will see Structural Foundation damage caused by Hydrostatic pressure and a short video of surface preparation, prior to Carbon Fiber Strap installation. I couldn't upload a large video, but you can get an idea in this smaller video the dustless wall preparation. The video doesn't have sound, only a small portion of it  near the end, when the block wall is being prepped... so please have your volume down because the sound will appear and it will knock your socks off.

If you have a Foundation problem, need additional information, don't wait until the problem will get worst, drop me a note and I will be more then happy to give you a free evaluation and if a repair is needed, I will provide you with an estimate. Please follow this link and fill out a request and I will contact you within 24hrs.

To all readers and visitors

Have a Safe and Joyful Holiday Season to you and your Families and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Basement Wall Repair

I am back, it was a busy Thanksgiving Holiday and before that this job had to be completed before the Holiday and everything went as it was planned and the Homeowner was so pleased with the outcome of this job, that the first time in almost 30 years in business and being the owner of my business I was rewarded by the Homeowner with a very generous tip for the job well done and it sure felt good. Thank you again Clay & Dianna if you ever read this!

Now to the job well done...

After the big rain storm and flood that we had from the last nature's outburst, this basement was flooded with about 4-6" of water. Most of the stuff was ruined,including a beautiful wall unit set that spanned about 13' along the rear wall. All the the trim, doors, sheetrock and cabinetry was removed and disposed. Here is a few pictures after the place was cleaned up and all insulation was removed and dried by a company specializing to do this work and they did a beautiful job.

After cleaning up the studs and plates from  nails and screws that were left after trim and sheetrock was removed, the insulation was replaced along the perimeter of exterior walls.

After insulation was completed, the sheetrock was applied to all interior wall surfaces and taping process began.

Fan was installed to provide air movement throughout the basement for even drying of the drywall compound.

After drywall compound was dry and sanded, door and trim installation was in progress. 5 1/4" colonial base molding was installed to give a nice exposure above the carpet.

After painting was completed, a hangin wall entertainment center was installed. Homeowner requested to design something hanging above the floor, just encase another unfortunate incident would happen and the wall unit will not get damaged, not to mention this system can be removed and moved to a different location.

After the wall unit was installed and custom doors arrived and installed, crown molding above the unit was install, and now we're ready for the carpet installation.

Beautiful Berber Carpet was selected by the Homeowner and installed and we can say another job was done with complete customer satisfaction. It took 14 days to complete this job.

Next job is a structural foundation wall repair, were I be installing Advanced Carbon Fiber Straps to reinforce a foundation wall, I cannot wait to share some pictures with you.

Take care and keep warm!!!

Man killed when deck collapses.

A 78-year-old Melrose man died yesterday afternoon after the deck he was repairing at his home collapsed on top of him, city officials said.
George Carroll, of 21 Bow St., was working on the 10-by-14-foot platform that was about 6 feet off the ground when it detached from the rear of the home and fell, pinning him underneath, Melrose Fire Chief John J. O’Brien said in a phone interview.
Firefighters were summoned shortly before 2 p.m. and quickly began lifting the heavy wooden structure with inflatable airbags, O’Brien said.
Carroll was transported to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, where he was pronounced dead before 3 p.m., he said.

The deck had only two support legs, Avola said. It was attached to the rear of a modest, tidy three-bedroom home.
At the time of the accident, Carroll was working with his son, George Jr., in an effort to level the aging porch, Avola said.
Paul E. Johnson,building official, was on the scene shortly after the collapse to examine the damage. In an interview, he said it was unclear if the structure was up to code.
“It was an old deck,’’ said Johnson. “At the department, we always stress that professionals should do things. But right now, our thoughts are with the family.’’

New Color By Armstrong Cabinet

Armstrong Cabinet Products has added Autumn Brown to its maple door styles. The rich, dark finish is available on all wood species. It is shown here on Armstrong's Waverly door style.

This is Waverly Maple wood door style sample from on one of the kitchen remodeling jobs we did about 6 months ago, the color of the cabinet is Coffee with a build up crown to the ceiling. Just to give an idea what the door looks like.

For more information about Armstrong Cabinets? Click here

Bay Window Wood Trim Replacement With Azek

This job was completed this week for two Homeowners in the same development.

This window's trim was treated for the lack of maintains. Water and moisture penetrated behind the wood surface and wood was rotted from inside out.

Bay window was wrapped with Azek material which will never rot and the window covering will last for the life of the house.

This was the second unit, the Homeowner hired a handyman to repair rotted trim, he never provided any flashing and installed new window covering again with wood and within 3 years, there were problem signss, i.e paint peeling, plywood swelling, etc. After removing window trim and covering, house sheeting was rotted and had to be removed and replaced. 

After replacing plywood and covering bay window with House Wrap, Azek material was applied.

The new product will last for as long as the house, and raised panel makes a nice effect.

Deck Completion

Today the deck project was completed. Homeowner loves it and he can't wait to give a first few coats of solid stain after a few weeks and before the winter arrives. Nice wide staircase adds a nice entrance effect.

Nice 2 level deck and we just got invitation to the first pool party next year.

New stairway leading to the pool was redone and widened and the gate was installed at the bottom. 

Small bench was done at the top of the stairs near the pool entrance.

2011 Most Valuable Product Award Winners

• Pleotint SRT window film,
• CertainTeed Sustainable Insulation,
• Propex NapaWrap Coastal housewrap,
• USG Sheetrock Ultralight Panels,
• TimberTech Earthwood Evolutions deck board,
• CalStar Holland pavers,
• Azek In-Deck Storage System,
• Anderson Windows exterior trim system,
• Generac CorePower generator,
• Rinnai hydronic furnace,
• A.O. Smith NEXT hybrid water heater.

MI Windows and Doors

Got good news today from my replacement window distributor, saying that the Manufacturer of MI windows and doors has improved it's replacement and new construction window and door line and now they make The MI EnergyCore Window System which is designed for optimal energy efficiency and high performance without compromising style and functionality. I have been installing this windows for over 20 years and never had any issues and now the windows got even better.
The system’s high performance is derived from a combination of patented AirCell PVC frame technology, TMAXInsulating Glass, and a design that incorporates numerous physical barriers against air and water infiltration.

The MI EnergyCore Window System achieves optimal energy efficiency. The frame blocks thermal conductivity at least 6 times better than fiberglass, 4 times better than rigid PVC, and 3 times better than wood.
When combining the MI EnergyCore frame with  high-performance, triple-pane, argon-filled TMAX glass packs, the resulting window exceeds ENERGY STAR requirements by 30 - 50 percent and meets the requirements for the Department of Energy’s R-5 High Performance Windows Program.
In fact, MI window system is so efficient, that their standard MI EnergyCore dual pane window, even WITHOUT argon gas fill, exceeds Energy Star requirements in ALL zones, in ANY style, and in ANY configuration.
The MI EnergyCore Window System’s unique design results in a more energy efficient, stronger, more secure, and quieter window with traditional style.

Exterior Columns

Small project was completed today... The original columns were deterated and needed to be replaced. New 4 x 4 post been installed and the girder supporting the roof and the columns were wrapped with Azek material and trim.

For more information about Azek products you can visit Azek Website.



New Home Cultural Stone Installation.

This is the new home under construction, we just installed cultural stone to the lower portion of the house.



Deck Refacing

Just last week started doing wood deck refacing. Existing deck was never maintained, and regular lumber was used instead of pressure treated, so most of the boards been splitting, and rotting. There is also a deck near the pool also in the same condition, the step was done wrong, the riser height was different dimensions and the railing was only a 2x2 running down. I didn't take a picture, but will update images when the job be complete.

This is the wood deck before the decking and railing was removed, this was day 1 of starting this project.

All old decking material was removed and now we have all joist exposed which are still in a very good condition, because it was pressure treated lumber.

Day 2 of construction, surface decking is complete new premium 5/4" x 6 " pressure treated decking is used which creates nice decking surface. 

Deck step from one level to another is complete and Instead of using lattice for the the undersides of the deck, solid decking material will be used.

I will update images as the job progresses.