Welcome to the Spring, Texas Foundation Repair (with Bell Bottom Piers) page of the Dawson website. We install Bell Bottom Piers because they are the highest quality repair method – proven, time-tested, and permanent. Our goal is to help the customer understand why their home is experiencing foundation problems and how to select a reputable contractor with a record of success. And reputable contractors have to offer reasonable solutions to the cracked foundations, cracked brick walls, voids under slab foundations, damaged sewer lines, and other foundation issues faced by homeowners in the Spring area. We have completed a lot of foundation repair work in Spring and we are familiar with the soil conditions.
It should be noted that we are highly critical of most home builders in the state of Texas because they build concrete slab foundations that are too thin. We call these “minimally functional foundations.” Commercial buildings do NOT have the number or degree of foundation issues that residential properties have because they are built with thicker and stronger foundations. If your home is experiencing foundation issues and is less than 10 years of age, then you should consider hiring an attorney and independent structural engineer and confront the homebuilder with the facts. Homebuilders have to offer a limited 10 year warranty on new homes, but during disputes home owners are at a disadvantage because they are forced into Mandatory Arbitration.
Service Areas with Zip Codes
Dawson Foundation Repair services in Spring include the following zip codes. However, we will accept work outside these defined areas.
77373 77379 77380 77381 77382 77383 77386 77388 77389
Most Common Warning Signs of Home Foundation Damage
Usually the first warning sign for a homeowner is a crack in the interior or exterior wall. The reason for the crack is soil movement under the concrete slab or pier and beam foundation. The soils in this part of Texas contain a lot of clay, which expands in volume when wet and contracts in volume when dry. This subjects home foundations in the Spring area to tremendous stresses and the result is often a cracked foundation slab and movement of the structural elements of the house or building.
Cracked interior walls
Cracked exterior walls
Doors and Windows that “stick”
Wood and brick framing separating from windows and doors
Uneven floors
Cracked tile floors
Sinking (settlement) of portions of the house or structure
Rise (uplift) of portions of the house or structure
Broken plumbing pipes under the concrete slab
Key Questions For Foundation Repair Contractors
- How many times has your company’s owners declared corporate bankruptcy to dodge an accumulation of lawsuits for shoddy work?
- How many times in the last 5 years has your company used the Mandatory Arbitration clause in the contract in a customer dispute? (Mandatory Arbitration strips homeowners of their legal rights and is heavily weighted in favor of the company. Customers lose between 90% and 95% of all arbitration cases.)
- How much does your company charge to relevel a home foundation (adjustments) after all major work has been completed?
- How many adjustments to a home’s foundation does your company consider to be evidence of a failed foundation repair job?
- Does your company have any factual information from independent structural engineers stating that your foundation repair method can perform as a permanent support structure and without multiple adjustments?
There are other important questions that can and should be asked of any foundation contractor that is bidding to do work on your home. Please visit our page on Compare Foundation Contractors to see these questions.
Methods of Foundation Repair
Why Dawson Foundation Repair? Because we offer the Highest Quality Foundation Repair method available in Spring since 1984. It is the Bell Bottom Pier method and it requires more time, more concrete, more steel rebar, and more labor. Bell Bottom Piers are:
Permanent
One piece construction – engineering term is monolithic (greater strength)
100 years of proven performance for drilled piers and drilled piers with Bell Bottoms
5x to 10x greater Load Capacity
13x larger Footprint surface area (stability)
Recommended by Structural Engineers
The most common foundation repair method in Spring is the low quality “pushed pile” method. It is common because it is lower priced and most homeowners do not understand the difference in the quality of repair methods. It is also the favored repair method by most foundation contractors because it is fast and cheap and therefore very profitable. The independent structural engineers at A-1 Engineering have called the pushed pile method “USELESS” and strongly recommend avoiding this repair method.
In addition, the “pushed pile” repair method is based on HOPE. There is NO known method to verify the depth and alignment of the piles during or after final installation. They often hit an underground rock or tree root and skew off at an angle, which will make the string of concrete cylinders worthless as a support structure. The foundation contractor can not verify the vertical alignment of the piles – he is just HOPE-ing for the best.
Click on the following link to view a comparison of several foundation repair methods.
Compare Methods of Foundation Repair
Cost of Foundation Repair
First, Bell Bottom Piers cost more. If you want a fast and cheap one day job for your Spring home then we are the wrong company for you. Bell Bottom Piers cost more because they require more concrete, more steel rebar, more labor, and more time. And they are very HIGH Quality. A reasonable cost estimate cannot be made without a visit and inspection of the house. The primary determinates of the overall cost are:
number of exterior Bell Bottom Piers
number of interior Bell Bottom Piers (more costly)
size of the slab area that must be supported
number of stories of the house
number of voids requiring mud-pumping
under slab plumbing issues related to soil movement
Frequently Asked Questions About Foundation Repair In Spring, Texas
1) What should I do if I see cracks in my Spring area home?
Call us for a FREE inspection. We will take elevation readings and create a diagram of your house showing you any areas of concern. Our representative will also discuss soil movement, tree roots, drainage, and other factors that impact your home’s foundation.
2) Why do you believe Mandatory Arbitration is a rigged system?
It is an UNFAIR system and designed to protect corporations and businesses from shoddy work and shoddy services. First, the consumer (homeowner) has forfeited many of his/her legal rights in a Mandatory Arbitration agreement. Second, the vendor (foundation repair company) has the right to select the for-profit arbitration company, which we believe to be a conflict-of-interest. Third, arbitrators are NOT judges, are NOT required to have any legal training, and are NOT required to follow the law. Fourth, mandatory arbitration is often more costly that going to court. Fifth, the arbitrator is NOT required to publicly disclose the reasons for his/her decision. Sixth, there is no appeal. Seventh, the consumer loses his or her case more than 90% of the time. And there are many other reasons we think Mandatory Arbitration is a deeply flawed system.
Richard Alderman, Director of the Consumer Law Center at University of Houston Law Center also has an opinion of arbitration:
“If arbitration were in any way beneficial to consumers, it could be made an option and consumers would choose it.”
3) Do you have any documentation to back up your claim that “Pushed Piles” is a low quality foundation repair method?
Yes, we have letters, studies, and excerpts from a PhD dissertation that question the feasibility and worthiness of the “pushed pile” repair method. You can find these documents at https://www.dawsonfoundationrepair.com/engineering-information/ .
https://www.dawsonfoundationrepair.com/pressed-piles-problems/
In addition, the independent structural engineers at A-1 Engineering have referred to the “pushed pile” method as “USELESS FOUNDATION REPAIR“, “THE COMMON TYPE OF BAD PILE – THE CONCRETE PRESSED PILE”, and “WHY LEVELING A HOME WITH CONCRETE PRESSED PILES DOES NOT WORK”. Copy and paste the following link to read more:
http://www.a-1engineering.com/foundationrepairscam.htm
4) Does your Bell Bottom Pier repair method cost more than other foundation repair methods?
Yes. If you want high quality and a permanent solution it will cost more. We use more labor, more concrete, more steel rebar, and require more time. How important is a permanent and stable foundation to your Spring home?
Remember, you get what you pay for.