Why Helical Piers Are the Smartest Solution for Foundation Settlement
Does it feel like your home is slowly trying to return to the earth? Maybe you’ve noticed a crack in the exterior brick that seems to get wider every month, or perhaps your front porch is beginning to pull away from the main structure like it’s looking for an exit.
If you live in Alabama or Tennessee, you’re likely dealing with our famous “gumbo” clay. This soil is notorious for shifting, shrinking, and swelling, leaving your foundation literally hanging in the balance. When your home starts to sink, you need more than a “patch” or a prayer. You need a permanent structural solution.You need helical piers.
At The Crack Guys, we’ve seen every type of foundation failure imaginable. While there are several ways to prop up a house, helical piers are often the “gold standard” for residential stabilization. In this guide, we’ll explain what helical piers are, how they work, and why they might be the best investment you ever make for your home.
Don’t let a small crack turn into a structural canyon. If you’ve noticed uneven floors, sticking windows, or cracks in your drywall, it’s time to call in the experts.
What exactly are helical piers?
A helical pier is a massive, industrial-grade steel screw. Unlike a standard nail or a stake that you simply drive into the ground, a helical pier features spiral plates (called helices) welded to a central steel shaft.
The “screw” design allows the pier to be wound deep into the earth using hydraulic machinery. Because they are made of heavy-duty galvanized steel, they’re built to resist corrosion and withstand the immense pressure of your home’s weight for decades.
At The Crack Guys, we use these to reach the stable, load-bearing soil that sits far beneath the “active zone” of the surface clay. While the soil near the surface moves with the weather, the deep soil stays put, and that is where we want your home to rest.
How do helical piers actually work?
The magic of a helical pier lies in its installation method. We don’t rely on the weight of your house to push the pier down (which is how “push piers” work). Instead, we use a high-torque hydraulic motor to rotate the pier into the ground.
As the pier turns, the helices pull it deeper, much like a wood screw entering a 2×4. Our team monitors the “torque” (the resistance) as it goes down. Once we hit a specific torque measurement, we know the pier has reached soil strong enough to support your home’s load.
Once the piers are at the correct depth, we attach a heavy-duty steel bracket to your home’s concrete footing. The weight of your house is then transferred off the unstable soil and onto the piers. In many cases, we can even use hydraulic jacks to “lift” the foundation back toward its original level position.
What are the main benefits of using helical piers?
When you’re looking at foundation repair, you want a solution that is fast, effective, and permanent. Helical piers check all three boxes. Here is why we often recommend them:
- No “Curing” Time: Unlike concrete underpinning, which requires days or weeks to dry and harden, helical piers can support the full weight of your home the second they are installed.
- Minimal Mess: We don’t need to bring in massive excavators to dig up your entire yard. The equipment used for helical piers is relatively small and maneuverable, meaning your prize-winning rose bushes are much safer.
- Versatility: Helical piers work for heavy homes, but they are also the absolute best choice for lighter structures like chimneys, decks, and porches.
- All-Weather Installation: Rain or shine, hot or cold, we can install helical piers.
- Measurable Results: Because we track the torque during installation, we can verify exactly how much weight each pier can hold. There’s no guesswork involved.
How do helical piers compare to concrete foundations?
In the old days, the “fix” for a sinking house was to dig a hole and pour more concrete under it. While that sounds logical, it often makes the problem worse.
- The Weight Issue: Concrete is incredibly heavy. If your soil is already failing to support your house, adding several tons of wet concrete to that same spot is like putting a weighted vest on a person who is already sinking in quicksand. Helical piers provide support without adding significant weight to the soil.
- Depth: Concrete footings are usually shallow. If the soil at 5 feet deep is moving, a concrete patch at 5 feet deep will move too. Helical piers go much deeper, often 20, 30, or even 50 feet, to find the “good stuff” (stable soil).
- Predictability: Concrete can crack and shift over time. Galvanized steel piers are engineered to stay rigid and stable regardless of moisture changes in the upper soil layers.
Are helical piers better than push piers?
This is a common question we get at The Crack Guys. The truth is, both have their place, but helical piers have a distinct advantage in specific scenarios.
Push piers use the weight of the house to “push” the pipe into the ground. If you have a very light structure, like a single-story home with a crawl space, a chimney, or a porch, the house might not be heavy enough to push the pier deep enough. Instead of the pier going down, the house might actually lift up!
Helical piers don’t need the house’s weight. Since they’re screwed in independently, they’re the perfect solution for those lighter structures that still need deep-soil stabilization.
What is the installation process like?
We pride ourselves on being “customer-obsessed,” which means we want the process to be as stress-free as possible for you. Here’s what you can expect when The Crack Guys come to your home:
- The Inspection: We don’t just guess. We use level sensors and visual inspections to map out exactly where your foundation is failing.
- Site Prep: We carefully excavate small areas around your foundation’s “footing” to make room for the brackets.
- The Drive: Using our hydraulic equipment, we screw the helical piers into the ground until they reach the required depth and torque.
- Bracket Attachment: We secure the steel brackets to your foundation’s footing.
- The Lift (Optional): If your home has settled significantly, we can use hydraulic jacks to carefully move the foundation back toward its original elevation.
- Restoration: We backfill the soil and leave your property looking as clean as possible.
Most residential jobs are finished in just a few days!
Why should you choose The Crack Guys for your repair?
Your home is your biggest investment. You wouldn’t trust a “handyman” to perform heart surgery, and you shouldn’t trust a general contractor to handle your foundation.
The Crack Guys are specialists. We live and breathe foundation repair in Alabama and Tennessee. We understand the specific clay types in Birmingham, the moisture issues in Huntsville, and the shifting terrain in Nashville.
We don’t believe in “one-size-fits-all” patches. We provide custom-engineered plans, transparent pricing, and a warranty that gives you permanent peace of mind. We treat your home like it’s our own, and we won’t rest until your “cracks” are a thing of the past.
Your foundation supports everything. Let’s make sure it’s built to last.
Frequently Asked Questions About Helical Piers
How long do helical piers last?
Helical piers are designed to be a permanent solution. Because they are typically made of galvanized steel, they are highly resistant to rust and soil chemistry. Most engineers estimate their lifespan at 75 to 100 years or more.
Will helical piers close the cracks in my walls?
In many cases, yes! When we “lift” the foundation back to its original position, wall cracks often close up or at least narrow significantly. However, every house is different. Even if the crack doesn’t close 100%, the pier ensures that the crack won’t get any worse.
How much do helical piers cost?
The cost depends on the number of piers needed and how deep we have to go to find stable soil. While they can be more expensive than “quick fixes,” they are much cheaper than the cost of a total foundation collapse or the loss of your home’s resale value. We offer free estimates to give you an exact number.
Can helical piers be used for new construction?
Absolutely! In fact, installing helical piers before you build on unstable soil is the smartest way to prevent future foundation problems. It’s much easier to build a solid foundation from the start than to fix one later.
Does insurance cover helical pier installation?
Most standard homeowner insurance policies do not cover foundation settlement or “earth movement.” However, it is always worth checking with your agent. Regardless, repairing the foundation is essential for maintaining the value and safety of your property.
