Brentwood, Tennessee Foundation & Home Repairs

Brentwood Tennessee home repairs are serious business. You can trust The Crack Guys for your Brentwood, Tennessee Foundation & Home Repairs.

Often, hardwood floors and joints can begin to creak when foundations settle, causing mysterious sounds throughout the home. It is not a question of if foundation settlement will occur, it is when foundation settlement occurs. Make sure you have The Crack Guys on your side when you notice the signs of settlement. Catching problems sooner rather than later can have a significant impact on your home’s structural health.

Services We Offer for Brentwood, Tennessee Residents

Luckily, we service the Nashville Tennessee area and surrounding suburbs. Affordable Foundation and Home Repairs – The Crack Guys offer foundation repair, basement water repair, crawlspace mold remediation and crawlspace repairs.

Hours of Staffed Operations

Monday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Brentwood Tennessee Foundation Repair

Let The Crack Guys give you peace of mind by calling us today to schedule a free inspection. You can also fill out a form to have someone from our scheduling department give you a call. Inspections are hassle free and have no strings attached.

What Is Foundation Settlement?

Foundation settlement occurs when soil shifts beneath a home. It is a big deal for homeowners and often requires immediate action. The most common causes for damage that leads to foundation settlement have to do with changes that occur to the soil around the foundation and the soils responsible for surrounding and supporting the entire structure. Certain types of soil cannot support the weight of a foundation or bear the pressure that the foundation of the building or home exerts. Given that the soil may not be stable, the foundation’s footings can press down or sink into softer soils. In these cases, the footings should be designed to spread the load across the weaker soils to help reduce the chance of foundation settlement.

Soil & Compaction Problems

Homeowners should be aware that most problems involving the settlement of the foundation on weak soil result from residential construction using standard footings rather than stronger load-bearing footings. Footings are designed based on general guidelines rather than on soil information that is specific to the site.

Often in the development of commercial and residential subdivisions, fill soils may be used. Generally, builders begin to prep a lot by cutting down hilltops or filling in valleys to create flat and compact spaces. Fill soils that are correctly placed and compacted properly should be more than capable of creating adequate support for these foundations.
When soils are not properly compacted, they may be capable of compressing under the foundation’s load. The structure and foundation can settle, causing structural integrity problems in the future.
An excess amount of moisture can saturate the foundation’s soil, which can easily lead to softening soils. When the soil is no longer able to support the load, the result is often foundation settlement. Increased amounts of moisture within the soil beneath the foundation often occurs when there is poor surface drainage around the structure.

Soils that consist mostly of clay content generally tend to shrink when it comes to moisture loss. Extensively drought-like conditions and other causes like maturing vegetation and trees can cause a drying out of the foundational soil.

Maturing Vegetation

Maturing of trees, flowers, shrubbery, bushes, and any other types of vegetation near the home’s footing is a common cause of foundation settlement. When vegetation matures, it the demands more water and nutrients to grow. The root system for the vegetation is also going to grow and expand continuously with time; thus, the roots will be trying to draw moisture out of the soil around and beneath the building’s foundation.
Soils that are rich in clay will shrink with time as they lose their moisture content as a result of this action. This will result in the overlying structure’s settlement, including the foundation and the building built over the top of the foundation. Many building owners and homeowners have said that they never had any problems with the settlement of the foundation until many years following the structures construction.
Unfortunately, several decades can pass before this type of problem becomes apparent making things difficult for the homeowner who suddenly has to make repairs to the home’s foundation. Since it takes many decades for new vegetation and trees to grow, that is why these types of foundation issues may not appear until later on in the life of the building or structure.

Foundation Repair

For block foundation repair, we install helical piers under the footer to help stabilize the structure. For unlevel and sagging floors, we use our custom made Samson Floor Supports.

We understand that choosing the right company to repair your foundation can be a daunting task. We want to make it an easy choice when considering what company you want to repair your foundation. Before choosing a foundation company, you should ensure that they are licensed (through the state) and insured.

You can trust The Crack Guys for your Brentwood, Tennessee Foundation & Home Repairs.

Brentwood Tennessee Basement Waterproofing

Homeowners in Tennessee should be aware of the warning signs to know when to contact a professional. Here at The Crack Guys company, we can waterproof your basement and provide the protection you need to keep your basement protected.

Understanding Basements

Understanding how a basement is constructed is important. To begin, a large hole is dug in order to prepare the area for footings and block installation. Once the footings and blocks are in place, a drainage pipe with gravel is installed around the outside perimeter of the wall in attempt to prevent water from entering the basement. The pipe allows water to move away from the structure. The area is then back filled with the original soil and the home can be further constructed. Although the soil is compacted as much as possible during the construction, it can not be returned to the original, un-touched compaction therefore causing looser soil around the structure. Less compacted soil allows water to seep and stand around the foundation. Over time previously installed piping can also become clogged.

What is Hydro-Static Pressure?

Hydro-static pressure occurs when water is forced into an area where it has no escape.

After precipitation, the water table rises up to/around basement walls. This creates hydro-static pressure, so the water begins to find an alternate route. To relieve the pressure, water begins to penetrate the basement around the foundation seams and through porous basement block walls; causing basements to flood or water seepage.

Basement waterproofing is a method that involves preventing water from entering the basement of a house. It is commonly used for structures built at or below the ground level. Basement waterproofing is used for groundwater that builds up in the soil and raises the water table. Saturated soil creates stress against the basement walls and floors, forming cracks throughout the structure.

All homeowners should be aware of the warning signs to know when to contact a professional. At Affordable Foundation we can waterproof a basement and provide you with preventative tips to help protect your foundation against water damage. Our basement waterproofing methods include interior waterproofing, exterior waterproofing, a basin, and Sump pump installation. All of these systems are designed to prevent wet basements by controlling the flow of water away from your basement.

You can trust The Crack Guys for your Brentwood, Tennessee Foundation & Home Repairs.

Brentwood Tennessee Crawlspace Encapsulation

Crawlspace encapsulation is a method that uses a plastic material called vapor barrier to prevent water from entering the crawlspace. The sheet is placed over the entire area of the crawlspace to seal out moisture and the diffusion of vapor from the concrete surface. It also seals cracks in the foundation walls to prevent air and water leaks. Crawlspace encapsulation cost is much less than repairing the damage that can occur. Crawlspace encapsulation and vapor barriers offer many advantages such as:

Lowers cooling costs, improves indoor air quality, stops mold and fungal growth, eliminates condensation build up, increases the homes value, protects pipes from bursting, energy efficient, keeps floors at a comfortable temperature.

You can trust The Crack Guys for your Brentwood, Tennessee Foundation & Home Repairs.

Brentwood Tennessee Crawlspace Mold Remediation

Homeowners in Tennesseee should be aware of the warning signs of crawlspace mold to know when to contact a professional. Give us a call today!

Your average crawl space is often cramped, dark, and shelters a few creepy pests and insects.
The health and well-being of your home begin at the foundation level. Over time, excessive moisture will break down almost every element of your crawlspace: your foundation, wood framing, HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. If a wet crawl space is not addressed, you’re guaranteed trouble down the road.

Water can cause a foundation to decay by pressing against the foundation walls, filling the cinder block’s hollow core or seeping through the seams of poured concrete.
When water begins to create puddles and cannot escape, hydrostatic pressure is created. Hydrostatic pressure makes the soil expand and push against your foundation, which can cause foundation walls to crack, bow, or even break. All of these situations severely compromise the structural stability of your home.

If moisture stays in the crawlspace for an extended period of time, the structural wood framing system will weaken and begin to rot. Debris in the crawl space, like fiberglass insulation, increase the risk of water retention in the crawlspace.
Generally, builders insulate the crawl space with fiberglass batting. Over time this method has proved to retain water keeping the crawlspace damp and humid. This ever-present dampness accelerates wood rotting and provides cozy home for insects and mold.

A wet foundation and wood structure guarantee that there is at least some biological growth; water intrusion goes hand-in-hand with mold. If not mitigated, mold can cause serious (even permanent!) damage to your health; especially true for anyone with allergies or asthma. The air in your crawlspace is circulated to the levels above through HVAC systems can circulate therefore distributing mold spores throughout your home.

You can trust The Crack Guys for your Brentwood, Tennessee Foundation & Home Repairs.