News Station Interviews Experienced San Antonio Foundation Repair Companies

August 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

san antonio foundation repair companiesTalk about feast or famine. San Antonio foundation repair companies are inundated with extra work because of the drought.

The extreme lack of rainfall means the Texas soil is parched and moving.
"What happens is the ground shrinks like a big sponge," Arredondo explains. "The longer it goes being dry, the more it shrinks."

Ernie Arredondo, engineer and owner of the Arredondo Group, has seen his crews' workload double since last summer.

While large cracks generally signify a foundation issue, not all cracks mean a big repair. That's where an engineer's assessment can pay.  The Arredondo Group has plenty of licensed engineers ready to give you an accurate estimate.

With a lack of ground support, walls begin to sag, causing drywall, sheet rock and even exterior brick to crack, Arredondo said.
Homeowners can look for early signs of problems with a foundation.

"You're going to get doors that start sticking," he said. "You're going to get cracks at the windows at 45 degrees."

"There's also cracks just from shrinkage of construction materials," Arredondo said. "When seeing cracks, it's not always attributed to the foundation."

To prevent major foundation issues, the key is moisture.

Arredondo recommends watering the foundation with a garden hose and cover a swath six feet outward from the edge of the slab. Water restrictions can make watering a foundation tricky and it can run up the water bill, but foundation repairs can run several thousand dollars.  There are foundation repair financing options if you know where to look.

Advocates recommend homeowners get two to three estimates and do due diligence because foundation repair contractors are not licensed by the state of Texas.  However, Arredondo Group staffs multiple licensed engineers by the state of Texas to properly asses your foundation problems accurately.  Most San Antonio foundation repair companies do not staff licensed engineers. 

They can be reached at 210.645.6811.

In the mean time, grab their free consumer's buyer's guide by entering your contact information in the box on this website.  It will be emailed to you instantly.


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Frequently Asked Questions Part 2 – San Antonio Foundation Repair Cost

April 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Is the thought of actually addressing a real foundation repair on your home got you nervous?  I bet the possible hefty foundation repair cost makes you not want to address the issue at all.   Maybe you just want to know if you have a REAL foundation problem to begin with?

Let’s dispel the myths and get down to the truth with Part 2 of our “Frequently Asked Questions” series!   If you missed part 1 click here –>“Frequently Asked Questions”

 

“Frequently Asked Questions – Part 2″

How much does it cost to repair my foundation? The foundation repair cost is largely dependent on the type and extent of the damage.  Construction methods/materials  and soil conditions  are different for every building and therefore the repair must be properly engineered/customized to do the job.  Generally speaking, the average costs for average size home will run:

  • Underpinning of a house will run about $3,500 – $5,000 per corner.
  • Moderate foundation damage, partial underpinning $8,000 – $12,000
  • Extensive foundation damage, full underpinning $20,000 – $30,000

2.  How many piers will I need? Every house is different.  Our engineers determine the number and placement of piers needed based on a  structural assessment of your foundation and floor surface elevations.  Many things affect the foundation repair design including existing weight bearing soil capacity, drainage, foundation condition/deviation, building structural design and construction.

3.  Does homeowner insurance cover the cost of these repairs? If the foundation problem is the result of a plumbing leak, coverage may be available.

4.  Can’t I just sell the house as is? Mortgage company’s will not loan on houses/buildings  in structural disrepair.   Investors used to buy “fixer upper”  for pennies on the dollar, but  with all the “REPOS” on the market, it is not likely the house would sell without repair.

5.  Do you provide financing? We have some financing solutions that will help make your repairs get done on time and allow you to sleep soundly. Most San Antonio foundation repair companies do not offer financing.

We welcome your questions and comments to all of our posted information and do hope this can help you complete your “due diligence” concerning foundation repair.

Feel free to give our office a call for any reason and one of our experts will assist you 210.645.6811.  In the meantime grab our FREE “Buyer’s Guide Report” so you can be a better informed consumer  when dealing with your biggest investment, your home.  Just enter your information in the form to the right and we will email it to you right now=====>


Look forward to hearing from you & stay tuned for more Q & A,

Ernie Arredondo, PE

p.s. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter & Facebook!


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Frequently Asked Questions Part 1 – San Antonio Foundation Problems

April 8, 2011 By 2 Comments

As you can imagine, we get plenty of questions from our clients and the general public on foundation repair, San Antonio foundation problems, foundation repair cost and foundation repair companies.

To answer these questions for everyone we have hand picked the most frequently asked questions and will now answer them in our newsletter series.  Due to the amount of questions we want to answer, this series will include multiple segments.

“Frequently Asked Questions – Part 1″

  1. How do I know if I have foundation problems? Call us to schedule a free engineer assessment if your home shows signs of possible foundation problems such as misaligned doors/windows that don’t close/open properly, obviously sloping of floors, cracks in the interior walls,gaps between floorboards and wall or ceiling and walls, cracks in motor brick or tile.
  2. Do you do free estimates? Yes.  We will provide a free estimate to homeowners suspicious of foundation problems.  Call us at 210.645.6811 to schedule a free appointment.
  3. How long does the assessment take? This process usually takes 30 minutes to 1 hour.  The engineer will need access to the inside of the home/structure to take floor service elevations from inside the house to determine the condition/stability of the foundation.  If the foundation is out of level, the engineer will determine the number and placement of piers needed.
  4. Is there a warranty? Yes, we provide a lifetime transferable warranty for our hydraulically pressed concrete piers and 1 year transferable warranty on poured concrete piers.
  5. Are you licensed and bonded? Yes.  The company is licensed and bonded.  Our engineers are professionally licensed to practice structural, civil and mechanical engineer through the Texas Board Of Professional Engineers.  We helped develop and follow The American Society Of Civil Engineers guidelines for foundation repair

We invite your questions and comments to all of our posted information and do hope this can help you complete your “due diligence” concerning your home.

Feel free to give our office a call for any reason and one of our experts will assist you 210.645.6811.  In the meantime grab our FREE “Buyer’s Guide Report” so you can be the best informed consumer  when dealing with your biggest investment, your home.  Just enter your information in the form to the right  ======>

 

Look forward to hearing from you,

Ernie Arredondo, PE

 

p.s. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter & Facebook!


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Weather Affects Concrete Foundations – San Antonio Foundation Repair Companies

October 8, 2010 By 2 Comments

Did you know your home’s foundation can be drastically affected by the weather, specifically the amount of rainfall?

If there is a lack of rainfall for and extended period of time the ground surrounding your house foundation can loose the support of the dirt around it which can cause the foundation to crack and give.

Once rainfall has occurred the same dry ground can expand like a sponge and provide support to a cracked foundation that makes it appear as if there isn’t much of a problem.  If you don’t have the experience from the right San Antonio foundation repair companies, you could be in for a rude awakening.

Listen to registered professional engineer, Ernie Arredondo explain the importance of having the right foundation repair companies understand the impact weather has on proper house leveling.

Knowing how to repair foundation problems in a drought or in moderate to heavy rainfall requires an experienced licensed engineer, not a technician or contractor.  If you get the wrong assessment because of inexperience, you could be looking at thousands of dollars out of your pocket, while stuck with a faulty foundation.

Do yourself a favor and give us a call at 210.645.6811 and ask us about our FREE foundation repair assessment from one of our licensed professional engineers.

Let’s get the the repair done right the first time.

Also, don’t forget to get our FREE report on “How To Avoid The 5 Ways Homeowners Are Being Mislead” as our gift.  Just enter your contact information in the form to the right and we will send it to you immediately at no obligation.

Helping you be a more informed consumer,

Ernie Arredondo, PE


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