If you’re considering investing in foundation repair or basement waterproofing, it’s important to understand what will be involved in the project. Foundation excavation is one of the most common tasks performed by contractors during these types of projects. But what is foundation excavation, and when is it necessary? In this blog post, we’ll answer those questions and provide a guide for homeowners who want to know more about what to expect from this process.
At Zablocki Waterproofing, we help homeowners with all types of basement waterproofing and foundation repair needs. Foundation excavation is one of the most common services we provide. For answers to your questions or to schedule your service, contact us today.
What is Foundation Excavation?
Foundation excavation is the process of excavating around the perimeter of your home’s foundation in order to access the area beneath your home. To do this, a contractor will use a backhoe or other heavy equipment to dig a trench around the foundation. The contractor will then remove any soil or debris that is blocking access to the area beneath your home. Depending on the scope of the project, it may only be necessary to excavate a single side of your foundation or part of one side. For larger-scale projects, it may be necessary to excavate the whole perimeter of the foundation.
When is Foundation Excavation Necessary?
Foundation excavation is necessary any time a professional needs access to the exterior of your basement, crawl space, or slab foundation walls. Here are a few examples of projects where full or partial foundation excavation may be necessary:
Basement wall repair: if your basement or crawl space wall is cracked or bowed, the contractor may need to excavate around the perimeter of the foundation in order to access the wall and make repairs. Small cracks and other minor issues may be able to be addressed from inside the basement or crawl space, but most larger repairs require access to both sides of the wall. Learn more about basement wall repair in Milwaukee.
Foundation piering: Foundation piering is a type of foundation repair that involves installing support piers beneath your home’s foundation. To do this, the contractor will need to excavate around the perimeter of your foundation in order to access the area beneath your home.
Basement waterproofing: Milwaukee has many older homes. Many times, the foundations of older homes did not have waterproofing materials applied when they were built and are now suffering the consequences. Even if they were originally waterproofed, wear and tear over time can cause these safeguards to fail. If you’re interested in basement waterproofing, the contractor may need to excavate around your foundation in order to install updated drainage systems or other waterproofing products. Learn more about basement waterproofing in Milwaukee.
Detailed foundation inspections: if you’re having foundation problems, the contractor may need to excavate around your foundation in order to access the exterior of your basement or crawl space walls. This will allow them to perform a detailed inspection of your home’s foundation.
Can I Avoid Foundation Excavation?
In some cases, it may be possible to avoid foundation excavation altogether. For example, if you’re only interested in basement waterproofing, there are some products that can be installed through small holes drilled into your foundation walls. However, for most foundation repair projects that involve accessing the exterior of a foundation wall, excavation will be necessary.
Choosing the Right Foundation Repair Contractor.
Foundation excavation can be an intimidating and time-consuming process, but it is often essential for foundation repair and basement waterproofing projects. Taking away the supportive dirt around your home’s foundation requires exceptionally careful skill and strategy, and you should only work with a highly reputable Milwaukee foundation repair company for a project that requires excavation. If you have any questions about foundation excavation or would like to schedule a service, contact Zablocki Waterproofing today. We are experts at all facets of basement waterproofing and foundation repair, including performing thousands of safe and successful foundation excavations. We are happy to provide references from our many satisfied local customers.
Learn more about our services, including basement repair, foundation repair, drain tile, waterproofing, and more. We look forward to working with you.
