What is Foundation Leveling and Why is It Important

The terms “foundation leveling” and “foundation repair” are used interchangeably by many people, us included. They aren’t, however, precisely the same. Still, when you’re talking about foundation repair, foundation leveling is important.

How important do we think it is? Well, just check the name of our company.

What is Foundation Leveling?

At its most basic, foundation leveling is the process of returning a foundation to level.

Sounds pretty self-evident, right?

To understand what that involves, however, you have to understand why the foundation wasn’t level in the first place. Poor construction is a possibility. Earthquakes are as well, especially if you are located in southern California like we are.

Usually, however, the answer is in the soil. Either the soil compacted under the weight of the building, causing it to settle unevenly, or the soil heaved, pushing part of the building up. Foundation leveling then is the process of counteracting this, returning the foundation to level while stabilizing it so that the problem doesn’t recur.

What is the Difference Between Foundation Leveling and Foundation Repair?

Basically, foundation leveling is a type of foundation repair. It is the type most people probably think of when they hear the term.

It just isn’t the only type.

If you have a basement and the walls are bowing inward from the pressure in the surrounding soil, fixing that is foundation repair. So to is replacing rotting beams in a pier and beam foundation. Even filling foundation cracks, another service we offer, is foundation repair.

If you are trying to combat foundation settlement, however, it is the type you need.

Why Is an Uneven Foundation a Problem?

Simply put, your home or business was built with the expectation that the foundation would be level. If it isn’t, it places stress on the rest of the structure.

Why? Well, imagine that you have a home where one side of the house remains level while the other side settles. Among other issues, you’ll likely begin to see cracks forming, often wider at the top than at the bottom, because the deflection is literally pulling the wall apart until it cracks.

Similarly, openings in the walls will often slightly warp under the stress, causing windows and doors to stick or develop gaps (or both).

This stress eventually weakens the entire support system for the building.

What Foundation Leveling Does

Foundation leveling does pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It takes a foundation that is no longer level and makes it level again.

Good foundation leveling, however, goes a step beyond that. It doesn’t just level the foundation. It puts in place a system by which the foundation won’t become un-level again.

The best way to do this is by installing a foundation underpinning system composed of steel piers. Some installers use concrete, but these systems tend not to extend far enough into the earth to truly permanently stabilize the foundation and some can be prone to other problems like deflection.

Need Foundation Leveling in Southern California? Call Us

At Foundations on the Level, we pride ourselves in offering the best in foundation leveling to our clients within our San Diego and Orange County service area. We bring decades of experience and use only the best in equipment so you only have to go through foundation repair once. Contact us today to learn more.