Residential Services
Marco Concrete Lifting is the largest foundation repair company in West Virginia and we specialize in foundation repair, basement waterproofing, and concrete repair services. Marco Concrete Lifting uses the industry’s best equipment, materials and cutting edge techniques to complete any project whether it is large or small. We have the experience to know what works, and what doesn’t, and always provide our customers with the knowledge and options available to make a well-informed decision in each individual case.
Are you experiencing uneven floors, cracks in your ceiling or walls, windows sticking, bowing or leaning walls, settling or sinking foundations, and cracks on basement or foundation walls? These are all warning signs of a more serious foundation problem.
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When basements are neglected, they often start to smell musty and moist. This is usually caused by the presence of mold and mildew. Basements are the most common breeding ground for mold. Mold poses a great risk to the human body. Although we try to protect our health with various supplements and medication, we may not be aware that the greatest health risk is right in the comfort of our own homes.
Molds belong to the family of fungus, they grow in damp and dark areas where they thrive and multiply. There are several types of molds and some of them; particularly the black mold (Stachybotrys Chartarum) can cause serious health problems especially to children, pregnant women, and to people who are naturally sensitive to molds. If you are immune system-compromised or you’re taking medication that weakens your immune system, measures should be taken to prevent mold as it can cause serious lung diseases and central nervous system damage.
Basement waterproofing minimizes the growth of mold and mildew, but also protects your home from water damage caused by leaks and water seepage. Because basements get very little air flow, they are breeding grounds for bacteria.
Most people use the basement for storing unused clothing, books, paintings, and furniture. Water leakage in the basement where unused things are commonly stored can also cause irreversible damage to your valuables. Mold can also affect fabric. The only way to get rid of that mold on your fabric is to throw it away.
Water leakage in the basement may also weaken the foundation of the house which may cause it to collapse (worse case scenario), causing bigger damage to your property and endangering your family’s safety. There are cases when the mold has made its way towards the upper areas of the house over time.
There are a number of types of waterproofing methods that you can choose. The basement repair method you use will depend on the present problem that your basement has. Sealing is one of the most cost-effective ways of waterproofing minor problems such as cracks and leaks. For major problems such as excessive seepage of water that sealing cannot fix, professional help might be needed.
External basement waterproofing might be necessary, which includes installing footer drains that divert the rain water away from the structure. External fortification can also be necessary if you find that water is leaking from the ground level. This option may be best if you plan on using your basement as an extra bedroom.
Basement waterproofing is a good cost-effective investment toward both your health and your property. Preventing possible mold infection before it happens is a better and wiser option than having to redo your whole basement or house altogether. If you want to protect your family from mold, you should talk to a professional and consider your waterproofing options.
Concrete repair can be a simple yet vital job avoiding major liabilities such as trip hazards and appearance issues. These are often an aspect of maintenance that is overlooked until it is too late.
Concrete slabs are used for many things including but not limited to, sidewalks, driveways, pools decks, porches, patios and house foundation slabs.
Concrete slabs fail mostly due to natural settling. Settling occurs when the soil underneath the concrete slab either expands moves or compresses. Weather is the biggest factor. Rain water will hydrate the soil causing it to swell and the sun can dry it out making it looser and more likely to compress.
Sunken concrete can be incredibly dangerous for many reasons: If a sidewalk has dropped below the original elevation then this can be a serious cause for concern as it could cause a trip hazard resulting in injury to anyone using the sidewalks.
A driveway may have settled to the point where water drainage will be directed towards a house’s foundation. This could cause serious costly structural damage or even cause the house to become unstable.
All of these examples above can be repaired by Marco Concrete Lifting. If the problem is spotted early we can solve your problem by reinforcing, or lifting the concrete slab.
Concrete lifting, also referred to as slabjacking is one of the most common and applicable repair methods for smaller repairs. Slabjacking involves pumping a lime/concrete slurry under the concrete slab. This added volume fills any voids that may exist displacing any water the can accumulate while lifting the slab back to its original position.
Foundation problems can end up causing major issues with the rest of your house or structure. So, it is very important that you know the signs of a failing foundation to protect your home or structure from damage. Here are some of the signs that you need foundation repair:
Squeaky or sticky doors. Many people ignore this about their doors and just think that a door that starts sticking to the frame is normal. Well, it’s not. If your doors start squeaking when you move them or they start sticking to the door frame when it didn’t do so before, you may need foundation repair. Another way to verify if you need foundation repair with the door is to check the frame. If the frame is separated from the door sill, you, most likely, have a foundation problem. You should regularly open and close your doors to make sure they don’t stick or squeak.
Windows that don’t open/close properly. This too is mostly viewed as normal. But, windows that start squeaking out of nowhere are a common sign that you may have foundation problem. You should also open and close your house’s windows from time to time to make sure they don’t stick or squeak.
On the interior of the house you can look for curling/separating wallpaper. As the walls shift from a foundation problem, the wallpaper will also shift, causing it to separate or rip.
Bowed walls are another sign of a foundation problem. These walls are normally seen in the basement, and they will be curved inward or outward.
A leaning chimney is the sixth common sign of possible foundation damage. This needs repair or else it can cause water leaks and/or cracks around the mantel of the chimney. In some cases cracks may also be seen on brick fireplace walls.
Cracks appearing in the corners of door/window frames, usually but not always radiating outward diagonally from the frame. If there is a foundation problem, cracks may start to appear where walls meet other walls.
Floors that are out of level is another sign of a possible foundation problem. When the floor is not level, there may be an obvious slope, humps, or valleys on the surface of the floor.
Another obvious sign of foundation damage is nails popping out for no apparent reason. The nails may come out of corner frames or out of sheet rock or gypsum walls.
Something else to look for are gaps between a patio, stairs/stoop. A foundation that needs repaired may start to move and separate from any attachments, such as a patio, stairs, etc. that it may have.
Damage to your foundation can be very dangerous; in order to keep your structure or home safe you should perform regular checks. To do this, go down the list above of signs of a foundation problem while trying to pay close attention to any oddities. Even then, there may be problems you may not see. If any problems exist you should have it assessed by a professional foundation contractor and repairs made as soon as possible to ensure continued safety and value of your home or property.
Basement or other underground walls can become bowed and can cause property-damaging water leaks or even put your structure and occupants in danger. Marco Concrete Lifting has been repairing bowed walls for well over a decade and are experts at repairing these problems. Most commonly we see subterranean walls bowing inward in the middle causing horizontal cracks in mortar joints or even the blocks themselves. The wall can also become unattached from the floor/footing and push inward at the bottom. In either case this is usually caused by hydrostatic pressure due to improper external drainage issues.
Some walls don’t have to be realigned and are stabilized using carbon fiber straps installed to the wall to reinforce it and stop any future movement. Carbon fiber can be used alone or in conjunction with steel, again, where severity of the bowed wall and access demand it.
If you are experiencing any of these issues in your home please give Marco Concrete Lifting a call and we will setup an appointment for one of our professional staff members to come to your home and assess your problem.
There are a few different ways Marco Concrete Lifting repairs these walls depending on the severity of the problem and access to it (not every bowed wall requires all the steps listed below, there are several variations of the example). An example:
- Brace the structure from the inside
- Dig to below floor grade on the outside of the wall
- Realign the wall as close to its original position as possible
- Install a helical tie-back or another type of anchor through the wall and into firm, untouched soil
- These anchors/tie-backs are the capped with steel plates or steel C-channel spanning from the footer to the sill plate
- The wall is then retrofitted with four pieces of rebar in the cells of every other block
- High strength grout is pumped into the wall to for a solid wall that is several times stronger than a normal block wall.
Marco Concrete Lifting, Inc. has over a decade of experience with slope stabilization and erosion repair methods. Our slope stabilization techniques are the best in the industry and we can help you prevent the erosion of your valuable property. Some of the methods used are soil nails, grouted anchors or helical anchors are used in conjunction with high tensile strength Tecco® wire mesh with a wire rope border to stabilize the slope. Some cases require different methods of repair such as retaining walls, including gabion and crib walls which can also be used to resist further movement of the landslide mass.
The best method of preserving the integrity of these slopes is through preventative maintenance. Including; debris removal, proper drainage, or even installation of an anchored netting system to prevent rocks or other debris from breaking away and causing property damage.
For centuries trees and other living plants were the only materials available for slope stabilization. Today, these old materials and techniques are still in use as well as newer, more advanced methods being available. One of these methods uses an anchoring array of soil nails, grouted hollow bar or helical anchors holding down pre-tensioned Tecco® wire mesh. Integrating living plant material improves aesthetics, decreases maintenance and results in a system that actually increases in strength over time.
We can evaluate the scope of the problem, recommend the next course of action, arrange for proper soil testing and analysis if needed and provide a quotation for the project cost.
