What Are Push Piers?

Push piers are foundation repair underpinnings that restabilize your home by transferring the weight from unstable soil to competent strata below the frost line. They can be required in a home for a number of reasons, but the most common is settlement. 

• Foundation Settlement 

Settlement occurs most commonly when excessive soil saturation or dehydration causes the foundation to sink and crack. This sinking is usually uneven, which causes a host of other problems. This occurs because expansive soil, such as clay soil, reacts heavily to moisture (or a lack of moisture). Overly wet soil loses its ability to support the weight of a property, while dry soil shrinks and leaves a property with no support. 

Push piers transfer the weight of the property onto competent soil while using the weight of the building to set them in place. This essentially rectifies the settlement process and prevents the house from sinking further into the ground by providing a solid support system to keep it in place. By addressing the underlying cause of the damage, push piers make cosmetic repairs more viable, too. 

• Does My Home Need Push Piers? 

Push piers are specifically designed to support sinking foundations, but they aren’t the only options you have. If you suspect your foundation is damaged, sinking, or leaking, you should contact a foundation repair professional. They will tell you what the best course of action is and even determine whether push piers are the correct kind of foundation pier for your home and situation. 

There is more than one foundation repair solution, and each solution has a situation for which it is best suited. A professional assessment is all-important because it ensures that you are getting the right solution for you. If you try to fix the symptoms of foundation damage or implement a DIY fix, you could make matters worse very quickly.