Helical Piers for Your Sinking Foundation

To repair cracks in your foundation, the first step is ensuring that your house leans on soil that doesn’t sink. Our specialized helical pier solution eliminates a sinking foundation by anchoring it on solid soil found deep underground.

Strategically attached helical piers anchor your foundation to more stable soil

Topsoil is less stable than soil that is found deeper underground. A solution to that is to strategically attach helical piers to your sinking foundation and anchor them into more stable soil layers to stabilize the foundation.

Our quick and simple process:

Utility lines are marked in the working area
A mini excavator digs beside foundation to expose footer
Footer is cut and prepared for the helical pier bracket
Helical piers are drilled down to load-bearing soil beside the footer at a controlled pitch
Lead and extension shafts transmit torque during installation and transfer the axial load to the helical plate(s)
Repair bracket is attached to the foundation and connected to the helical pier
Jack stand is attached to helical piers system to lift foundation transferring load to helical plates in load-bearing soil
Job site backfilled and cleaned up

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Common questions

Is the helical pier the best option for my sinking foundation?

Yes! There are two types of piers in the industry.

1. The push pier

The push pier system uses the weight of the existing foundation to push steel pipes down into more stable soil conditions. However, once the foundation starts to lift from pushing the pier into the soil the installer has to stop at that point and the push pier may or may not be in solid soil yet. In return, when there is additional weight on your home, such as snow on the roof, the push pier will fail and the installing company will have to come back and repressurize the pier system. So why do they install push piers you may ask? In most cases, the material is less expensive and no equipment is required leading to higher company profits.

2. The helical pier

Helical pier failure is nearly unheard of because helical piers are drilled into load-bearing soil with a drive head drill that hooks to a mini excavator. Once the helical pier reaches a certain pressure, we know the helical pier shaft and helical plates are ready to be loaded for any and all conditions. That is why Forever Foundation Repair uses helical piers for sinking foundations.

Can the foundation move after helical piers are installed?

No, once Forever Foundation Repair installs helical piers to stabilize your foundation it cannot sink or move anymore.

How deep are helical piers installed?

In most cases, helical piers go 14 to 28 feet deep, though some areas have less stable soil layers. In places around lakes, like Lake Erie, Crooked Lake, or Indian Lake, the helical pier may have to be drilled 50 to 70 feet deep.

Will you be able to lift the foundation back into place, level doors, windows and close cracks in drywall and brick veneer?

In most cases, the foundation is leveled allowing cracks to close and doors to work properly, though the main concern is lifting and stabilizing the foundation to take stress off the structure.

How long is the warranty for helical piers?

Forever Foundation Repair warranties our helical piers for the life of the home.

How long does it take to fix my foundation with helical piers?

The most common jobs take one to two days depending on the size of the job.

Is this a common problem?

Yes, sinking foundations and helical pier installation is a normal day for Forever Foundation Repair and most of the time if you are having issues some of your neighbors are as well

Does homeowners insurance cover a sinking foundation?

No, homeowners insurance will not cover a sinking foundation.

Isn’t settling in a foundation normal?

In some ways, yes, but if you start to see cracks in drywall or brick veneer your foundation is sinking. Those are signs of an issue that needs to be addressed.

The contractor who built my house didn’t know what he was doing, is that why my foundation is sinking?

In most cases, that is not the case. Soil conditions and hydrology is almost always the cause of a sinking foundation.

My house has been here for 40 years, why is it moving now?

It doesn’t matter if your house is new or old. Soil hydrology is always changing and that is why foundations sink.

What if I don’t fix the sinking foundation?

Letting a foundation sink is a bad idea. When a portion of the foundation is sinking, it can cause severe issues in the home. Trusses can start to pop and rip apart, brick starts to crack, siding starts to stretch, electrical wires that are installed in the framing start to stretch and tear, plumbing pipes start to break, and shingles can start to stretch causing leaking roofs. So, it is very important to address a sinking foundation!