Concrete Foundation Repair Ohio

♦ November 23, 2012 ♦ Leave Your Comment

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. QUESTION:
    Pouring concrete fouondation in Parma Ohio?
    I have a slanting foundation in my basement in the back of my house .. The wall is 40 ft long and 7 feet high .. It is made out of cinder block .. I was wondering how much would it cost to replace the foundation with new cinder blocks or would it be cheaper and the price if I poured a foundation instead of cinder block .. What would be better and how much am I looking at

    • ANSWER:
      The foundation is NOT of cinder blocks. Below the cinder blocks is the FOOTER foundation and that should be poured concrete with reinforcing rods about 18 inch wide and 8 thick.

      Atop of that are the cinder blocks. You will need to dig around the foundation and blocks to expose the entire 40 feet with a backhoe. Then remove the old footer and have a new level footer installed.

      Atop of that new and level footer you will need a new row of cement blocks, poured concrete would require forms and be more expensive.

      Why not call a company that jacks up houses and have them jack the entire thing to a level position. They dig holes and install permanent jacks in the ground to hold the house level..This is what is commonly done. They are listed in the yellow pages under foundation repairs. You are talking in the realm of around ,000 or more to do even this.

  2. QUESTION:
    I need some earthquake statistics?
    Can I have some earthquake statistics for Long Island,NY. I know they don’t happen often . Like how often they occur here and their magnitude. Thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      I don’t know much about earthquakes in Long Island. Mostly their rare and small. Here’s some information for New York state:

      A very large area of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, about 4,200,000 square kilometers, was shaken by a magnitude 7 earthquake on February 28, 1925 (March 1, universal time). A maximum intensity of VIII was reached in the epicentral region, near La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. A large portion of New York State experienced intensity IV effects; lesser intensities were noted south of Albany.

      Extensive damage occurred in the Attica area from a strong shock on August 12, 1929. Two hundred and fifty chimneys were thrown down, plaster was cracked or thrown down, and other building walls were noticeably damaged (intensity VIII). Many cemetery monuments fell or were twisted. Dishes fell from shelves, pictures and mirrors fell from walls, and clocks stopped. An increased flow at the Attica reservoir was noted for several days after the earthquake; a number of wells near the reservoir went dry. There was some damage at Batavia and other points at similar distances. A wall was cracked at Sayre, Pennsylvania. The earthquake was felt throughout most of New York and the New England states, northeastern Ohio, northern Pennsylvania, and southern Ontario, Canada; a total area of about 250,000 square kilometers. Strong aftershocks were felt at Attica on December 2 and 3; dishes fell from shelves and clocks stopped.

      The opposite end of the State experienced similar damage from another shock less than 2 years later. On April 20, 1931, an earthquake centering near Lake George threw down about 20 chimneys at Warrensburg and twisted a church spire (intensity VII). A small landslide was reported on McCarthy Mountain. At Glen Falls, walls were cracked, dished broken, and clocks stopped. At Lake George, buildings swayed and store goods fell from shelves. At Luzerne, some Chimneys were damaged and windows broken. The shock was felt over 155,000 square kilometers, but with less intensity in the Catskills than at equal distances in other directions. This anomaly was also noted in the August 12, 1929, Attica earthquakes.

      The magnitude 6 1/4 earthquake centered near Timiskaming, Quebec, Canada, on November 1, 1935, caused slight damaged at many points in New York. The damage was limited, in general, to plaster cracks, broken windows, and cracked chimneys. The shock was felt throughout New York, as far south as Washington, D.C., and as far west as Wisconsin. An earthquake centered near Lake Ossipee, New Hampshire on December 24, 1940, caused widespread, though slight, damage in the epicentral region, extending into Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Reports from Dannemora, New York, noted plaster and windows cracked and some dishes broken. The shock was felt over all of New York State.

      On September 4, 1944, an earthquake centered about midway between Massena, New York, and Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, caused an estimated ,000,000 damage in the two cities. The shock destroyed or damaged about 90 percent of the chimneys at Massena (intensity VIII), with similar effects at Cornwall. In addition, masonry, plumbing, and house foundations were damaged at Massena. Many structures were rendered unsage for occupancy until repaired. Press reports indicated a large number of wells in St. Lawrence County went dry, causing acute hardship. Brick masonry and concrete structures were damaged at Hogansburg; some ground cracking was also noted at nearby towns. This earthquake was felt over approximately 450,000 square kilometers in the United States, including all the New England States, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and portions of Michigan and Ohio. A few points in Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin also reported feeling the tremor.

      A magnitude 4.7 disturbance on January 1, 1966, caused slight damage to chimneys and walls at Attica and Varysburg. Plaster fell at the Attica State Prison and the main smokestack was damaged (intensity VI). The total felt area was about 46,500 square kilometers.

  3. QUESTION:
    Would you move or sue in this situation?
    I live in a basement apartment in NE Ohio. We have almost a foot of snow still on the ground from snowstorms earlier this past month. Yesterday, I was sitting at my computer desk and noticed a wet spot on the carpet. So I took a towel and soaked up the spill. I went over to the baseboard heater and when I put my hand on the carpet I noticed that under the heater it was wet also. I decided to check the carpet near the baseboard. It was soaked. So I called my brother-in-law who is a carpenter. He said to check the window for condensation. No condensation. I checked the wall and paint actually chipped off. So he said that there is a leak in the foundation or concrete slab. I called my landlord to check out the problem. He informed me that when it snows that the foundation will leak sometimes after a heavy snowstorm. I’ve lived here nearly 3 years and he informs me that this has occurred before! A former tenant said she was moving because she discovered black mold along the baseboard near the carpet. I thought she was exaggerating but after yesterday she wasn’t. So my landlord told me to mop up the wet carpeting with my towels. He never offered to come into the apartment to check the wall nor carpet. I kept wedding photos in a basket on the ground. All the photos were ruined. I had a stuffed animal that has strong sentimental value and it is soaking wet. Needless to say my computer, new tv, cable equipment are all located in the vicinity of the wet carpet. I called my insurance agent just to make sure I was covered for damages to my personal belongings. I can’t believe that he didn’t come in with a wet vac to soak up the moisture in the rug. My husband is a chemist and is concerned about mold. Needless to say, we are probably moving in the spring. Alot of rentals are offering security deposit specials right now. Should I call in the health department concerning the wet carpet? Would you sue or move? Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      Contact your state’s department of housing to determine your rights in this situation.

      While dampness and mold are typically not written into local housing ordinances, landlords do have a duty to keep premises in a reasonable state of repair and to make necessary structural repairs. Tenants have certain rights where conditions in the premise materially affect health or safety of the tenant.

  4. QUESTION:
    Brick ranch, on slab with probable galvanized plumbing. Should I stay away from it?
    I have a chance to buy a beautiful large brick ranch here in Ohio that was built in 1954. It is on a slab and probably has galvanized plumbing. Areas of pipe that are exposed, such as around the water heater, have all been updated to copper. But in the slab I imagine it may still be galvanized going to each of the 2.5 baths and kitchen and outside water bibs. One advantage is that for about the past twenty years, the source that supplies water to the town softens it. And as I undertstand it that may help in reducing deterioration of the galvanized line. Someone has advised me that the galvanized that is buried in the foundation should not be a problem.

    It is a great home and a super upscale neighborhood. I wouldn’t mind a rare break down the road. But would hate to have to reroute all the lines with pex up through the attic and down to each water source.

    Thanks, in adavnce for any and all help.

    Cheers,
    Steve/OHIO

    • ANSWER:
      I would check with your future homeowners Insurance agent and see if this would be covered should it fail. I would also ask seller for some price reduction (if possible) to defray this repair cost since it was built in 1954.
      I am a general contractor and use all licensed plumbers. we came across a similar situation in Indiana. Buyer purchase older home, but was going to replace all carpet and floor coverings anyway. Our plumber went in and sawcut existing concrete floor about ( 120′ Lineal) total, took out concrete and ran Pex. About ,000. He compacted new sand around pex, and poured a 4″ cap of concrete. We used a company that specializes in cutting concrete. They used an air compressor with a air saw- diamond blade.
      Next door in Indiana – Good Luck

concrete foundation repair ohio

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