Reliable Concrete Leveling, Crawl Space Repair & Foundation Repair Company in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Although some foundation problems are easy to spot, others can take a while to become noticeable. A small crack or sticking doors and windows may not seem like a big deal at the time, but when neglected, can lead to bigger issues down the road. When it comes to protecting your home from structural damage, it’s essential to recognize the warning signs — both big and small. Learn more about common foundation problems in Fort Lauderdale below.

Signs of Common Foundation Problems

If you’ve noticed any of the warning signs above, it’s important to have your foundation inspected by a professional like LRE Foundation Repair. Our structural experts can accurately diagnose and repair the problem, whether it’s cracked foundation walls, foundation settlement, or something else.

While knowing the signs of foundation failure is a good start, it’s also helpful to understand the common types of foundation problems. As a Fort Lauderdale foundation repair contractor with over 30 years of experience, LRE has resolved a wide range of foundation issues. Below are some of the most common foundation problems Florida homeowners deal with and how we fix them.

Foundation Wall Problems

• Foundation Wall Cracks: Cracks in foundation walls allow moisture and water to enter your basement. Over time, this can lead to mold growth, wood rot, musty odors, and other damage. That said, foundation wall cracks can vary in severity. Narrow or hairline cracks are typically less serious, usually occurring due to how the concrete cures or from normal foundation settlement. Stair-step cracks, horizontal cracks, cracks that are leaking, or cracks combined with bowing or bulging are signs of a serious foundation problem and should not be ignored.
• Bowing Foundation Walls: When a poured concrete foundation starts to tilt or lean, it exerts pressure that causes horizontal and diagonal cracks to form. This may also cause foundation walls to bulge inward at the top.
• Leaking Basement Walls: It is not uncommon for below-grade spaces to have problems resulting from moisture and water intrusion. Water can enter the basement through small cracks and porous concrete, creating a damp environment, facilitating mold growth, and leading to other potentially serious problems.

Foundation Wall Repair Solutions

No matter the foundation problem, LRE Foundation Repair has a solution. We offer state-of-the-art solutions for foundation wall repair in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and nearby. Our experts can repair cracked or bowing foundation walls using the proven methods below.

• GeoLock® Wall Anchors: Installing wall anchors secures the wall to stable soils beyond the home, restoring it to its original position and preventing future bowing.
• Helical Foundation Piers: We install helical piers to repair and prevent cracks caused by foundation settlement. The piers are driven deep into the ground to find stable load-bearing soils that support the weight of the home.

Foundation Floor Problems

As the soil below your home begins to settle, it can have trouble supporting the weight of the structure. The more the soil buckles and compresses, the more strain it puts on your foundation. Eventually, it will begin to sink. This foundation settlement is what causes uneven and cracked floors.

Solutions for Sinking, Cracked Foundation Floors

Many foundation floor problems can be traced back to weak supporting soils beneath the home. LRE Foundation Repair can lift and stabilize your Fort Lauderdale foundation with helical piers. By driving the helical piers into deep, hard-packed soils, we can lift the foundation and create a solid supporting base. Once installed, the helical piers can be adjusted to return your foundation to its original position, closing cracks caused by settlement and restoring the long-term integrity of your foundation.

With over 30 years of experience, LRE Foundation Repair understands the unique challenges Florida’s soil composition and climate pose to both residential and commercial foundations. We have the expertise to address many foundation problems, from failing seawalls and collapsing retaining walls to foundation settlement and everything in between. And, as a foundation repair contractor in the renowned Supportworks network, you can feel confident you’re investing in high-quality, proven repair solutions installed by industry experts. Better yet, all of our foundation repair products are backed by some of the best warranties available!

As an unfinished space located between the ground and the first floor of your home, crawl spaces are vulnerable to a variety of issues that put your home’s structural integrity and health at risk. While every crawl space is different, it’s important to understand the common crawl space problems Florida homeowners experience.

Common Crawl Space Problems

• Moisture & Humidity: Moisture and humidity are two of a crawl space's biggest enemies. Water can enter the crawl space in a variety of ways, including heavy rainfall, poor ventilation, high humidity, hydrostatic pressure, and more.
  
  If left unchecked, crawl space moisture and condensation can lead to mold and mildew growth, pest infestations, reduced indoor air quality, and rot that weakens floor joists and causes structural damage. Worse yet, flooding and pooling water can even cause the crawl space ceiling to collapse, resulting in sagging, uneven floors in the living space above.
• Mold & Musty Odors: Because crawl spaces are often dark and damp, they’re the perfect location for mold, mildew, and other allergens to develop. However, just because they start in the crawl space doesn’t mean they stay in the crawl space. As time passes, you may notice musty odors in the living spaces above or experience worsened allergies, asthma, and respiratory systems caused by poor indoor air quality.
• Wood Rot & Rust: Water intrusion can also damage vital structural components inside your crawl space, including wooden beams that support the weight of your home. Even the smallest amount of moisture can cause wood rot and mold growth that causes these components to deteriorate. Over time, rot and mold can weaken the structural integrity of large areas of your home, leading to uneven or sagging floors, cracked foundation walls, and more.
• Higher Utility Bills: Crawl space humidity can seep into the living areas above, which makes it difficult to regulate indoor air temperatures. As a result, your air conditioner has to work harder to keep your home cool, which can lead to increased utility bills.
• Pests: Nobody wants to deal with pests in their home. Unfortunately, a cool, damp, and dark crawl space is a beacon for all sorts of pests, from spiders and termites to mice, rats, snakes, and other critters. As these unwanted pests infiltrate and settle into your crawl space, they can damage important structural components, create unhealthy living conditions, and — worse yet — invade other parts of your home.

Crawl space encapsulation is the process of sealing off a crawl space beneath a home, protecting it from outside elements, moisture, pests, and other environmental factors. Typically, crawl space encapsulation involves creating a moisture barrier by covering the walls and floor of the crawl space with a thick plastic vapor barrier. This barrier helps stop moisture from entering the crawl space, preventing mold growth, wood rot, structural damage, and other problems.

Additionally, crawl space encapsulation can include insulation installation and sealing off any vents or openings to protect the space further. Overall, crawl space encapsulation helps improve indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and the overall health of your home.

How We Encapsulate Your Fort Lauderdale Crawl Space

• Install Airtight Doors & Vent Covers: Our crawl space encapsulation process starts by sealing crawl space doors and vents from outside air. Doing so stops the cycle of cold, humidity, and moisture inside the crawl space. Sealing off these areas doesn’t completely prevent water from entering the crawl space, but it goes a long way in stopping moisture intrusion.
• Eliminate Sources of Standing Water: Next, a crawl space drain and sump pump system are installed to remove sources of standing water. While this prevents a flooded crawl space, moisture (usually in the form of water vapor) can still seep through porous concrete walls and floors.
• Make Structural Repairs: Before we can encapsulate and insulate the crawl space, we will repair any structural damage caused by mold, wood rot, or other issues. We do so by installing crawl space support jacks, which strengthen the structure and help eliminate sagging, ensuring the floors above the crawl space stay even.
• Encapsulate & Insulate the Crawl Space: After we’ve made any necessary crawl space repairs, our experts will install a vapor barrier. The heavy-duty crawl space liner prevents moisture and humidity from entering the crawl space via pores and cracks in the concrete walls and floor.
• Install a Crawl Space Dehumidifier: The final step includes installing an energy-efficient, self-draining crawl space dehumidifier to ensure the crawl space stays cool and dry.

Once you have a crawl space encapsulation system in place, you no longer have to worry about humidity, moisture, and other crawl space problems again. Plus, you’ll gain valuable storage space in your Fort Lauderdale home!

Fort Lauderdale crawl spaces aren’t just dark; they’re also typically cool, damp, and musty smelling. Unfortunately, below-grade spaces like this are ideal environments for mold and a wide range of unwanted pests, such as termites, spiders, mice, and rats. In addition, crawl spaces are prone to latent humidity and condensation that contribute to many common crawl space problems, including damage to important structural components. Making matters worse, these issues can impact your entire home. Luckily, many of these problems can be resolved by installing a crawl space dehumidifier.

A high-quality crawl space dehumidifier reduces humidity levels not just in your crawl space but the living spaces above, too. Lowering humidity levels makes the crawl space less hospitable for pests and common allergens like dust mites, mold, and mildew. With a cleaner, dryer crawl space, your home will have better indoor air quality and provide a healthier living environment for your family. It also protects the structural integrity of your home, improves your comfort, and saves energy.

LRE’s crawl space dehumidifier was specially designed by Basement Systems for use in cool, hard-to-reach places. This state-of-the-art dehumidifier is powerful enough to handle the moisture your crawl space produces, continually circulating air to keep the crawl space dry. The energy-efficient and self-draining design saves you time and money while ensuring your crawl space remains dry and odorless.

Cracked concrete occurs for a variety of reasons. While some cracks appear shortly after installation, others may take years to develop. Learn more about what causes concrete to crack below.

• Shrinkage: Concrete cracks can form when the volume of the concrete changes over time, otherwise known as shrinkage. When concrete loses volume and the surface can no longer move freely, it creates tensile stress that forms cracks.
• Temperature Fluctuations: Concrete expands when it is hot and contracts when it is cold. If something prohibits the concrete from expanding on hot days and contracting on cold days, it creates tensile stress that causes cracks to form.
• Excessive Weight: All concrete has load limits dictating how much weight it can hold. While these load limits are typically on the higher side, excessive weight can cause the concrete to crack. Commercial and industrial properties where heavy loads from trucks and machinery are common are more susceptible to damage.
• Design & Installation: The way concrete is mixed can impact its strength and durability. Although high water content allows for easier installation, it weakens the concrete, making it more likely to crack.

LRE Foundation Repair can repair cracked concrete using our NexusPro® concrete sealant. We can also use PolyLevel® to close gaps caused by sunken, uneven concrete. Our experts will inspect your concrete and determine the best solution to restore the look and safety of your concrete surfaces.

If there is damaged concrete around your Fort Lauderdale property, you may wonder if it’s better to repair or replace it. While every situation is different, concrete replacement can be costly, disruptive, and time-consuming. In addition, simply replacing the concrete doesn’t address the underlying reason for the damage, which means it’s likely to reappear as time goes on.

That said, repairing the problem only works if it’s done the right way. Caulking concrete cracks won’t solve the underlying problem, and those cracks will likely worsen as soil and environmental conditions change. So, what’s the best solution: concrete repair or replacement?

As a PolyLevel® dealer, LRE offers a fast and cost-effective way to restore the appearance of concrete slabs — without the disruption of concrete replacement or traditional mudjacking. The PolyLevel system uses an expanding polyurethane foam to lift and stabilize the slab. When injected below the surface, PolyLevel fills voids in the soil and raises the slab back into position, closing cracks and restoring the concrete to a like-new condition.

Mudjacking is a concrete leveling technique that injects a cement slurry consisting of water, cement, and sand below the surface to raise a concrete slab back into position. Unfortunately, this technique is both messy and only offers a temporary way to repair sinking concrete. It is also not suitable for many applications.

PolyLevel® is a more versatile, longer-lasting, and cost-effective solution for lifting and leveling concrete slabs and slab foundations. The lightweight, expanding polyurethane foam is injected below the concrete to fill gaps and voids caused by soil erosion. As the foam cures and expands, it permanently raises and stabilizes the slab.

PolyLevel Benefits

• Durable & Lightweight
• Non-Invasive
• Quick Curing
• Waterproof
• Eco-Friendly
• Adjustable
• Suitable for Many Applications
• Permanent & Cost-Effective

Like most things, drainage problems don’t just happen overnight. They’re likely the result of a long-standing issue. Luckily, you’ll likely notice some warning signs before the issue becomes serious. Common signs of ineffective yard drainage in Fort Lauderdale include:

Recognizing these warning signs allows you to address drainage problems quickly, protecting your property from significant water damage.

Fort Lauderdale homeowners may encounter drainage problems for a variety of reasons. Florida’s climate, soil composition, and naturally flat terrain certainly play a role. However, drainage problems can also be attributed to the following.

• Poor Grading: Grading refers to the slope or contour of the land. Proper grading is essential for directing water away from structures and preventing water from pooling in the yard.
  
  In Florida, where the terrain is often flat, grading becomes even more critical. If the yard is not graded correctly, water can collect in low-lying areas, causing soggy spots, erosion, and potential damage to buildings and landscaping features. Poor grading can also lead to water infiltration into basements or crawl spaces, particularly in areas with high water tables.
• Improper Landscaping: Landscaping features such as too many plants or improperly placed flower beds, retaining walls, or paved surfaces can disrupt natural drainage patterns and contribute to water pooling in certain areas.
• Inadequate Water Diversion: Water diversion techniques like gutters, downspouts, and swales are designed to redirect surface water away from the foundation, low-lying plants, and other vulnerable areas of the yard. In some cases, these drainage systems may become clogged or may not be designed to effectively handle large volumes of water, resulting in pooling water.

LRE Foundation Repair offers a variety of options for exterior and yard drainage in Fort Lauderdale.

• French drains collect and redirect water away from problem areas, including soggy spots and foundations. This drainage solution offers a discreet way to manage surface water and is ideal for retaining walls, foundation and footing perimeter drainage, and landscaping drainage.
• Trench or channel drains capture surface water runoff and redirect it away from structures or problem areas. These linear drainage systems are installed at ground level and typically consist of a grated channel that allows water to enter and a pipe system underneath to carry the water to a designated drainage outlet.
• Catch basins collect and contain surface water runoff, diverting the collected water to a suitable drainage outlet and preventing it from pooling on the ground. Catch basins are sometimes referred to as stormwater basins or grates.
• Downspout drainage directs rainwater collected by gutters away from the home, preventing potential water damage to the foundation, basement or crawl space, and landscaping. We offer above-ground, underground, and recessed downspout extensions.

Our experts will help find the best drainage solution to protect your landscaping and foundation from water damage.