They say that the house is only as strong as the foundation that you lay for it. Well, laying a great foundation is only half the equation. To maintain the structural stability and strength of your building, you have to make sure that you perform all the right maintenance procedures for your foundation. This is where you will need the services of a foundation engineers in Houston, TX. Here are a few of the services that an expert offers.
Laying foundations
A foundation engineer’s primary role is to lay the foundation. This means that he is the person to call when you are thinking about constructing a new structure. They will assess the building site that you have chosen. This will include making sure that the soil structure can support the building that you want to put up and that environmental factors will not interfere with the structure of the house.
Inspections
Foundation engineers are the best people to call when you want an inspection to be carried out about the strength of the foundation that you have laid. They will look for signs such as cracked walls, doors that are not closing properly, cracks on the floors, uneven floors and other indicators of a weakening foundation. They will also investigate the causes of the weakness in foundation. Among the factors that they look into is:
1. The moisture content of the soil surrounding the foundation
2. The condition of the plumbing systems that are coming into contact with the foundation
3. Checking for presence of tree roots and other pests that could be interfering with the foundation
Finding the cause of the problem will help when it comes to arriving at a solution.
Maintenance and repair
The maintenance of a foundation means making sure that the soil is never too moist or too dry. When the soil surrounding the structure dries up, it shrinks and the foundation suffers. The engineer will propose tips to keep moisture perfect. They will also seal cracks and normalize the factors that are causing foundation trouble.
It is therefore a smart idea to consult a foundation engineer in Houston TX for all foundation related problems.