Midas ran a years-long advertising campaign about car muffler systems.  The ads targeted those who knew their car’s mufflers were going bad but continued to “bury their head in the sand" about the subject.  The real message was “You can pay me a little now…or a LOT later”.  Let me tell you, the same is true for those of you who continue to “bury your head” about known damage to your home’s foundation. Let me...

As the most important element of your home's infrastructure, your foundation must remain in flawless condition in order to provide the required amount of stability. For foundation repair, waterproofing, mold removal, and more, its best to contact a foundation specialist such as A-1. Every building is built from the bottom up, which means the lowest level is always the major base for support. That's why it's important to keep both your foundation and basement in...

Slab leaks are known to arise as a result of leaking pipes positioned beneath concrete walls as well as the foundation of the home. Slab leaks take time before they cause any noticeable damage. However after sometime you will begin to notice wetness on your floors and carpets. At this point do not waste any time instead do what is necessary in order to correct the situation. Otherwise if you leave it unattended then you...

Symptoms of failing foundation walls in a home look different depending whether they are constructed of concrete block or poured concrete. Concrete block walls typically display horizontal cracking across the center length as it begins to bow inward near mid-height. As the problem worsens, stair-step cracking at the corners can be observed. Continued inward pressure exerted on the concrete block wall can also result in horizontal shearing at a mortar joint, where the bottom row...

When do most homeowners find out that their sump pump has failed? When it is too late! It is raining cats and dogs, rain water is contributing to the ground water and the water table is rising quickly. As the ground water level reaches the float activation set point. Regularly the sump pump will kick on and keep the water level below the basement slab, thereby alleviating the hydrostatic pressure below the basement floor. Sadly,...

Have you ever heard of the old saying “you need to build your home on a rock rather than loose sandy soil?” Well this might not be the case with a building foundation. Smaller cracks aren't going to be as big of a problem as larger ones, but don't forget that smaller foundation cracks can get bigger. If you have small hairline cracks in your building foundation, usually this won't become a problem unless they...

A front stoop set of stairs or even a porch can settle. In fact, of all the issues we see in foundation settlement, front stoops/stairs and porches rank in the top 3 (along with chimneys leaning and garage column settlement). Front stoops, stairs and porches are typically built on the front of homes within the first few feet of the foundation.  When a house has a basement, or has a deep crawlspace, the soils on...

Are you scared that you need foundation repair because you've noticed cracks in your foundation slab? Or maybe in your basement you've seen cracks spreading through the walls? Don't panic. It's not the end of the world. Now don't misunderstand, cracks in your foundation are potentially serious. But there are also quite a few misconceptions about foundation repair. Once you sort through and better understand them, you should be able to breathe a bit easier...

Sometimes its hard to know when you need to waterproof your basement. Yes its true, some people go down into their basement, see that it is fine and go about their merry business but what they don’t realize is that basement mold and water damage accumulates silently and then spreads like wildfire and it becomes a hassle to get rid of. So when you first move into your new home make sure you check the...

This is a common question that your friends at A-1 Foundation Crack Repair field on a recurring basis.  Step cracks are very common occurrence in concrete block walls. A recurring form of home foundation damage is for cracks to originate as horizontal cracks, and over time, begin to step down, or up, along the mortar joints. Typically, there is a tremendous amount of pressure pushing from the outside, whether it be expansive soil, tree roots...