COMMON MISINFORMATION
CONCRETE MATURITY
THIS CHART OUTLINES MATURITY OF CONCRETE OVER 28 DAYS. I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW MANY HOMEOWNERS ARE TOLD IT IS OKAY TO DRIVE ON CONCRETE 7 TO 14 DAYS OLD. PLEASE NOTE THE GRAPH CONTINUALLY CLIMBING IN STRENGTH. IF 14 DAYS WAS IT THE GRAPH WOULD FLATLINE AFTER THAT POINT. IT CONSTANTLY CLIMBS IN STRENGTH. STAY OFF FOR 28 DAYS AND YOU WILL BE SAFE. COULD AND SHOULD ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORDS TO LIVE BY.
HORIZONTAL WALL CRACKS
THESE ARE SIGNS OF A FAR WORSE CONDITION THAN VERTICAL CRACKS. BOTH ARE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. WHEN A WALL COLLAPSES IT CAUSES CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. TELLING YOURSELF YOU CAN WAIT ON THE REPAIR IS THE SAME AS GOING TO THE CRAPS TABLE AND THINKING YOU HAVE THE EDGE..REALITY SOON FOLLOWS.
SALESMEN SELLING FOR A BUSINESS
SALESMAN ARE THERE TO SELL YOU WHAT THEY CAN MAKE A BUCK ON. IF YOU WANT CHEAP AND LOOK FOR IT YOU WILL FIND IT. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IS THE BEST FOR YOU IN THE LONG RUN. WE ARE CONSTANTLY GIVING HOMEOWNERS THE TRUTH AND IT IS USUALLY BAD NEWS. WE WON'T MISLEAD YOU OR SELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT...WE WILL SELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED...BIG DIFFERENCE. REMEMBER, OUR SALESMAN IS ALSO THE CRAFTSMAN DOING YOUR PROJECT.
EPOXY
EPOXY IS NOT A MIRACLE PANACEA FOR FOUNDATION CRACKS. EPOXY IS A "CONTAINMENT" PRODUCT. IT STOPS WATER IF PROPERLY APPLIED...IT DOES NOT GET RID OF IT. THAT REAL PROBLEM "WATER" IS NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW WAY IN.
EPOXY IS STRONGER THAN CONCRETE
WRONG!!
THIS EPOXY RIPPED IN TWO BECAUSE THE FOOTING IS MOVING UNDERNEATH THE WALL. NOTICE THE EPOXY RIPPED IN HALF..EPOXY WILL NOT STOP MOVING WALLS. YOU MUST STABILIZE THE FOOTING OR ANY EPOXY APPLIED HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF FAILURE.
HOME INSPECTORS
COUNTLESS STORIES IN A YEAR ARE TOLD TO US ABOUT HOME INSPECTORS GIVING MISLEADING/ INCORRECT OPINIONS. ALWAYS CALL A CRAFTSMAN WHO ACTUALLY HAS FOUNDATION WORK EXPERIENCE. ONCE YOU HAVE POURED OVER 100 FOUNDATIONS FROM EXCAVATION TO PLACING THE CONCRETE IN THE FORMS YOU HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO DIAGNOSE WHAT WENT WRONG.. BOOKS AND THE INTERNET JUST WON'T DO.
POOL DECKS
POOL DECKS ARE A SPECIAL ISSUE. POOLS ARE BUILT ON FILL, OFTEN TIMES THEY ARE NOT PROPERLY COMPACTED AND LINES START LEAKING. CONCRETE POOL DECKS OFTEN HAVE VOIDS UNDER THEM. WE HAVE YET TO OPEN A POOL DECK AND NOT FIND HIDDEN DAMAGE/ IMPROPER BUILDING PRACTICES.
OVERLAYS
ANY PRODUCT PLACED OVER CONCRETE IS SUBJECT TO THE SAME DEFECTS THE ORIGINAL CONCRETE HAS. AN OVERLAY IS NOT CORRECTING THE "REASON" THE CONCRETE CRACKED IN THE FIRST PLACE...POOR SUBGRADE ISSUES/ LACK OF REINFORCEMENT.
EXPECT ANYTHING PLACED OVER CONCRETE THAT IS CRACKED TO HAVE A CRACK STARTING. COMMON SENSE AND LOGIC. WHY WE DON'T OFFER OVERLAYS TO FIX CONCRETE CRACKS.
WHY LET A COMPANY MISLEAD YOU ABOUT THAT OVERLAY?
CRACKS IN FOUNDATIONS ARE OKAY?
WRONG.
CRACKS ARE CAUSED FROM A VARIETY OF POOR BUILDING PRACTICES. THEY ARE NOT INEVITABLE PARTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AS SOME MIGHT WANT YOU TO BELIEVE.
PROPER BUILDING PRACTICES, INCLUDING NOT POURING ON PLASTIC CLAY, MUDDY SOIL, FILL SOIL, ADDING PROPER STEEL REINFORCEMENT, AND NOT BACKFILLING FOR AT LEAST 14 DAYS, WILL VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE CRACKS.
HOW DO WE KNOW? WE HAVE POURED HUNDREDS OF FOUNDATIONS AROUND TOWN AND HAVE YET TO GET A CALL FOR ANY OF THE PROBLEMS WE ENCOUNTER IN OUR SERVICE CALLS FOLLOWING OTHERS..
WE DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME .