Foundation Repair...

So, the Carolina Bungalow seems to be slipping into the abyss, at least until this past week that is. I knew when we bought the place the she was listing starboard, but we figured it had settled all it was going to over the last hundred years or so. Our home inspector agreed. So, we set about restoring everything except the pitching floors. I put in wainscoting and crown moldings. I caulked all the joints tight. The next summer, the crown joints reopened, and some of the plaster cracks reappeared. I was concerned, but felt that with little or no insulation in the post and beam structure, changes in humidity probably caused the excessive expansion and contraction, exposing cracks as a result. During the Flowertown festival that spring, the granddaughter of a former resident stopped by to see how the renovation was coming along. When we asked her about the floor, she recollected that it was just as uneven in the 1950's, so it wasn't a recent phenomenon. I was relieved, and charged on under a new found sense of assurance. That summer, I had the windows replaced, and man what a difference that made. The house really seemed to come together with the operational and efficient windows.

This spring the weather was intoxicating, so I decided to open up the house and let the flowering Jasmine rejuvenate our home from the greyness of winter. I was shocked when I found my new windows binding. A sinking feeling swept over me as I struggled to open the double hungs on the westward side of the house. I knew something had to be done. I called Mt Valley Foundation Repair Services, and I feared the worst. I searched around the Internet in an effort to build a mental estimate. I needed to know what to expect. Quotes ranged from six thousand to more than twenty thousand. I needed to draw a line in the sand. What is the most I will spend to shore up the foundation without reaching the dreaded negative equity point? Mt Valley sent out a very experienced and knowledgeable inspector to assess the situation. He did a thorough inspection inside and out and felt confident that the root cause of the problem was a long since removed Cyprus tree, whose massive stump caused a sinkhole as it decayed over the years. He recommended two Drive-Right piers driven thirty feet into bedrock to stabilize two sinking brick foundation points. Total estimate: $2400. I was excited and thrilled that correcting this ongoing problem wasn't going to break me. I can't say enough about Mt. Valley Foundation Repair Services. They showed up when they said they would, they did the work they quoted, and they thoroughly cleaned up the job site when the were finished. Out of all the contractors I have dealt with in the past, Mount Valley Foundation Repair Services definitely stands a cut above. I would recommend them to anyone facing similar "keep you up at night" problems...and with the lifetime transferrable warranty you can rest assured that they'll stand behind the repair. Oh, and the windows? They open as smootlhy as the day they were installed.