Eugene, OR Reliable Foundation & Crawl Space Repair Specialists

    Ron and Myra T. of Veneta, OR noticed signed of foundation settlement while out in the garden. In one corner of the home, soils have settled causing the foundation to sink 2"-3" and the chimney to tilt away from the house pulling the siding along with it. Highly concerned about the potential dangers of a settling foundation, they scheduled a free inspection with System Design Specialist Patrick Dunn at the Eugene Spring Home and Garden Show.

    a system of 6 piers and piles were designed to permanently stabilize their settling foundation including 5 push piers and 1 helical pile. Push piers are better designed to permanently stabilize heavier structures, while helical piles are better suited for lifting and stabilizing light weight structure. So by using a combination of the two, we were able to permanently stabilize the foundation and lift and stabilize the chimney.

    Ron and Myra no longer have to worry about their foundation settling and the issues that result from it, nor their chimney collapsing taking the side of the home along with it.

    We have been working with this Eugene home owner the last year helping Linda S. waterproof and finish her basement. Houses in the Eugene, OR area are vulnerable to water issues due to older, weathered porous cement foundations and consistent yearly heavy rain fall. Each year Linda finds a new room that needs waterproofing and we are more than happy to help. 

    Our philosophy is not to prevent water from entering the home through external waterproofing systems. It is near impossible to do so, and external systems are inevitably going to fail. Our philosophy is to capture and control water entering the home and keeping the basement dry ALL the time thought internal waterproofing systems.

    Waterguard is a perimeter interior waterproofing system thats sits above the foundation footing allowing it to collect water seeping in through the cold cracks in the wall and coming up through joist cracks. By collecting and draining water to a sump pump for mechanical relief, Linda's basement is kept dry at ALL times.

    In the back corner of this home, where an add on cement slab was installed a few years back for a hot tub, the foundation had began to settle. Yes, Eugene endures heavy rainfall each year, and you could make the argument that the soils were going to settle anyways, but over the years, we've noticed it very common that foundation settlement occurs close to and around add on areas. The soils can't support the extra weight, the soils shift and the foundation settles. This was the case for Anne and Rod M. After seeing our booth at the Eugene Spring Home and Garden Show and signing up for a free estimate, Casey Moore was sent out shortly after to examine their home.

    By using a zip level to assess the amount of settlement, Casey had confirmed nearly 1.5" of settlement along the back corner and suggested using 2 push piers to stabilize the area. These piers would ensure that the foundation would be permanently stabilized. Second due to the settlement, voids had formed underneath the add on slab. PolyLEVEL was installed to fill the void and lift the slab.

    The corner of their home is now permanently stabilized and the hot tub slab is as good as new. Anne and Rod are looking forward to enjoying their hot tub all summer long.

    Home ownership is a lot of work but very rewarding. It seems like improvement projects are endless. We have seen home owners, many time, spend a lot of money of remodels and renovations and neglect to stabilize their foundation or properly waterproof the basement. Next thing they realize is their beautiful new remodel is ruined by soil settlement or water damage and they have to start over again. The lesson learned is to make sure you are educated about your home's foundational health before working on the cosmetics.

    With remodel goals in mind, Eugene, OR home owner Linda P. learned from her friends and neighbors mistakes and had us out to inspect her foundation before taking on an expensive home beautification project. She, with System Design Specialist Casey Moore, discovered settlement spanning across half the house. By installing 12 push piers around that side of the home, we were able to permanently stabilize her foundation giving Linda confidence and comfortability to take on her home remodel project.

    Home owners Maria and John Hernandez bought their home 11 years ago in Eugene, OR. 11 years ago they noticed small cracks in the ceiling. No cracks in the walls, at joints or in the foundation cement itself, but as 11 years went by, they monitored the ceiling cracks get bigger and wider each year. Worried about the cause of these cracks, they googled for a foundation repair company and found TerraFirma. After reading reviews and doing their own research on the company, they called to schedule a free inspection.

    As diagnosed by System Design Specialist Ryan Thomas, the foundation had soil settlement issues and needed to be permanently stabilized to prevent any further settlement. A six hydraulic push pier system was installed around the back corner of the home where the settlement had occurred. By applying even upward force to the foundation, we were able to permanently and uniformly stabilize the foundation and minimize the risk of causing more cracks in the ceiling.

    Maria and John now have a permanently stabilized foundation and were able to patch up the ceiling cracks finally giving their home the finished look they were always looking for.

    Ever walked into a crawl space, took a big smell and said, "Hey, that smells pretty good."? Probably not. Homeowner Larry K. of Eugene, Oregon had this same thought. Although Larry didn't have standing water in his crawl space, the ground was by no means dry. In fact it was a completely saturated mud, and you would sink 3-4 inches walking through it. Larry wanted to take care of this issue before it became a major one.

    Would you really want your house's foundation sinking into the mud? Probably not. Slowly but surely Larry's house would have continued to settle. To repair this crawl space a drainage system was installed which flowed water to the low point where a sump pump was installed. Water was diverted through a discharge line safely away from the foundation.

    A cheap fix to a potentially expensive problem. Larry can now comfortably and confidently enjoy his stable home for years.

    Ann M. of Eugene, OR has a tall crawl space area with anywhere from 3' to 7' support posts to give strength and structure to the interior portion of her foundation. After noticing some sagging while walking through her hallway, she was concerned there was a larger problem. A friend referred her to TerraFirma Foundation Systems and she quickly scheduled a free appointment to have System Design Specialist Patrick Dunn examine her foundation.

    Upon inspection through her crawl space, he noticed an issue with the support beams. THEY WERE FLOATING! Meaning the posts were connected to the house, but due to some interior soil settlement, they were not touching the ground and providing zero support to the house. A series of 12 Smart Jack Post Replacements were installed along the interior load beams of here home to restore structural integrity. Smart Jacks are easily adjustable to increase and decrease upward force to provide the exact amount of support needed to precisely and accurately stabilize the interior foundation. 

    Ann couldn't be happier about the stabilization. Her floors doesn't bounce or sag anymore and can be confident it will stay this way for a long time.

    Many times, in the attempt to add on to an existing home, it is difficult to ensure the soil underneath the add on can support the new structure. The soils might not have the capacity to withstand the extra load and settle once built upon. The settlement will cause immediate wall and foundation damage if not properly inspected and executed carefully and correctly.

    Joyce & Christian P. of Eugene, OR wanted to make sure that their add on would cease to settle and they could enjoy the home addition as they intended. After inspection by Patrick Dunn and Ryan Beckley an eleven push pier system was installed around the perimeter of the add on. By spacing the piers around the perimeter and hydraulically lifting every contact point simultaneously, Joyce and Christian's additions was supported without the risk of uneven support or further cracking of the walls and foundation. 

    Joyce and Christian can now enjoy their home addition worry free, as they planned to do from the beginning.

Not all houses are created equally. Think about the original construction of the home. You dig a hole in the ground, essentially creating a swimming pool, and build a house in it. What kind of soils are under the home? Clay? Sand? Did the home builder compact the back fill soil properly or is it collecting water, elevating the hydrostatic pressure on the outside of the foundation walls? Is the crawl space vented or encapsulated? All of these factors contribute to how healthy your home will be years down the road. Unfortunately some home owners get the short end of the stick on this spectrum.

Rob S. needed help in his Portland, Oregon home. The basement was turning into a pool, the crawl space was moldy and humid, and it was only a matter of time before these conditions affected the foundation of his home. So, he called us. By comprehensively waterproofing his basement and encapsulating his crawl space Rob completely turned around his situation. 

Properly waterproofing the basement turned his unusable, unsightly area into a functional, usable and DRY space for his to take advantage of. It increased the livable square footage of his home by nearly 1000 square feet. By cleaning, conditioning and encapsulating his crawl space, Rob turned his energy guzzling home into an efficient green machine which self-cleaned the air circulating through his home eliminating the mole spore generation Not to mention by taking care of these problems, he helped prevent any serious foundation issues from surfacing. Rob couldn't be happier with health of his home and is confident he will enjoy it for many years to come.

Home's are investments. The idea is you buy the home, it gains value, you sell it for a profit. Home owners are always looking for the best ways to improve the quality of their home and raise the value of their investment. A great way to do so is to properly waterproof your basement.

Rich G. of Eugene had this mindset, did his research and found the most qualified contractors to help him with his goals. TerraFirma's contribution was waterproofing the basement. The issue we were seeing was an excess amount of water coming in through the basement walls and up through the basement floor. A series of three products were installed to achieve his waterproofing goals. The first, Cleanspace wall liner. This liner not only isolates the basement air from the cold and damp concrete walls and helps control humidity level, but it traps the water coming in through the wall cold cracks and filters it to the second part of his waterproofing system, a sub-floor waterproofing track. Waterguard was installed under the floor slab and on top of the footing. This way we don't deal with the mud zone and can capture water coming in through the walls as well as the up from the ground. Lastly a sump pump, located at the low point, to mechanically remove collected water. 

Rich's home is healthier, cleaner, better protected and has higher value. What more could you ask for as a home owner?

In the northwest we have a diverse climate, terrain and geography. All of these factors affect the types of soils that we have under and around our homes. Two problematic soils that are abundant in Oregon and Washington are clay soils and sand soils. Clay soils are problematic because they are highly expansive and change volume in relation to rainfall or lack of rainfall. Sandy soils too have their concerns because they are easily washed out from under homes during a rainy period, leaving voids for the house to sink in to. Sandy soils are found at the beach, and home owners Lee and Barbara G. of Florence were experiencing soil wash out and a settling foundation.

After inspection by Patrick Dunn, a 6 push pier, upgraded C6 steel system was installed around the settling area of the foundation. By hydraulically pushing the piers through the sand layer to load bearing soil or bed rock, we were able to find a solid foundation to anchor the home to, permanently stabilizing the foundation.

Lee and Barbara now have piece of mind that their home will cease to settle any further and will do so through the tests of time.

It is safe to say chimneys weigh a lot. They are typically made of brick, and exert a massive downward force onto a small foundation footprint. It is not uncommon to see chimneys pulling away from the siding of the home which, in turn, pulls the side of the home along with it creating an even bigger problem.

Upon inspection by Casey Moore, a 4 pier system was proposed to support and straighten the chimney and stabilize the adjacent foundation. By installing these piers, we were able to permanently stabilize the foundation and save the chimney from potential failure.

When the description of your basement during moderate to heavy rainfall is, "Water is oozing in from our basement wall", it is time, and has been time, to call a professional about waterproofing services. Eugene, Or is infamous for this "oozing" due to older, poorly built homes throughout the area. Not to mention the constant rainfall. When water collects around the perimeter of the foundation, hydrostatic pressure builds up and forces water through porous holes or cracks in the cement foundation. There is no way to 100% prevent water from entering your home so the question now is how to control and manage this water.

John L. from Eugene had this problem and called us to have a look, and yes, water was literally oozing through his walls. By installing a full perimeter Waterguard waterproofing system around his basement, we are able to catch the water coming through the walls and direct it towards a sump pump for removal. A cheap and effective (if installed by the right company) way to eliminate your basement water issues. John L. is now happy with his dry basement and is confident our waterproofing system will last for many years to come.

Mark H.'s single story home, built in 1999, had previously settled in one corner of the master bedroom connected to the garage. Signs had began to pop up around the home indicating soil settlement, including a gap between the roof deck and wall that was dropping down about 1/2". So, in September 2013 we installed 8 push piers, permanently stabilizing the perimeter foundation. A few month later, Mark wanted to continue his complete foundation stabilization project by fixing the squeak in the floors and a small hump down the middle of the house. These signs are an indication of interior foundation settlement, and we have to tools to fix that too.

To accomplish these goals Patrick Dunn designed a supplemental beam and Smart Jack system to permanently stabilize and support the inner beams of the home. With the combination of his new interior stabilization system and the previous perimeter stabilization system, Mark's home is now entirely permanently stabilized and the value to his home has been restored.

Michael R.'s basement was experiencing a significant amount of water coming in through the walls. In fact, he described the flow as a "waterfall". The external hydrostatic pressure that resulted from excess water and insufficient back fill around the perimeter of the home, has pushed large amounts of water through the cracks in the cement. Two sump pumps are currently running 24 hours a day and still not getting the job done.

Upon inspection, Ryan Thomas identified the cause to the excess water flow. Improper waterproofing and weak sump pumps with a lack of power to effectively remove the amount of water entering through the wall cold cracks and up from the slab. The solution was simple, full perimeter Waterguard, to collect water coming in through the wall and up through the floor and Triple Safe sump pump made of cast iron with a back up pump and battery. Ryan designed the discharge line 8' from the foundation and safely away from the home.

Michael R.'s basement is now dry ALL of the time as every basement should be.

The percentage of homes in Oregon and throughout the northwest that have a basement rather than a crawl space are low; However, as TerraFirma is helping more and more customers, we are seeing more half basement half crawlspace type homes. The waterproofing process, through, is similar with a few added parts for complete water protection.

Jim C. has one of these half and half type homes and was experiencing water coming through the wall cold cracks and in heavy rain conditions coming up from the floor slab. As we know concrete is porous which allows water to seep through at the path of least resistance. The proper waterproofing system called for Waterguard to collect water coming through these two problem areas, and a more powerful sump pump for removal. In this case Smart Pump was powerful enough. In heavier more severe cases, Triple Safe Sump Pump is the best options. To give the basement/crawlspace area extra protection, Cleanspace Wall Liner was installed around the perimeter to isolate the cold and damp cement walls from the space helping to condition the air. 

With a new, efficient waterproofing system, Jim C. can be confident that his basement will be dry all the time, the air quality is improved and piece of mind is restored. 

Every time we approach a basement or crawl space waterproofing project, our goal, and the home owners goal as well, is to keep the basement or crawl space dry ALL of the time, not just some of the time. Shirley from Eugene, Or had the same goals. She wanted "all of the water out of her crawl space for good". We can help with that.

For crawl spaces like Shirley's, where the humidity levels were not a concern, just the excess amount of water, a proper drainage and sump pump system is the most important thing. Drain tile and smart pipe was installed around the perimeter of the area and diagonally through the middle. This drainage track filtered into a sump pump located at the low point in the crawl space and removed through a strategic discharge line to successfully remove water away from the home and foundation permanently. 

Shirley is now much happier with the health under her home and doesn't worry about wood rot or excess moisture affecting the rest of her home.

Foundations will sag for various reasons. Sometimes there is soil settlement, which requires more invasive work. Sometime the wood has began to rot underneath the house and sagging occurs due to excess moisture and humidity. Another reason is that there simply is too much weight in one particular area of the floor and not enough support underneath. We found this house issues to be a combination of the latter two. 

Linda S. had multiple book shelves loaded with items that proved to be too much weight for the floor directly below in the hallway. Upon inspection by Patrick Dunn, in this particular area under the home, there wasn't any main form of support whatsoever. By installing Smart Jacks in this area under the hallway, we were able to provide stability and support back to the hallway floor to prevent further sagging and restore strength. While being under the house in the crawl space, Ryan noticed a good amount of excess water, which he concluded helped in the weakening of the wood support beams. By designing an additional crawl space encapsulating system including Cleanspace liner, vent covers, drainage system, sump pump, dehumidifier and wall insulation, Linda S. can be sure that every part under the home is as healthy and strong as it possible.

Buying a home is usually the biggest investment anyone makes in their whole life, so it is crucially important to make sure the foundation is in great shape, and you don't find yourself with a large and expensive home project later down the road. Make sure you are extending the length of your dollar and check the foundation, basement and crawl space for flaws.

Before this new home buyer made their purchase, they were smart and called us, The Experts, to asses the foundation. Casey Moore found a few things in need of attention, specifically the drainage and waterproofing system in the crawlspace, or lack-there-of. By installing drainage tile, a sump pump and a new vapor barrier, the crawl space now has an efficient waterproofing system they can trust. The new home owners are elated about their healthy new home and the long term investment.

J. Grose had severe settlement issues throughout the foundation and considerably in one particular corner of the home. Due to the sacrificed integrity of the foundation walls, an excess amount of water had seeped through the foundation wall cracks creating a much larger issue. With elevated levels of water, humidity and lack of strength in the foundation walls, this home was inching closer and closer to complete foundation failure.

Shortly after realizing a major problem, the home owners called TerraFirma Foundation Systems and had Casey Moore inspect the problem and propose a solution. His ultimate goal was to permanently stabilize the foundation, control and remove the water that enters the basement and restore strength and structural integrity to the wall, foundation and home. To do this Casey proposed a series of helical piles, hydraulic piers and GeoLock Anchors to stabilize the foundation, prevent from further soil settlement and to straighten the bowing/leaning walls. 

To control the moisture issue, a waterproofing system consisting of a Super Sump, Cleanspace Wall System and Waterguard was installed. The components of this system collect, redirect and remove water from the basement and away from the foundation.

The Grose's are now happy and proud of their new and improved foundation, and they find piece of mind that their settlement and water issues have been resolved. 

    Tom B of Eugene, OR discovered that his crawlspace was starting to get water into it. He started to look on the internet for someone that could help. He came across an ad for TerraFirma Foundation Systems. He gave them a call and set up an appointment for someone to come out.

    Soon after setting the appointment Tom met with Casey Moore. Casey went out to the property and looked over everything. He recommended a few products that would prevent the water from coming in. He suggested that they install the CleanSpace liner which is a vapor barrier that is attached to the walls and floors preventing any water vapor from coming into the crawlspace. Also he suggested a TripleSafe Sump Pump. This sump pump provides three levels of protection for the crawlspace. There are two sump pumps plus a battery back up sump pump that will pump any water out of the crawlspace. Along with a SaniDry CX, which would keep the humidity level down to a suitable level, the crawlspace will be protected from further water.

    Now that him crawlspace is completely protected from water, Tom can live in his home and not have to think about water entering it again.

    Local Eugene, OR resident Catherine B found that her basement was starting to leak water. She started to look on the internet for an office to help. She saw an ad for TerraFirma Foundation Systems and called them to set an appointment.

    Just a few days later the office sent out Casey Moore. He suggested the Super Sump Pump that is a Zoeller 1/3 horsepower cast-iron sump pump that is capable of pumping 2,500 gallons of water per hour out of the basement. Also he recommended an UltraSump Batter Backup system, which will start running if there are any power outages and pump 11,500 gallons out on a single charge. Along with the sump pump the WaterGuard drainage system and CleanSpace Wall System were installed. The CleanSpace wall system is a vapor barrier that will prevent any water from getting through. It will also direct the water to the WaterGuard drainage system. The WaterGuard will direct the water that is collected right into the sump pump.

    With her basement now protected from water, Catherine can use her basement as she needs to and not worry about her possessions being damaged by water.

    Peter L. of Eugene, OR noticed that his foundation was starting to settle. There were cracks in the walls and the doors were becoming hard to close. Also he noticed that a concrete slab was starting to sink. Peter searched the internet to find a company to help him. He came across TerraFirma Foundation Systems and decided to send them an email with his contact information.

    The office contacted him shortly after and set up Ryan Thomas to come out and inspect his home. Ryan recommended that they install Push Piers for the settling foundation and also fill the void under the concrete slab with PolyLevel. Push Piers are connected to the walls that is settling and driven into the ground to prevent the foundation from settling more and will raise the foundation back to its normal position. PolyLevel is a polymer that consists of two separate liquids that are combined right at the injection nozzle to trigger a chemical reaction that turns the blended ingredients into expanding, high-density foam. This will fill any voids between the slab and the soil and raise the slab back to its original position.

    Peter can now live in his home with worrying if there will be any further foundation issues thanks to the work that TerraFirma Foundation Systems performed on his home.