Example Foundation Repair Projects in Seattle

Scope of work

Digging beside the foundation at the back corner, three or four steel piers to the depth the plan calls for, backfill, and a recheck of the floor above. Deck work, interior patching, an engineer’s design and permit costs are not part of this cost.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a two-story house in Seattle notice an upstairs floor sloping toward the back. The back of the house has a basement under a wood deck, and a dark damp stain runs down the basement wall.

Floors slope for many reasons, so the plan starts with measuring the floor and the wall below. If the numbers point to the back corner, three or four piers are set there.

The goal

The goal is a sloping floor whose cause has been traced to the back corner, with piers set where the measurements point.

Process

1. Before work The floor, the basement wall and the outside corner are measured, and the plan and the permit question are written.
2. Dig The back corner is dug out beside the footing, working around the deck posts and stair.
3. Piers Steel piers are set one by one to the depth the plan shows.
4. Check The trench is backfilled, and the floor above is measured again.

Planning right

• Lay a ball or a level on the sloping floor and note where it rolls.
• Tell us how long the damp stain has been there and whether it grows after rain.
• Ask who settles the permit question and whether the slope calls for an engineer.
• Clear a path around the deck and stair so the crew can reach the corner.

Scope of work

Measuring and marking the crack, cleaning it out and injecting it from the inside as the plan calls for. Wall finishes, an engineer’s design and permit costs are not part of this cost.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a house in Seattle find a vertical crack in a basement wall that is wider than a hairline. It has not leaked yet, but they want to know what it is doing.

The plan begins with two measurements a season apart. If the crack is steady, it is sealed from the inside. If it has moved, the plan says so before anything is sealed.

The goal

The goal is a wide crack with two measurements behind it, sealed as the plan allows and read again after the wet season.

Process

1. Before work The crack is measured and marked at both ends, and the wall around it is checked.
2. Clean Dust and loose material are cleared from the crack.
3. Seal The crack is injected from the inside as the plan states, with the method and its limits written down.
4. Check The marks are read again after the next wet season.

Planning right

• Put a dated mark at each end of the crack.
• Tell us if the crack is near a door, a window or a corner.
• Ask what happens if the crack moves after it is sealed.
• Ask whether the plan needs an engineer’s look.

Scope of work

Temporary supports, three new posts on new pads with connectors at the top, and the ground sheet put back. Floor finishes, an engineer’s design and permit costs are not part of this cost.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a house in White Center feel the hallway floor bounce. Under it a row of posts holds up a girder, and three of them are soft at the bottom.

The rest of the row looks sound, so the plan replaces those three and checks all of them on the same visit.

The goal

The goal is three soft posts swapped out on new pads, with the rest of the row checked the same day.

Process

1. Before work The crawlspace is entered and each post under the hallway is probed and photographed.
2. Support Temporary jacks take the load off one post at a time.
3. Replace New posts go on new pads and are fastened to the girder.
4. Close up The jacks come out and the ground sheet is smoothed.

Planning right

• Tell us where the floor bounces and for how long.
• Ask for a photo of each post, not only the ones replaced.
• Clear the way to the hatch.
• Ask whether the plan needs a permit from King County.

Scope of work

Bolts through the sill into the foundation, steel plates where the framing calls for them and plywood on short walls. Permit costs, any engineer’s design and interior repairs are not part of this cost.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a small house in Bryn Mawr-Skyway want it tied to its foundation. The sill sits on a concrete stem wall, and they can see where plates and bolts would go.

The plan bolts the sill and adds plates and plywood where the framing needs them. It reduces risk and does not make the house earthquake-proof, and King County has the final word on whether a permit applies.

The goal

The goal is a small house tied to its foundation, with plates and bolts where the plan shows them.

Process

1. Before work The sill and the short walls are checked, and the plan and the permit question are settled with King County.
2. Bolting Bolts and steel plates go through the sill into the stem wall.
3. Bracing Plywood is nailed to the short walls in the pattern the plan shows.
4. Hand over The work is photographed before the crawlspace is closed up.

Planning right

• Have the sill checked for rot before bolts go in.
• Ask the plan to say which short walls get plywood and which do not.
• Ask what the retrofit does and does not do for your house.
• Ask whether King County needs a permit for the job.

Scope of work

Cutting the floor edge along about 30 ft of one wall, perforated pipe in gravel with a fall to a safe outlet, and patching the cut. Finishes, retaining wall work and any engineer’s design are not part of this cost.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a split-level house in White Center see damp along the base of one lower-level wall after rain. The lot slopes, low retaining walls sit beside the entry steps and the driveway stays wet.

The plan puts a drain inside along that wall at the footing and sends it to a safe outlet. Where the water comes in decides whether the work stays inside.

The goal

The goal is a drain along one wall that gives the water a way out, with the route and outlet written down.

Process

1. Before work The wall is checked during or after rain, and the outlet and route are chosen.
2. Cut The floor edge is cut along the wall.
3. Drain A perforated pipe goes in on gravel and runs to the outlet.
4. Close up The cut is patched and the run is tested.

Planning right

• Note where the damp shows and how long after rain.
• Ask where the outlet will be, because a sloped lot limits the choices.
• Tell us about any drain you already have.
• Move belongings away from the wall before the visit.