Like many homeowners in Oklahoma, we know that you either have a foundation problem, or eventually WILL have a foundation problem. That’s because the soils in our state are mostly made of a silty clayey mix that expands and contracts while the seasons change, and Mother Nature runs her course.
This means that when we experience the extreme heat of summer, the soils will shrink; it’s the opposite in the wet seasons, when the soil expands and softens when wetted. This recipe of expansion and contraction leaves our homes on unpredictable to unstable soils that may leave cracks in your sheetrock, sticking doors and leaving unsightly stairstep cracks on the outside brick of your home.
For decades it has been common to pier your home using engineered steel piering systems as a reactive measure. With newer technology, the team at Vesta Foundation Solutions has been preventing the problems from even occurring using a state-of-the-art method that treats the soil first, not the failure.
It’s a revolutionary technique called deep soil stabilization. You see, the soils under a home are unpredictable because of the shrink/swell properties. Deep soil stabilization is a method in which the soils are injected with a structural polymer that prevents it from moving during even the most extreme weather conditions. This way, you can rest easy knowing your home will never need piering systems in the future.
The system has been used for decades by the Department of Transportation to solidify roadways on unstable soil. It has been tested by engineers nationwide as a suitable means to prevent movement out of fill soils in numerous applications.
The installation is quite simple. Every 3-5 feet around the perimeter of your home, a specially designed metal tubing is driven deep into the soil. These are placed at various depths, ranging from 7’ to 3’ deep. Then a structural polymer called POLY400 is injected into the soil, allowing it to soak into the surrounding clay. This is done at a high pressure and heated to help prevent it from solidifying too quickly. The injection is like a foam that will expand into the soil and then solidify it after it cures. The product will remain a liquid for the first 20-25 seconds and then strengthens the surrounding soil around the injection point. Once the injection is complete, the metal tubing is cut off underneath the grade and hidden from sight. After 20 minutes, the soil is then cured and free from the expansive/contractive qualities experienced before. In fact, it becomes as hard as concrete!
The home is then strategically benchmarked for ongoing monitoring. No electric or WIFI monitoring system or monthly charges needed.
This allows our teams to work around existing bushes, shrubs and patios without the need to remove any obstacles. Most installations take place in one day and can be installed year-round. One of the best features is that the product is 90% inert recycled materials that do not affect the soil or home in any environmental way.
With this technique of deep soil stabilization, our customers now have the peace of mind of knowing their biggest investment is protected from ever moving and will not have to venture through the expense of piering. It is very affordable, and in larger systems, financing is available
To learn more, visit VestaFoundationSolutions.com or call 405.213.0492. We would love to help you understand more about this great service that is helping so many homeowners across the Sooner State.
William Blake is owner of Vesta Foundation Solutions, 3709 NW 3rd St.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73107. The company also offers crawl space repair, basement waterproofing and concrete services.