Foundation Repair Fairfax

Just across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., Fairfax is different things to different people. For some, the name first refers to the Washington Metro Area west of the city proper, the suburbs in Virginia that aren’t Arlington or Alexandria. For others, it’s Downtown Fairfax, the city that grew up around the historic Fairfax County Courthouse and which played an important role during the Civil War.

Despite its history, Fairfax was a relatively modest village right up until the Washington suburban population exploded and absorbed the town in the process. And thanks to this mix of historical buildings and Post War growth, Fairfax has a lot of buildings from different time periods. This means there’s plenty of interest in foundation repair in Fairfax, especially since the homes built during the major growth spurt in the 1950s have recently passed 50 years old.

Time Can Wear A Good Foundation Down

Nothing goes on forever except forever itself. Mountains wear down, valleys fill in, stones break down into sand and silt, and water will slowly wear down the cement that binds concrete together. Different kinds and different applications of concrete wear down at different rates, but in the long run none of it will last forever.

According to professionals who have experience with foundations, a solid concrete slab will last for roughly 50 years before it starts to deal with some major problems. That’s only a very general estimate, however: every slab is unique thanks to variables like the property’s location and conditions, how well the pouring went, which stones and sand went into the mixture, potential flood damage, and how well the owners have cared for their home and their foundation.

As such, some concrete slabs start cracking before the half-century mark, and other foundations can stay in good condition for 100 years or more. Still, the 50 year mark is a good time to start inspecting your foundation and basement walls if you aren’t already. After all, it’s important to perform foundation repair in Fairfax before any cracking, settling, or bowing you spot can get any worse.

Growth Spurts Aren’t Good For A House’s Health…

Between the census years of 1950 and 1960, Fairfax’s population multiplied by six, and this incredible growth came with some costs. Roughly speaking, three new people were moving into the city every single day for ten years, and most of them were buying single-occupancy homes. This incredible demand put a heavy strain on the local construction businesses, and so they almost certainly cut a few corners to keep up.

As just one example, cement blocks always come into fashion during housing booms. Cement block basement walls are much cheaper and faster to put up than solid concrete walls, but that efficiency comes at a price. Lateral earth pressure is what you get when the soil pushes sideways thanks to gravity, water, and a few other factors. This pressure can cause basement walls to bend, tilt, and crack, and concrete blocks are much weaker to it thanks to the seams between blocks.

Because of all this, a lot of the calls for foundation repair in Fairfax have to do with lateral earth pressure.

But Professional Contractors Are

If you need a foundation repair in Fairfax, whether it’s for a cracked basement wall, a sunken foundation, or a bad case of water seepage, you should contact AA Action Waterproofing. Our Maryland-based company serves communities throughout the state and beyond, including places like Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, northern Virginia, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Whatever your foundation repair problem might be, we have a solution that will work for you and work with your budget rather than against it. We can fix water seepage by improving your home’s waterproofing, repairing the crack, and then remediating any major mold growths in the area. For a lateral crack in a concrete block wall, we can fill in the crack, grind down the surface until it’s flat again, and then reinforce the wall with carbon fiber or steel.

At AA Action Waterproofing, you can count on getting a no-obligation, free estimate that lists everything we can do to help you out. And we can definitely help out, because of all the basements, foundations, and crawlspaces we’ve seen in three decades, we haven’t found one we couldn’t fix.