What Are Foundation Piers? Understanding Helical & Push Piers for Your Home
If you’ve noticed cracks in your foundation, sticking windows, or uneven floors in your home, the problem may not be your walls; it’s what lies beneath. Foundation piers are one of the most trusted and proven methods for stabilizing a sinking or settling foundation.
At DESKA, we use advanced piering systems to restore structural integrity, prevent further damage, and bring peace of mind to homeowners in Alexandria, VA, and the surrounding area.
What Are Foundation Piers?
Foundation piers are steel structural elements that are driven or screwed deep into stable soil beneath your home’s foundation. Their purpose? To bypass unstable or shifting topsoil and transfer the weight of your home to more reliable load-bearing strata.
Once installed, piers support the foundation, prevent further settlement, and in many cases, lift the structure back to its original position.
What Problems Do Foundation Piers Solve?
Foundation piers are typically used to fix:
- Foundation settlement and sinking
- Uneven or sloping floors
- Cracks in walls and ceilings
- Sticking doors and windows
- Cracked or sinking exterior concrete
- Gaps between walls and ceilings or floors
These issues are often caused by expansive clay soils, poor compaction, drought, or excess moisture, common conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region.
What Are Helical Piers?
Helical piers (also called screw piles) are long steel shafts with helical (spiral) plates welded near the base. They are mechanically screwed into the soil using hydraulic equipment, much like driving a screw into wood.
Benefits of Helical Piers:
- Ideal for lighter structures, like porches, decks, and additions
- Great for sites with limited access or poor soil conditions
- Immediate load-bearing capacity—can support your home as soon as they’re installed
- Minimally disruptive, with small installation footprint
- Can be installed year-round, even in cold weather
Common Uses:
- Homes with moderate to severe settlement
- Retrofitting homes with sagging additions
- New construction projects requiring deep soil anchoring
What Are Push Piers?
Push piers, also known as resistance piers, are smooth steel pipes that are hydraulically driven into the ground beneath a foundation using the weight of the structure as resistance. Once they reach stable strata, brackets are attached to the foundation footing to transfer the building’s load to the piers.
Benefits of Push Piers:
- Best suited for heavy structures with significant settlement
- Uses the home’s weight to achieve maximum depth and stability
- High-strength steel and minimal soil disruption
- Potential to lift sunken sections of the foundation back to level
Common Uses:
- Severe foundation settlement on brick or concrete slab homes
- Larger, multi-level homes
- Situations where structural lifting is needed
Trust DESKA for Foundation Solutions in Alexandria, VA
Foundation issues don’t fix themselves and waiting often makes them worse. If you’re seeing cracks, shifting walls, or sloping floors, it may be time to take action.
At DESKA, we specialize in custom foundation repair solutions, including push piers and helical piers, tailored to your specific soil and structural conditions.
Schedule Your Foundation Inspection Today
Protect your home from further settlement and damage. Contact DESKA for a free, no-obligation inspection and let our team help you find the most effective path to foundation stability.
Call our team at 703-665-1456 or click the button below to schedule a free estimate.