Be very careful when placing your home in the hands of someone who’s livelihood is based on the sale of piers or uses foundation elevations to convince you that piers are the answer.

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Foundation Repair has became a billion dollar business and the gypsies, tramps, and thieves jumped in.

Piers can not solve upheaval and many piers being sold do a very poor job of preventing settlement. You as the homeowner must maintain your soils. Maintain the soils correctly, and new problems do not appear. Maintain the soils correctly and old problems  lessen and usually go away.

If settlement has occurred, and walls need to be lifted, you want the right number and type of piers from a reliable, experienced contractor. Not piers that have a reputation for failure. Not twice the required number of piers and not overpriced piers.

If you feel that you may have foundation issues and don’t want to get screwed, call/text me. 

Call/Text me. Richard Rash, 817.308.8186 or email at thefoundationman@gmail.com

If you are unsure about something, you bring in an expert. That is a good business practice at any level. You use due diligence. You need checks and balances. Foundation damage is not the end of the world. Treated properly it can be a minor irritation. Treated incorrectly it can be a nightmare. Don’t experience a nightmare! The reason for this website is to let you know that I am available to help you understand the reason foundations fail, to help you maintain your foundation and to help you find proper repair when required. Remember: With over 150 foundation contractors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area alone, getting three bids give you a one in fifty chance of getting the right job at a fair price. I can help you beat those odds. People pay me to help them successfully deal with foundation issues. If I save you from buying one unneeded pier you have made money. It’s a smart move and cheap insurance. I will be your advocate, your “check and balance”.

Foundation companies sell piers, I provide solutions.

I know this is confusing and I will be glad to provide more information. Contact me at 817-308-8186. My email is thefoundationman@gmail.com.

For more information read on...

Why Foundation Repairs Fail

Most people think that foundation movement is caused by settlement. In some parts of the country, that may be true.

In areas of expansive soils, such as most of Texas and surrounding states, not so much! The people selling piers want everything to be the result of settlement because that is what piers are designed for. By definition, settlement is generally looked at as a loss of support, piers are designed to provide support, and in the case of foundations, provide support after lifting. The truth is that there is really not much settling, percentage-wise, going on in our area or other areas of expansive soils and I will tell you why. By definition, expansive soils shrink and swell.

The pier salesmen want us to believe that every year we are in a new drought which is causing our soils to shrink out from under our foundations, (which were poured when the soil was expanded?) allowing them to fail to a point that they need to be artificially lifted, by piers, up off of the shrinking soils that have failed them. This is not true!

You know, I even bought into that line of thinking 30 plus years ago when I got into the foundation business. That’s what everybody said so it must be true, or so I thought. The rally cry was if it moves, PIER IT!    It was not and is not true!

After working in the business for a while it became obvious to me that somethings didn’t add up. For one thing, there were about as many foundation job failures as there were successes. That didn’t seem right and the more I thought about it the more I realized that the drought that happened just about every summer was also going on during many of the falls and springs as well as the occasional winter. In fact, it seemed to me that when we did have rain it was seldom if ever enough to stop the drought. Also, a fact, we have been in some sort of a drought most years since the 1930’s. It also dawned on me that most foundations were poured during these droughts, to the point the ground was already contracted so that it couldn’t shrink much more, so why were, and how were these houses and commercial buildings settling? It struck me: they were not settling! You know what I figured out? I figured out that a whole bunch of this foundation failure business was not settlement but upheaval.

Upheaval due to rains on dry and contracted soils!

Foundations were being poured on dry, contracted soil. Then the rains came after the houses were built. The contracted soils expanded around areas of homes where water was standing. Parts of the homes were lifted, and parts were not, giving the illusion that settlement had occurred. What is considered the “settled” areas of the house remains near the “as built” elevation where they were built while the damage was actually the result of the other parts of the house lifting. The results were that of a structure that appeared to have settled, but in reality, had not. So bottom line is that many homes thought to have areas settling are actually having other areas of the house raising or heaving, leading to piering of parts of the house to bring it up to the already artificially high section of the home. When this is done, and it is done often in areas of expansive soils such as ours, the repairs seldom succeed. Either the soils continue to swell and lift the building off of the piers causing more damage, or the drainage or the plumbing is fixed, and the heaved part of the structure settles back to near it’s “as built” position. This happens while the piers continue to support the lifted areas above original grade, and this also leads to additional damage. *** To sum it up: most foundation movement is not settlement and most homes in our area do not need piers. That’s why there are so many failed foundations repair jobs. And sadly, to say I don’t know of a foundation repair company whose LIFETIME WARRANTY covers upheaval.

Note: As I have stated most foundation movement and damage in North Texas is the result of drainage/upheaval and not settlement. that almost surely mean that piers are not the answer. There are however adjustments that need to be done. They are seldom if ever as expensive or disruptive as piers, but they must be attended to before the movement will stop or before the damage should be repaired. I can help you determine what is needed and show you how to accomplish the repairs as inexpensively as possible. Remember I am not involved in the work and my job is to help you get it done correctly and fairly.

If you would like additional information about this or need clarification, contact me, I will be glad to discuss it. See what my customers say at: Testimonials. Here are: My Fees. For additional information: Contact me! Richard Rash 817-308-8186 with any questions. Thank you.

WHO I AM

I am Richard Rash, and I am here to help you keep from getting taken advantage of by the foundation repair companies. I have spent the last thirty-five plus years working with foundation damaged homes constructed on expansive soils. I am based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area but go where I am needed and the economics warrant, such as San Antonio, Austin, Shreveport, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and cities and towns in-between.

I have been involved with thousands of foundation repairs in all size homes, apartments, hospitals, nursing homes, warehouses and small commercial buildings. I have worked as foundation inspector, contractor, consultant, and expert witness.

Since 2005, I have been consulting with individuals who are experiencing foundation distress. I am their check and balance, their advocate. I know foundations and I know the soils. I know what causes foundation failures and what prevents foundation failure. I know the products used to repair foundations and I know the contractor’s reputations. I know what works where, and how much it should cost. I save my customers from failed foundation repairs; un-needed piers and I save them money. See what my customers say at Testimonials. Here are: My Fees. For additional information: Contact me! Richard Rash 817-308-8186

Understanding Foundation issues!

So, you think you have foundation issues? I can show you the difference between cosmetic and structural foundation movement! Do you have conflicting bids? I can explain them to you and offer independent direction!

Do you want to avoid paying too much? I can keep you from being overcharged!

Do you want to avoid failed repairs? I can help you make sure the work that you choose to have performed is the work that is needed!

Do you want to prevent or reverse foundation movement? I can show you the maintenance needed to prevent and often reverse foundation movement!

Are you looking to buy a home? I can inspect the home and alert you to undisclosed defects, covered up issues and potential problems. Best of all I can assure you (1) if the foundation is sound and advise you on how to keep it that way, or (2) any repairs that would be needed if there has been foundation movement or (3) if previous foundation repairs are working!

Are you looking to sell your home? I can show you what must be done to prevent any last-minute foundation issues from blocking the sale. After discussing your issues over the phone if I don’t feel I can help you I won’t set an appointment. If we do set an appointment and I can’t help you understand the situation, you will not be charged. What do you have to lose? If we do set an appointment, the fee you pay will entitle you to call me anytime with any questions relating to your foundation. I will have my notes to refer to and can answer most questions over the phone. For additional information:

See what my customers say at Testimonials. Here are: My Fees.

I will provide a written overview of our discussion including a summation and recap of recommendations.

If you are concerned with foundation issues I can answer your questions. Richard Rash 817-308-8186.        Call 9 to 9. Seven days a week. If I am busy I will call you back.