Cabin Foundation Repair with DBS Residential Solutions

Challenge

In a few short months, summertime will be arriving, which means cabin season will be in full effect for Minnesota and Wisconsin. Cabins are one of the most prized pieces of property one can own, and there is a lot of work that goes into maintaining their value and comfort. As with many homes and properties, a lot of the material that went into the original development can depreciate over time, causing potential damages to the structure of the building. As was the case for a cabin in Paynesville, MN, which was comprised of a concrete block foundation that began to settle and crack. Along with that, the crawl space also lacked proper support as it was being held by some woods posts and cinder blocks. As a result, the cabin became noticeably uneven. The floors inside began to slope, and it was a big concern for the owner. 

In search of help, they reached out to DBS and had our Design Specialist come out to take a look at the cabin. The work that was needed to be put in was no small task. After a thorough examination, it was determined that the majority of the perimeter of the cabin would need to have proper support pieces installed to save it from any further damage occurring. 

Solution

The foundation stabilization project would take a collective team effort by our Design Specialists and production crews to make sure everything went as planned. The project proposal included the installation of helical foundation piers for the perimeter of the structure, along with helical deck piers to support the wood posts, and SmartJack® units to support the crawl space. 

Helical foundation piers worked to stabilize the settling foundation of any cabin or building structure in need. These piers are an ideal product for foundation problems, as they can even work to potentially lift a settling structure back to its original position. That was the goal for this Paynesville cabin. Along with the foundation piers, our crew also installed helical deck piers to support the wood posts that were holding up the deck. Being that wood posts are inorganic and can deteriorate over the years, they weaken the deck structure, which is just another issue to go with overall foundation settlement. However, helical deck piers are made to support these deck posts by digging far below the surface of the ground and embedding themselves within the soil. They are a quick and effective solution to restoring the deck structure, which can be seen in the attached photo. Lastly, to address the sagging and uneven floors on the interior portion of this cabin, our production team installed the SmartJack® System in the crawl space below, which again acts as supplemental support for the building. Similar to piers, SmartJacks® can lift and straighten out sinking structures, in this case, the cabin floor. In total, twenty helical foundation piers, 6 deck piers, and 5 SmartJack® units were installed for this cabin. 

As mentioned before, these products are all viable solutions to creating a stronger and more stable home or cabin foundation. For more information on our cabin foundation repair products and procedures, please click here.