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Home»Foundation Repair»Photo Gallery»Frost Protection and Helical Pier Support Shifting Home in Duluth, MN

Foundation Repair Photo Album: Frost Protection and Helical Pier Support Shifting Home in Duluth, MN

Owners of this 1876 home in Duluth, MN were concerned over worsening conditions with the home's block foundation. Individual blocks were shifting measurably, leaving cracks and gaps that left the crawl space prone to wetness and mold. Looking for a permanent solution, they reached out to DBS for more information about our foundation support systems. DBS Design Specialist Henrik Makitalo visited the home and provided a free, no-obligation estimate for the foundation support work. He determined that the crawl space would have helical piers installed to lift and support the home where the foundation was failing. DBS Foreman Jose Valenzuela and his crew removed foundation blocks where they were no longer supporting the home. They installed 18 feet of additional support beams and underneath the home and supplemented that with 4 helical piers. To finish the job, they added our SilverGlo™ insulation topped with gravel as frost protection, preventing heaving to the foundation footings as the ground freezes during winter months.

Pooling Water in Duluth, MN Crawl Space

After our foundation support work is complete, our crawl space encapsulation crew will take over to eliminate moisture build-up beneath the home.

South Side of Duluth, MN Home is Shifting

This side of the Duluth home was experiencing the most shifting and was the focus of our crews foundation repair efforts.

Gaps and Cracks in Foundation Blocks

This photo illustrates previous attempts to seal gaps and cracks left as the foundation has shifted.

Vertical Wooden Supports Rotted in Crawl Space

These vertical supports had decayed due to moisture in the crawl space. they were no longer properly support the home, causing sinking floors and a shifting foundation.

Shifting Foundation in Duluth, MN

The foundation blocks in this 1876 home have begun to shift and crack over after properly supporting the home for over 100 years.

Duluth, MN Home is Lifted and Supported

Our crew was able to fit this support beam beneath an existing horizontal wooden support beam, to provide a solid solution for the sinking end of the home.

Support Beam and Piers Installed

After our crew successfully installed the piers, as well as crawl space supports, we installed skirting around the open sections of the home's foundation.

Supplemental Support

To properly support the weight of the entire home, our crew installed this 18-foot steel support beam, running it through the entire crawl space.

Helical Piers Driven into the Ground

To provide solid, long-lasting support, our helical piers are driven into the ground transferring the weight of the home onto load bearing soil far below grade.

Gravel Atop SilverGlo™

The gravel layer will assist in keeping water away from the foundation, as well as better insulate the SilverGlo™ foam layer.

SilverGlo™ Insulation Will Protect Against Frost

When foundation support footings are above the frost line, they are subject to heaving as the ground expands when frozen. To help minimize this yearly shifting, our team applied SilverGlo™, a graphite infused rigid foam insulation that will prevent frost from reaching the foundation footings.