New Jersey Basement Foundation Repair

Foundation & Structural Repair Experts for Central & Northern NJ and the Jersey Shore

Your foundation carries a lot of weight on its shoulders. Shifting soil, poor construction practices, and more are just some of the problems that can be working against your foundation. Not sure what the issue is or how serious it might be? Leave it to the trained professionals at Blue Umbrella. Our New Jersey waterproofing company specializes in basement foundation repair in Union County, and across The Garden State. Whether you have a basement, crawl space, or slab foundation, we’ll help you keep the water out and protect your space from damage.

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Why Is My Foundation Damaged?

Every home in New Jersey is different, so there’s never one definite reason why your foundation might be damaged and what issues will be fixed with basement structural repair. But more often than not, the problem involves hydrostatic pressure.

In simple terms, hydrostatic pressure refers to water pressure pushing against your foundation. Because soil can retain a lot of water, the soil and water combined create a powerful force that can damage your foundation and foundation walls. While you can’t escape hydrostatic pressure in your basement, our team can help you prevent flooding and water damage with a proper French drain installation or another basement waterproofing solution in Union County, NJ.

Other causes of foundation damage can include tree roots that have grown and infiltrated your foundation or building errors from the contractor that have worsened with time. You may be tempted to take on the basement foundation repair job yourself, but DIY foundation repair is not the right option.

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The Type of Crack Says a Lot

You might not realize it, but the crack itself can often indicate the problem and give clues as to what basement foundation repair you need for your New Jersey home. Here are the most common types of wall cracks and what they typically mean:

Vertical: When concrete shrinks, it has a tendency to crack. Whether your home is new or old, vertical cracks are common and typically do not indicate a structural problem. The main concern will be water seeping through the cracks. If this is the case, we specialize in crack repair and will properly seal the cracks for you.

Horizontal: These cracks are more serious than vertical cracks. If you see horizontal cracks on the wall, it means external pressure is forcing your foundation walls to bow inward. When left untreated, your foundation can eventually collapse and destroy the rest of your home. Response time is key with any structural issue. Call Blue Umbrella to quickly determine the problem and recommend the best approach for your specific situation.

Stair Step: The name says it all here. Cracks that look like stair steps indicate foundation settling. This means uneven soil conditions beneath your home are causing your home to rest unevenly, resulting in stair step cracks. These cracks are common in homes made with brick or concrete blocks. They appear as breaks in the mortar joints. Stair step cracks can indicate a structural problem in your home and should be examined by a trained professional.

Foundation Damage from Water Erosion

Your foundation can be damaged by external soil pressure pressing in on the walls or soil beneath the foundation settling unevenly. Still, another important source of foundation problems is water erosion.

When it rains, the water seeps into the soil surrounding your foundation. As the soil fills with water, this increases the hydrostatic pressure (water presses outwards) against your foundation walls. The hydrostatic pressure forces the water to seep through your basement walls, which not only gets your basement wet but, over time, erodes the poured concrete, mortar between stones, or block walls of your foundation.

Eventually, the damage to your basement wall from water erosion can become bad enough that you need to hire a New Jersey foundation repair company to fix the damage. In extreme cases, your foundation wall may need to be replaced completely.

While you can wait till the problem grows bad enough to warrant structural repair, a better option is to hire Blue Umbrella to install a basement waterproofing system that controls basement water, preventing erosion damage and keeping your foundation safe.

Water damaged basement block wall - foundation damage

We Specialize in Minimally Invasive Basement Foundation Repair Solutions

Unlike some New Jersey foundation repair companies, we create customized structural repair plans. Depending on the type of crack and the extent of damage, we may recommend a number of different solutions.

If your foundation walls are bowing, one option we often recommend for basement foundation repair is carbon fiber reinforcement. With this technique, we install fiber strips to counteract the pressure that’s damaging your foundation walls. The material in the fiber strips is much stronger than steel and prevents your walls from future structural damage. These strips rest nearly flush against the wall and can be painted over to blend in nicely with your basement walls. Best of all, the installation is fast, minimally invasive, and a very smart investment if you want to protect your foundation for the long term.

If your home's walls have bowed significantly (typically more than two inches), we'll use steel I-beams to secure the walls and prevent them from bowing in the future. When used with additional products, these beams can actually push the wall back in the opposite direction to re-straighten the walls.

Both of our structural repair solutions are minimally invasive, highly effective, and designed to blend seamlessly with your finished basement. Depending on how much your walls have bowed, we'll advise on the right approach during a free, in-home consultation.

Blue Umbrella is a Fortress Stabilization Systems Platinum Contractor

We are a Fortress Stabilization Systems Platinum Contractor. Fortress foundation repair products are ICC-ES certified. ICC-ES it the International Code Council Evaluation Service, which provides technical evaluations of the quality of products and materials, ensuring they meet and exceed all code requirements.

Fortress is the ONLY basement wall repair system to have earned ICC-ES certification, and Blue Umbrella is your local platinum contractor. If you want reliable foundation repair solutions, you call Blue Umbrella.

Fortress stabilization systems also come with a limited lifetime warranty when installed by a platinum contractor, like Blue Umbrella Waterproofing.

Blue Umbrella Fortress Stabilization Systems 2023 Platinum Contractor

Schedule A Free Basement Foundation Repair Inspection

Don’t turn a blind eye to your basement. If you notice cracks or other signs of foundation damage, we can fix the problem and give you peace of mind that your home is protected.

Whether we recommend crack repair or another basement waterproofing solution for your home, rest assured we have the experience and expertise to serve you best as your local New Jersey waterproofing company.

If you provide cracks in your foundation or basement wall, we are the answer. We provide free inspections for foundation and crack repair.

To request a free estimate, call Blue Umbrella Waterproofing at 908.432.8858 or contact us online today.