Helicon Foundation Repair of Florida

Sinkholes are among Florida homeowners’ worst nightmares. Residents of Pasco County, Hillsborough County, and Pinellas County have come to rely on Helicon Foundation Repair for their repair. The company works with a wide array of insurance companies, can inspect damage to a foundation or other component within 72 hours, and then complete most jobs within four weeks.

The company takes homeowner assistance even further. It inspects the entire site thoroughly, undertakes soil stabilization at once to prevent further damage, advises the property owner on future prevention and mitigation measures, and works with the Engineer of Record to ensure the foundation repair is done correctly.

The company is a leader in soil-related damage remediation in Florida. Unstable soil conditions in Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and Pinellas County can damage property at anytime but especially during periods of drought or heavier-than-average rainfall.

Fully licensed and insured, Helicon’s years of experience make it possible to take on and complete 25 stabilization projects per month. The average time of completion is four weeks but an additional two to four weeks may be required for adequate mobilization of equipment and personnel.

How can the company accomplish so much in such a short period of time? Its staff is competent and professional with a lot of years of experience behind it. After an inspection and evaluation is made, a consultation is held with the property owner.

The next step is determining which strategy is best in the current situation. Sometimes the best foundation repair is using an underpinning system in which a building’s load is transferred permanently to underlying rock strata. This is done essentially by using a system of metal frames and pipes which installed beneath a structure which is then jacked up to its former elevation.

With an underlying limestone strata, sometimes compaction grouting is the best answer. Basically, this technique fills in a sinkhole and empty spaces below the soil invisible to the eye. These voids can collapse slowly or suddenly and catastrophically without remediation.

The grout solution is in a liquid form, so it flows into all nooks and crannies without blending with the problem soil, a permanent solution to a sinkhole problem. This technique requires accurate placement of the grout pipes.

Chemical grouting uses special polymers to fill in the holes. These high-tech materials harden into a substance that is impermeable and provides long-term stability to the soil and structure built on it.

Injection piers are a hybrid of underpinning and grouting. Perforate pipes and framework are inserted into the soil beneath the house or problem area. Grout is then pumped into the piping and flows out through the perforations to fill in the sinkhole and voids, and prevent future collapse and damage. The structure is elevated to its original position, the grout moves into holes and solidifies, and then the piping and supporting framework is removed.

A refinement on this tactic is the helical pier, excellent for stabilizing a building that has already shifted. Their use takes the weight of load bearing walls off unstable soils and transfers it to steel plates welded to the main shaft of the piers. Helical piers are a good protective measure to stabilize seawalls and retaining walls as well.

Preventing problems before they happen is one reason to consider building pre-construction piers before a home is begun. A solid base to build on eliminates the need for costly damage years after the building is erected.

Homeowners in Pasco County, Hillsborough County, and Pinellas County have come to trust the expertise, service, performance of Helicon Foundation Repair when it comes to problems stemming from unstable soils. The company is fully licensed and insured in the state of Florida.