You&#;re researching foundation repair options and have come across the term &#;mud-pumping&#; and you want to know what it means. Or maybe you are thinking about when a foundation is lifted, what happens with the space underneath your home? There&#;s a void there now and does it get filled in or what?
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Mud-pumping is a finishing step of foundation repair, but not every foundation repair contractor adds this final step. It&#;s not automatically done so you might be wondering why some companies would use this technique or what its advantages and disadvantages are.
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have been repairing foundations since and began adding mud-pumping to all slab-on-grade foundation repairs in . We decided to take every reasonable step to provide the most security and stability in foundation repairs to Brazos Valley homeowners and bought our first hydraulic mud pump at that time.
We know mud-pumping has great value and importance in a foundation repair project, it&#;s a standard part of our slab foundation repairs. But we can tell you about it in an objective way so that you can decide if it&#;s as important to you as it is to us.
We know that not everyone is trying to meet the same goals in selecting a foundation repair method or provider. We just want to give you all the information and options so that you can choose what works best for you and your home.
In a nutshell, foundation settlement coupled with foundation repair creates voids. Here&#;s why: a home with a slab foundation is built on the ground. Homes are heavy. Over time, the weight of the home will compress and compact the soil below it.
This initial compression causes the home to sink into the ground a bit. This is called settlement, and it&#;s not a bad thing unless it causes foundation problems for your home.
Settlement can also occur because of the expansive clay soil we have in this area. Expansive clay expands when wet and contracts when dry. The drier the soil gets, the more it can contract, also causing a home to sink. It might not all sink evenly. This is how slab foundations can crack and possibly need repair.
During the repair process, the home is raised back up to its original elevation. So imagine that the home is lifted, but since the soil was compacted below it, now there is space between the ground and the bottom of the slab. This is also called a &#;void&#; which is a fancy word for empty space. I mean, technically there&#;s air in the space so it&#;s not totally empty but . . .
Now, you could just scream into the void underneath your home. But more productively, you can consider filling it with mud-pumping material so that there is not a bunch of empty space between the bottom of your home and the earth. Mud-pumping helps lessen the opportunity for more foundation settlement or problems to arise.
Mud-pumping is not typically needed for pier and beam foundations, but for slab-on-grade foundation repair, it is an option. While mud-pumping is not *required* in foundation repair, it has many benefits for the homeowner.
So no, mud-pumping is not necessary to complete a foundation repair project, and many foundation repair companies don&#;t do it. Even though foundation repair contractors often skip this final step, you may want to seriously consider it. All the &#;whys&#; are in the next section.
Nature doesn&#;t like empty things, nature wants to fill them up. This is that &#;nature abhors a vacuum&#; thing. If the void under your home doesn&#;t get filled with mud-pumping material. It will very likely get filled with something else, like:
PRO #1: So one of the pros of filling voids with mud-pumping is that it takes up that empty space and prevents those areas from getting filled with something less desirable. The slurry material flows and fills every little space, permeating even the smallest pockets of air. But there are a couple more compelling reasons for you too . . .
PRO #2: Empty space creates weaker points and added stress to the foundation where it is not directly supported. Mud-pumping provides extra stability and holding power to your foundation without empty spaces under it. Having something solid underneath your whole slab is more supportive than drilled piers or pressed piles alone.
PRO #3: Mud-pumping the voids under your foundation also minimizes the risk of further movement and settling. When things are all snug and surrounded by other material, it&#;s less likely for them to wiggle and move around. It&#;s kinda like tucking your kid in at night. You burrito that little one in good with the hopes that they will stop moving and fall asleep, right?
Side Effect Bonus PRO #4: The step before mud-pumping is testing your under-slab plumbing to make sure there are no leaks. If leaks are found, they need to be fixed first. So if mud-pumping is used on your foundation repair, you will have the added comfort of knowing that there are no leaks or that they have been repaired. This is another way to make sure that further problems don&#;t come up later for your foundation or underneath it.
Like anything else, there are a few cons to mud-pumping as part of your foundation repair. Even though we are a fan of mud-pumping, it does have some risks and downsides that we want you to be aware of.
CON #1: Mud-pumping costs more. This is an additional step that takes added time and more materials, SO there will be extra cost to you. Mud-pumping adds between $2,000 and $4,000 to the price of your average-sized foundation repair.
CON #2 (minor): There is a small risk of over-pumping the mud and adding too much material under the home. This can cause a hump in your floor. But with an experienced team working on your foundation repair project, this has a low chance of happening. Just want you to know this is a potential problem that could happen with an inexperienced or less careful contractor.
CON #3: Just like that kid that you tucked into bed with a burrito blanket, there&#;s no guarantee that no more movement will take place. Mud-pumping is a safeguard, an insurance policy, a risk minimizer, but it&#;s not an absolute settlement solution with no potential for failure.
Like many forms of insurance or safeguards, you don&#;t really know if you&#;re going to need it or not. You might only know the value of mud-pumping afterward in hindsight since we can&#;t predict what will happen later with your home.
As mentioned, mud-pumping is a final step in a foundation repair project, but it has a few steps of its own to complete the process. Here&#;s a breakdown of how it works:
The mud-pumping process takes about half a day or small projects and several delays for larger jobs at the end of a foundation repair project. So it doesn&#;t add a lot of time to the job but it can add some peace of mind.
What&#;s the worst-case scenario if you don&#;t do mud-pumping? Well, you could spend thousands of dollars on a foundation repair only to have it settle all over again due to missing that final step and leaving voids under your foundation.
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On the flip side, your home can still settle no matter what you do (or it might not, there&#;s no way to know for sure) but the risk is minimized as much as humanly possible if you add mud-pumping to the repair. This seems like a tricky decision, so let&#;s try and make it a little easier with some &#;if-then&#; statements.
Here&#;s one more &#;if-then&#; statement for you: if you want to use Anchor Foundation Repair for your slab-on-grade foundation repair project, then mud-pumping is part of the deal. We don&#;t leave repair projects without the last step because we also have a lifetime warranty and service agreement.
We can&#;t offer that warranty without safeguarding our repairs and minimizing re-settling risks as much as possible.
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have seen firsthand the consequences of not filling voids after repairs in our 35 years in business. We have inspected and repaired dozens of homes that had previous foundation repairs (by other companies) without mud-pumping. We have felt the hollow-sounding floors and seen homeowners having to go through the repair process again to get it right the second time.
To get it right the first time, Anchor employs more than one &#;risk-minimizing&#; tactic to provide the longest-lasting foundation repair possible. Check out our article highlighting 4 service features that set us apart from other foundation repair contractors.
With a wide variety of water well drills available online, it can be difficult to discern which features provide the best return on investment. As with bargain shopping, most items sold at discounted rates are cheaper for a reason. The headaches and downtime that come with addressing breakdowns, insufficient parts supply, poor support and premature failure often render the low initial investment useless. Cheaper is rarely better when it comes to the cost of a quality product. One way to protect your drill investment is to look for specific features that indicate the drill will be reliable and efficient for years to come.
Mud rotary drilling is one of the fastest, most efficient methods of drilling today with superior penetration rates for a wide range of soil conditions. When using a mud rotary drill, one of the most essential components in the drilling process is the mud pump. The mud pump provides the power needed to clear the hole of cuttings &#; broken bits of solid material &#; that might otherwise hinder drilling.
When purchasing a mud rotary drill, it will come with two engines. One engine is used for the rotary or hydraulic system while the second engine controls the mud pump to ensure the unit will operate at optimum speed and efficiency for the application. Some manufacturers skimp on production costs by using small, underpowered engines on the mud pump, the rotary or hydraulic system, or both. This means the engine is always working harder to get the job done, which causes faster wear and increases the amount of servicing and repairs.
It&#;s important to note that a high-quality engine on the drill can only do so much if there isn&#;t a high-quality mud pump to support it. Although it might be tempting to buy a drill package with a cheap mud pump or to overlook this critical component, cutting corners can result in poor performance if the mud pump isn&#;t able to adequately support the drilling function.
Although it might be tempting to buy a drill package with a cheap mud pump or to overlook this critical component, cutting corners can result in poor performance if the mud pump isn&#;t able to adequately support the drilling function.
For shallower drilling projects, 5.5 horsepower engines should get the job done. These drill packages provide a maximum flow of 165 gpm and produce a maximum head of 100 feet. Some manufacturers offer packages for larger drills with mud pumps that provide up to 13 horsepower for achieving depths of up to 300 feet. These types of drill packages are designed to dig deeper, with engines that power the mud pump for a maximum flow of 200 gpm and a 2-inch suction and discharge that produces a maximum head of 190 feet. For added convenience, check to see if your manufacturer offers both gas and diesel engine options so you can choose which works best for you.
Choosing a quality drill package from a reputable manufacturer means the mud pump will provide optimal performance in demanding environments and the highest productivity when paired with the drill.
Like the engines and mud pump, the construction of a water well drill can easily make or break a job when it comes to efficiency and ROI. Although drills might not look much different on the outside, taking a deeper look into specs &#; including the materials used during construction &#; can help make a quality water well drill stand out from the competition.
Drills with heavy-duty welded steel frames ensure optimal longevity and performance, but some manufacturers cut corners by using thinner steel. Although this can work for less intense projects, the low-quality design can cause the frame to bend and twist easily or show signs of premature wear due to corrosion from hot, humid climates. Thinner steel drills fail to stand the test of time with repetitive use, especially for heavy-duty jobs.
In addition, look for manufacturers that use 2-inch-diameter drill pipes and connections made of heat-treated alloy steel. This is ideal in demanding environments and ensures fewer replacements down the road. Some manufacturers cut costs by using irrigation-type pipes measuring only ¾- or 1-inch in diameter. These smaller pipes are intended for less intense applications like sprinkler installation and can break off when used in demanding environments, which can cause delays and other frustrations like re-drilling.
On top of quality construction, look for a user-friendly design that will support ease of operation and simplify routine maintenance. This includes conveniently located greasing points, and access to check and adjust the drill&#;s tension. Maintaining the drill chain tension will increase the life of the drill because excessive tension can cause faster wear or chain overload, and too much slack poses the risk of skipping a sprocket tooth. A design that provides easy access to maintenance will save time and frustration when it comes to keeping the drill in mint condition. Some drill packages are even constructed with a trailer-mounted design for convenient portability in remote areas or rugged terrain.
In addition to finding a quality water well drill, no purchase is complete without selecting a rotary drill bit, which is critical to both longevity and performance. Using a bit that aligns with the soil conditions prevents wear and tear by helping the drill power through the soil. This can save money on drill and bit replacements in the future. Make sure the manufacturer has a variety of bits available to provide optimal performance based on the soil type.
If you will be using a hydraulic drill on hard rock formations like quartzite, granite or basalt, adding a down-the-hole hammer will allow for maximum efficiency. This product uses percussive operation and an air-powered hammer to transfer energy through carbide teeth to shatter the rock surface, while the compressed air blows away small rock fragments. A quality drill will have accessories available like down-the-hole hammers and drill bits to help maximize power and extend its life by helping the drill operate efficiently.
Although it&#;s not a tangible part of the drill, finding a manufacturer that provides training and support beyond the purchase is another sign of quality. When researching different companies, look for manufacturers that offer training manuals, videos and technical support. Some manufacturers even offer replacement parts and refurbishment options after extended use to increase the lifespan of the drill.
Proper training helps operators become familiar with equipment and provides a hands-on opportunity to view the drill and learn safe operation and maintenance procedures. It can also build an understanding of the distinct roles of the individual drill team members. This, in turn, minimizes confusion regarding individual responsibilities and reduces injuries on the job. Some manufacturers host training sessions at their facility and offer water well drill kits with necessary accessories to ensure operators get the most out of the drill.
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By narrowing down the criteria for selecting a quality water well drill and focusing on features like a reliable mud pump, strong construction, excellent training and a variety of available accessories, operators and businesses will be set for long-term success. Using a quality water well drill will not only increase efficiency, it will also minimize downtime from repairs and maximize ROI.