How do we fix old foundations?
Since 1987 Western Construction Systems has been a local Northwest based specialty foundation repair contractor.
One of our specialties is foundation restoration and repair. We have several different proprietary repair methods. We will examine your problem and determine which is right for you.
GOT CRUMBLING?
There are many homes and buildings which were built around the turn-of-the-century here in the Pacific Northwest. In this era, most of the foundation concrete was hand-mixed in buckets and wheel barrows and just dumped in the forms. Also, they did not use any steel reinforcing (rebar) and most of these foundations do not have footings. This type of construction created inconsistencies in their mixtures and we see lots of rock and way too much river sand throughout the Portland area foundations.
100+ years later these foundations are crumbling, falling apart and failing. The primary contributing factor to this damage is moisture. These foundations are very porous. As moisture vapor from the exterior migrates through the foundation, it accelerates the deterioration and draws out the salts and minerals (efflorescence), creating the white flakey deposits on the foundation walls. WCS specializes in densifying, restoring and repairing this specific type of damage.
Our proprietary restoration method incorporates a deep penetrating foundation sealer which is engineered to create a Gore-Tex like structure inside the wall allowing the foundation to breathe while greatly reducing the ability for the moisture to pass through the wall. When we reduce the moisture we greatly slow the deterioration rate of the concrete. This method impressively extends the life of the treated concrete. Also, this sealer is non-toxic, VOC free, environmentally friendly and nearly odorless requiring no personal protective equipment.
We also use very high grade, high strength reinforced repair mortars to repair the voids, cracks and damaged areas of the foundation. We will then typically treat the foundation with a multi-coat acrylic-latex foundation paint.
We also have a variety of decorative sealers and coatings to improve the look of your old concrete.
