Mainland Concrete Lifters

Solution - Initial Call

At Mainland Concrete Lifters Inc. our approach would be to first conduct a telephone interview in the format listed below. Then we come out to your site to take elevation shots in order to determine the severity of the failure of the foundation. Next we would have an engineering report compiled with soil tests and any concrete testing required. Lastly we present you with a solution to resolve your situation.

In your initial call to us regarding your situation, please be prepared to tell us about your building, and what is happening to it, what you expect to accomplish in any remedial work, etc.

  1. How old is your building?
  2. How many stories does your building have?
  3. Is it a full basement, or a crawl space, or slab on grade?
  4. Is it a deep or shallow foundation?
  5. Is the terrain sloped, or flat?
  6. Is access around the perimeter of the building easy or hard?
  7. Is the interior of the basement finished or is it open for inspection?
  8. Do you know if your subdivision was built on a marsh or over a creek bed?
  9. What area of the lower mainland or province are you in?
  10. Is getting to your building easy or is there a lot of congestion in the area?
  11. Is there storage and work space available around your building?
The history of the building is also important to us, therefore we will want to know the following questions as well.
  1. Have cracks appeared in the foundation?
  2. Where are they on the foundation?
  3. Are your upper floors uneven or sloped?
  4. Do you see your basement sinking in areas?
  5. If so, describe where?
  6. Have there been previous repairs done to the foundation?
  7. Do you know what kind of repair was done to the foundation?
  8. Do you know if the repair was done by a qualified professional?
Most foundation repairs can be expensive as it is a specialized field of construction requiring engineering, an elevation survey and possible soil tests.

A failing foundation is a structural issue that requires a permit from your municipality or Authority Having Jurisdiction in order for you to make repairs. The municipality will require reports from a structural engineer and a geotechnical engineer before issuing permits. This is Law in the Province of British Columbia. If these requirements are not met the job will be stopped and there can be heavy fines levied before the job can proceed.
  1. Do you have a budget set aside for this work?
  2. How much are you prepared to spend to rectify the situation?
  3. Has anyone else looked at the repair work?
  4. What have they got to say?
  5. Did you receive a written report?
  6. What results are you expecting to see accomplished?