Best plumbing & heating solutions and home improvement guides? Foam jacking, mud jacking, slab piers or total replacement are the only options for repairing a slab foundation. A slab is generally found in areas where the underlying soil can be graded flat without worrying about the elements of nature impacting the soil or foundation. For example, slab foundations are common in the southwest U.S., where I now live. Because the entire foundation is buried underground, any of the 4 fixes are best handled by a contractor. For homeowners who want to take action, however, preventative maintenance of watering can help avoid issues in severe drought conditions. For foam or mud jacking the material (polyurethane or grout) is pumped in to make sure a settled slab is leveled back out again. The cost can range from $3 – $10 per square foot. Piers are the most invasive and usually the most costly repair option as the concrete must be jammed into the ground and the slab jacked up on top of the piers. Slab cracks can happen and then the foundation is broken beyond repair. Replacement can cost over $30 per square foot and since the entire foundation must be removed and replaced, the disruption is at maximum levels.

Sometimes, we don’t realize the value of what we have until an expert comes around and tells it to us. Invite a designer over; they charge less than $100 an hour and will be able to give you valuable suggestions about the color schemes or furniture placement that can elevate the look and feel of your house without spending a penny on the renovation. Implementing these simple changes suggested by an expert can increase your home’s value and make it seem more appealing to buyers. Maybe your house does not need a facelift at all. Check your home for termite infestation or any pest infestation, deteriorating floors, and outdated electrical or water systems. You can also hire someone to give you a rundown on what needs to be fixed. After all, you can’t fix it if you don’t even know that it is broken in the first place. These minor improvements to the house’s overall quality can add relatively serious value to your house and help you get better offers.

Accept that products alone can’t really differentiate you. This may come as a shock to you, but product (and price) alone won’t sufficiently differentiate you from your competition. You may have the most brilliant assortment of tile, the most complete selection of carpet samples, and the largest ever grouping of hardwood and engineered wood samples. However, without a team of passionate and dedicated experts who bring those products to life for customers, you are no better than your competitors. “Your staff is the only truly unique offering that your company has to sell.” The way you sell, install and follow-up are true differentiators. Only by delivering a superior service experience to your customers can your store distinguish itself from competitors. Discover more info on hinkle homes stratford ok. Here’s how to keep your house warm with some easy foil insulation. Cover a thin sheet of card with tinfoil and place it behind your radiators (if you’re feeling particularly crafty you can make it T-shaped so it sits on your radiator brackets). It’ll reflect the heat back into your rooms, meaning they warm up faster and retain more heat. If DIY isn’t your thing, you can also buy ready made foil insulation.

Watch the slope. Water pooling up near your home’s foundation is never a good thing. You should ensure your yard’s grade slopes away from the home in order to push away excess water that would otherwise seep into the foundation. On a related note, always make sure downspouts and gutters are pointed in the appropriate directions.

But let the sunlight in during the day. It’s important to try to use as much natural – and free – heat (in the form of sunlight) as possible. Window shades and curtains should be kept open during the day, advise Age UK. Closing your curtains as soon as dusk falls will maximise your house’s potential to retain that heat. Double glazing is heat-efficient but it’s relatively costly. If you can’t afford it, why not fake it? “There’s a special film that you can put across [single-glazed] windows” that can imitate the same effect, albeit to a lesser degree, says Neuburg. You can attach the film to the window frame using double-sided tape and then fix it using a hairdryer, she says. There’s a downside. You won’t be able to open your windows without breaking the seal. But a pack to cover a medium-sized house would be about £15, estimates Potter, so it could just be redone from time to time. Potter, who has no heating system in her house, says one batch of film has lasted about two or three years as she has small windows. Alternatively, self-adhesive foam strips can help seal any gaps in the edges of windows. Metal or plastic strips with brushes or wipers attached cost a bit more but will last longer as a result, according to the Energy Saving Trust. These can also be used as draught excluders around the hinges and frames of doors.

How Fast Does Mudjacking Dry? Once we finish a mudjacking project, we’ll provide you with any tips and recommendations for waiting to use the area. We typically suggest that you wait 8 to 24 hours for heavyweight use of a newly repaired concrete slab. This timeframe depends on the size of the area repaired and how many voids were filled. However, most of the time, slabjacking doesn’t take too long to use for lightweight activities, and your concrete will be safe for all heavyweight use by the next day. When Should You Choose Mudjacking? There are all kinds of reasons for using this concrete repair solution. Both homeowners and businesses order mudjacking repairs because it works for almost any settled concrete slab.