Crawl space foundation repair
Older houses around Abilene and in the small towns nearby are often built over a crawl space. They move differently than a slab, and they're fixed differently too.
In a pier-and-beam house, the floor framing rests on short piers spread across a crawl space, with a perimeter beam or wall around the outside. Each pier sits on its own patch of clay, so when that clay swells or shrinks, the piers rise and fall at different rates. The result is humps, dips and soft spots in the floor above. A crawl space that stays damp adds a second problem: wood rots and attracts insects.
How can you tell it's happening under the floor?
- The floor bounces when you walk through the middle of a room
- A hallway has a noticeable hump or low spot
- Inside doors bind more than the front and back doors
- Wood or stacked shims on top of the piers have split, crushed or slipped out
- Damp dirt, standing water or a musty smell under the house
- Sills or beams that feel soft when you push a screwdriver into them
What does the repair work look like?
- Re-shimming. Replacing worn wood shims with steel ones between the pier caps and beams, bringing floors back toward level.
- New supports. Adding piers where spans are too long, or replacing piers that have sunk or tipped.
- Wood replacement. Swapping out rotted sills, and sistering or replacing damaged joists and beams.
- Perimeter support. If the outside beam has dropped, it may need exterior piers like a slab edge.
- Moisture control. Better drainage around the house and better airflow through the vents.
Is a crawl space house easier to fix?
Often, yes. Crews can get under the floor without breaking concrete. That also means the house can be adjusted again if a very dry or very wet year moves the clay. Ask whether later adjustments are included in the warranty and for how long.
What should you ask before signing?
- How many supports will be added or reset, and where are they?
- What will the new shims be made of?
- Did you find rot or termite damage, and is that included in the price?
- What will you do about water getting under the house?
We don't quote prices. A contractor can only price foundation work after measuring the floors and finding what's making the house move, and what you pay is agreed between you and that contractor.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Will the floors need adjusting again?
They might. Clay keeps reacting to wet and dry years, and pier-and-beam houses are built to be readjusted. Ask whether the warranty covers future adjustments.
What if the crawl space is very low?
Contractors work in tight crawl spaces regularly, sometimes cutting an access hatch in a closet floor. They'll tell you once they've looked underneath.
Related services
More background: Abilene foundation guide.
Cracked brick, a sticking door or a floor that slopes?
Call and get connected with a foundation repair contractor who works around Abilene.