Why Pressed Piers

Pressed Piers vs. Other Methods

Concrete Pressed Piers and Steel Pressed Piers have been used throughout history and are an
effective tool for structural support. Pressed Piers are most commonly used for foundation repair
because of their advantages over other methods. Other methods used are drilled piers, poured
footings and mud jacking to name a few. Advantages of the Pressed Pier include shorter
installation periods and deeper pier depth.
Pressed Pier installation is less abrasive to your landscape than drilled piers and poured
footings. These latter systems require excavation and lengthy drying times. By using these
methods, you can expect to have exposed holes around your foundation for up to two weeks.
During these weeks, your landscape is uprooted and at risk. Typically, Pressed Pier installations
are completed in one to two days depending on the plan of repair. Foundation Dynamics, Inc.
provides extra care to place all dirt on tarps to protect your grass. Plants will be back in the
ground usually within 24 to 48 hours. We cannot guarantee your plants will live, but the sooner
they are replanted the better chance they have.
Typical slab foundation tolerances are (1") one inch over (20') twenty linear feet. Measurement

above or below the tolerances signifies foundation failure. During the inspection of your foundation, measurements should be
taken to compare to this industry standard. If interior elevations have settled out of tolerance, interior piers may be needed as
well as exterior. Exterior piers should never be lifted any higher than the lowest interior elevation adjacent to that lift. If this
happens, you could see and feel an upward deflection along your exterior wall. Post-lift elevations are taken to ensure the lift is
within your foundation's tolerances.
Unlike mud jacking sometimes used for interior lifts, Pressed Piers are guaranteed to drive through the collapsed soils and give
solid structural support. Pressed Piers are driven to reach load-bearing refusal. This means that the pier is driven through the
existing problematic soils around and under the slab until the frictional buildup is so great that the structure is lifted and
supported. Typical drilled piers are only 12-15 feet in depth and poured footers even less. This depth could be too shallow for
the existing soils around and under the foundation. The way to ensure the Lifetime Warranty is to drive piers past the active
zone of movement in your soil. Pressed Concrete & Pressed Steel Piers are designed to do just that. Pressed Piers are the
long-term solution for slab foundation and pier & beam foundation structural repair.
Call Foundation Dynamics, Inc. today for your FREE Homeowner Assessment.