House Leveling and Foundation Stabilization in The San Francisco Bay Area

Valentine Corporation's Perma Jack Divison specifically specializes in foundation stabilizing and leveling utilizing a unique and patented pipe pile system - The Perma Jack System . Since 1978, Valentine Corportion has been installing thousands of Perma Jack piles in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Perma Jacks are installed on both residental and commercial properties to correct foundation movement caused by a variety of conditions. These conditions range from highly expansive soils, to poorly compacted fill, to improper drainage. In most cases, structures and foundations are not only stabilized, but they are also leveled at little or no additional cost to the owner.

How Do You Know if You Need Perma Jacks?

Symptoms to Look For:

• Sloping Floors
• Doors or Windows that Stick
• Large Gaps in Doorways or Window Frames
• Cracks in Your Foundation
• Cracks in your Walls

These signs are indications that your building's foundation has settled in one or more places and needs to be stabilized before more damage occurs.

How the Perma Jack System Works:

An opening is made adjacent to the foundation and enough dirt is removed so that the Perma Jack Bracket can be placed under the foundation. The "L-shaped" bracket is then permanently bolted under the foundation. Using pipe support columns, a pile is then formed and placed through the bracket. These pipe support columns are aligned and tightly connected together by column connectors to form a pile. The diagram at left gives an idea of what this process looks like.

Hydraulic pressure is then applied to force the pile into the ground unil it hits bedrock or equal load bearing strata. The hydraulic equipment that is used for this operation is capable of load testing each pile to a capacity of 24,000 lbs. - yet it operates quietly at a maximum of 75 decibels.

The pipe support columns are then connected and forced into the soil to form a sturdy, stable steel pile reaching as deep as necessary to contact solid bedrock or equal load bearing strata. The competency of the bearing material is verified by the very nature of the tested installation. The mass of the structure is used as a reaction to drive the pile to refusal.

The hydraulic cylinder is then used to lift and level the foundation and structure. Once the pipe pile is loaded, it is locked off with high strength bolts. After continuous rebar is inserted in the pipe column, the column is filled with concrete and the soil is then backfilled. In general, average pile depths range from 20 to 30 feet, but in some locations, Perma Jacks have been driven to 125 feet depending upon soil conditions.

Valentine's Perma Jack crews install multiple Perma Jacks to stabilize a settling grade beam foundation of a Fremont commercial building. Notice the minimal construction disturbance to the owner & occupants.

	Perma Jack crew driving hydraulic piles at private residence.

Perma Jack Advantages:

The Perma Jack System is a patented process that actually forces steel piles all the way down to bedrock or equivalent load bearing strata. Most other systems simply reinforce the foundation by using concrete as a spacer between it and the earth at a slightly lower level.

Depending upon existing soil conditions, concrete foundations can continually shift and settle. The Perma Jack System securely supports your house or building on bedrock or equal load bearing strata. Each pile is individually load tested assuring that there will be no future vertical settlement of your foundation in the areas where the Perma Jack System has been installed.

The Perma Jack System is much faster than the older methods of piering because there is less excavating than in concrete reinforcements. Jobs take on average, one week to complete. Additionally, when the Perma Jacks are tested, they are immediately locked off in place without waiting for concrete to harden. Hence, repair time is greatly reduced.

Installation:

Perma Jacks can be installed from either the inside or the outside of your building so there usually is no extensive excavation required, and the system can be installed year round. When Perma Jacks are installed from the outside of a building, only minimal excavation is necessary. Huge drill rigs and excavation equipment are not needed, so disruption to exterior landscaping is minimized.

Cost:

Costs vary according to the extent of the damage done to the foundation, but in general, the Perma Jack System costs less than other reputable repair methods.

Perhaps Perma Jack's greatest cost saving is the elimination of future costs that other repair systems overlook. Other systems require costly call-back repairs for numerous reasons:

• Drilled piers are not dug deep enough to make direct contact with rock.

• The void between the settling foundation and the house is filled with concrete. Thus, the house is merely shimmed up and will continue to settle.

• Cosmetic problems (ie: cracking walls, sloping floors, etc.) associated with foundation settlement are corrected, yet the house continues to sink.

The Perma Jack System address these issues and eliminates the need for future call-back expenses.

For a Professional Evaluation . . .

Valentine Corporation
Phone: 877-520-JACK
      or 415-453-3732
Fax: 415-457-5820
Email: bvalentine@valentinecorp.com