Pier & Beam and Root Barriers
Pier & Beam
A pier and beam foundation is a foundation that has a crawl space between the structure and the ground. Pier & beam foundations are elevated off of the ground usually 18"-24" and were standard in many of the older homes built before the 1960s. The perimeter wall of the home is supported by a concrete beam. The interior wood floors of the home sit on floor joists which are supported by the girders or beams and those beams are in turn supported by concrete piers. Unlike the slab-on-grade foundation which is a large slab of concrete sitting on the ground this foundation consists of wood floors elevated off of the ground and due to the empty space created under the floor, many times poor drainage, & possible lack of sufficient ventilation the home may be prone to mold or fungus build up, deteriorated or rotted wood support members and potentially suffer from cracking, creaking, & sagging floors. These pier & beam foundations pose special challenges to inspect & repair and Longhorn has extensive experience in and remains one of the few reputable companies that still repair them.
Root Barriers
Tree roots can cause serious damage to sidewalks, patios, driveways, and more importantly, foundations. While commonly thought to only cause problems by lifting up concrete or raising a foundation which many times is the situation with sidewalks, patios, & driveways however the real trouble with foundations is that when the roots grow under a foundation, they extract moisture from under it causing the clay to shrink and thus the foundation can experience downward movement & loose its structural stability. Root barriers are simply impenetrable barriers that roots cannot get through or walls that guide & redirect the tree roots away from the foundation & thus help prevent costly damage while preserving the health and beauty of the tree. A trench is dug between the tree and the foundation, all roots encountered are cut, a barrier material is placed in the trench, & then the trench is refilled with soil. Longhorn has many years of experience installing Professional Engineer recommended & approved root barriers that have proven helpful in lessoning potential foundation movement.
