Slab Foundation Repair

The majority of homes in South Texas are built upon slab foundations. That’s a lot of homes depending on their slab to remain stable! As massive and heavy as a block of concrete is, your foundation can sustain damage over the years. When your slab foundation cracks, shifts, sinks or otherwise moves, your home is put at risk.

Luckily, Hercules Foundation Repair has spent years gaining all the knowledge needed to address your slab repairs effectively. When it comes to the foundation of your home, there’s no room for error. Our team uses attention to detail and precision to recommend and execute the best solution to your slab issues. Gain back your peace of mind today with powerful foundation repairs!

What Is A Slab Foundation?

A slab foundation is a single, solid layer of concrete — typically 4 to 6 inches thick — that sits directly on the ground and supports the weight of your entire home. In many slab foundation homes, the concrete slab is poured over a prepared base of soil or gravel and reinforced with steel rebar for added strength.

Homes built on slab foundations don’t have crawl spaces or basements. Instead, the flooring sits just above the ground, with plumbing and electrical lines often embedded directly into the concrete. Slab foundations are common in areas with warmer climates and are known for being cost-effective and low-maintenance when properly installed.

How Do I Know If My House Has A Slab Foundation?

Not sure what kind of foundation your home has? Here are a few quick indicators:

• No crawl space or basement – If you don’t have access to space beneath your floors, your home likely sits on a slab.
• Low entry point – The front door is close to ground level, without steps leading up to the entry.
• Brick or rock siding – Many slab homes have exterior finishes like brick or stone that sit flush with the ground.
• Concrete floors – If you notice your flooring feels especially solid and cool to the touch, it may be laid directly over concrete.

Still unsure? Our team can help you identify your foundation type and evaluate its condition during a free estimate.

How Does Slab Repair Work?

For all intents and purposes, a slab is a large block of concrete with rebar running throughout it. Your house is built to sit on top of the slab, keeping it level and stable. But when the soil shifts underneath the slab or other pressures cause it to shift, the entire slab can tilt, crack and become unstable. This is where we come in!

We implement a set of piles or piers underneath the slab to raise certain areas up. This brings the slab to a level status again and saves your home from dangerous movement. The two main slab foundation repairs we execute are:

• Concrete pressed pile piers – A cost-effective solution ideal for quick fixes or investment properties. Piers are pressed to bedrock or 10,000 psi and come with a 10-year warranty — if shifting occurs, we’ll make it right at no extra cost.

• Steel pier systems – A lifetime solution built for homeowners who never want to deal with foundation problems again. Installed to bedrock or 10,000 psi, these piers come with a lifetime warranty for permanent peace of mind.

What Are Interior Piers?

Interior piers are a type of support system used during slab foundation repairs to stabilize the interior portions of a home. While exterior piers support the perimeter of the slab, interior piers are installed beneath the central areas of the foundation — where signs of settling like interior cracks, sloping or sticking doors often occur.

These piers help lift and level the interior of the home and provide long-term stability to the entire structure. At Hercules Foundation Repair, interior piers are never offered as a standalone service — they are only installed as part of a complete slab foundation repair plan, when interior support is needed.

How Are Interior Piers Installed?

We offer two installation methods, depending on your home’s layout and your preferences:

1. Through The Interior Of The Home

This method involves accessing the foundation from inside the house by cutting through flooring to reach the slab. It’s the most direct option and allows precise placement of piers, especially in homes with limited crawl space.

2. Tunnel Access Beneath The Slab

To avoid disruption inside the home, we can excavate tunnels beneath the house to access the foundation from below. While more labor-intensive, tunneling allows repairs to be completed with minimal impact to your living space.

Slab Leak Foundation Repair

Water is capable of a lot of destruction. If given enough time, a single drop of water can turn a mountain into a canyon, so imagine what it can do to the concrete slab of your home’s foundation. A slab leak occurs when there’s a break in the pipes that run within the slab that supports your home. If left unchecked, it can cause tremendous damage to your entire home.

Given that they’re so difficult to detect, they can trickle away for months, subtly raising your utility bill and leaving you with extensive water damage. Luckily, if the worst happens and you deal with a slab leak, the professionals at Hercules Foundation Repair are here with the foundation repair you need.

Hidden Signs You Might Have A Slab Leak

Given the nature of slab leaks, they can be hard to detect. Hidden, buried deep within the foundation of your home, sometimes the only signs of a slab leak are some of the secondary issues that they are capable of causing. This means it’s advantageous for homeowners to know what these secondary issues are so they can be more aware of when they may be dealing with a potential slab leak.

To help our customers out, we’ve put together the most common signs of a slab leak.

• Rising Water Bills — Our water meters keep track of every drop that passes through the main lines attached to our homes, and we’re charged for every ounce. An unexplained spike in your water bill is one of the most obvious signs that you might be dealing with a hidden slab leak.
• Unexplained Dampness — Water and dampness should never be ignored, especially when the source of that water isn’t immediately obvious. Slab leaks can cause water to pool and accumulate in odd places, like the center of the floor. Any unexplained wetness should be investigated as soon as possible.
• Water Sounds — Just like actual dampness, unexplained water noises should never be ignored. If you hear hissing, dripping or any other sort of water sounds and can’t seem to find the source, it could be a sign of a slab leak hidden beneath your feet working to destroy the foundation of your home.
• Cracks In The Walls Or Foundation — Slab leaks have the potential to cause water damage that can warp and crack your walls and foundation. Every minor fault lowers the overall structural integrity of your home and increases the chance of extensive damage.

Post-Leak Foundation Solutions

Once you’ve worked with a local plumber to get your water leak identified and repaired, your foundation may be left with some damage. Both the leaking water and the plumbers may leave behind damage to the concrete keeping your home stable. That’s when calling our team at Hercules is the best last step in this process.

We understand that you’d like to get this unfortunate event behind you, so you can trust that we’ll work quickly and efficiently to make any repairs needed.

Water Drainage Around Your Slab

Water is one of the leading causes of foundation damage — and without proper drainage, it can collect around your home’s slab, leading to soil erosion, shifting and cracks. That’s where a French drain system comes in.

As part of our slab foundation repair services, Hercules Foundation Repair installs custom French drain systems to redirect groundwater away from your home. These systems are installed below ground level and use perforated piping, gravel and filter fabric to collect and channel excess water to a safe discharge point. By reducing hydrostatic pressure around your foundation, French drains help protect against future movement and moisture damage.

Whether you’re already seeing signs of foundation trouble or you’re looking to prevent future issues, adding a French drain system can be a smart, long-term solution. Our team will assess your property, identify drainage trouble spots and design a system tailored to your home’s needs.

Let Your Home Stand Hercules Strong With Our Top-Of-The-Line Foundation Repair

If you’re experiencing any potential signs of slab damage and are looking for a standard of foundation repair that’s second to none, don’t hesitate to call the professionals at Hercules Foundation Repair.

With 24/7 customer service, free estimates and no service fees, we’ve done our best to remove all barriers between our customers and the best foundation services possible. And for our warranty-backed pier systems, if soil shifts or issues arise within that time, we’ll come back and make it right — at no additional cost to you.

So, if you’re dealing with slab problems, let our team keep your home standing strong, HERCULES STRONG!