Crumbling basement walls | TerraFirma Foundation Systems

Crumbling Basement Walls and other Common Foundation issues

Your home often sends clear signs when its foundation is failing. Crumbling, cracked or buckling walls is a clear sign of stress in your home’s foundation and support system. Basements in the Pacific Northwest often have cracked and crumbling basement walls and floors.

Not all signs are symptoms of serious damage, but these signs are strong signals that it is time for a professional evaluation:

  • Leaking from your basement walls
  • Spelling and rust-colored cracks indicating corroding rebar
  • Efflorescence on concrete or cinder block walls

TERRAFIRMA IN ACTION

Our team has over 20 years of experience fixing foundations across Oregon & Washington.
Check out their helpful Homeowner Tips and some great Case Studies of our Foundation Repair work.

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REVIEWS

Don’t take our word for it – see what our clients have to say.
From Roseburg to Eugene, Portland to Seattle, our Foundation Repair work speaks for itself

Austin was an amazing technician. The scheduling was easy, he was punctual, and the communication was professional. He crawled the entire crawlspace like a champion and even found a little plumbing leak for us. The estimate was provided on site, and I would highly recommend them for encapsulation and other foundation work.
This was truly an awesome experience, from the time Will arrived to do the estimate, to completion of the job a little more than a week later. Will gave us great insight as to the foundation and build of our home. We were having issues with a back patio and front steps that were added to the property post build and had sunk quite a bitt.All the folks we dealt with at TerraFirm were friendly, informative, helpful and kind. From our initial contact with Hillary to schedule appointments, to our very informative meeting with Will for the appraisal and estimate, and a very special shout-out to Schylar and Jonny, for a very cool learning experience during installation. We pestered them with questions the entire time they were here and they graciously and willingly answered them all! great crew, awesome job and a joy to spend time with.Thank you all for a great experience!!!Michele
I reached out to TerraFirma Foundation Systems to have them come look at my foundation. They were able to get me on the schedule within the week. Seth showed up on time for the appointment and got right to business. He walked me through what he was going to do and what he was looking for. He was very professional and polite. He even took his shoes off outside everytime he had to come in the house. Which is a big deal to me. When he finished the inspection we sat down and went over all my options. The whole experience was easy and I didn't feel taken. I would highly recommend Seth and TerraFirma.
I had TerraFirma foundations repair my crawl space issues, the 3 men that came out to do the job were very professional and cautious. Jorge, Juan B, and Manual J, did an exceptional job and Jorge explained everything that they were doing and showed me lots of pictures during the process. After the job was finished they made sure everything was cleaned and put back together. Than I received a call from the project manager Jonah, to make sure everything went well and he made sure I was happy with the job. I recommend TerraFirma to everyone!!!!!
A few days after moving into our home we noted some serious issues with our outdoor drainage.Over the course of just 2 days of rain in the Pacific NW, water was flowing into the garage and crawl space rather than away from the house.We needed an evaluation and a plan asap. Based on reviews and services available, a quick call to TerraFirma was the answer.I had an appointment within a few days. We were very pleased when Seth arrived and explained that, by the end of today’s visit we would have a detailed plan including the cost. As we walked around the entire foundation and yard Seth was open to questions and explained details of what he was noticing. Seth was also taking note of other potential issue that could be avoided with some preventive DIY care.The extensive evaluation resulted in great news. Although we knew it was going to be an expensive project, due to the labor involved, Seth presented an optimal approach for a permanent solution at a fair price.We were very happy working with Seth and TerraFirma.Steve and ToniShelton,WA
Our experience with TerraFirma was exceptional from the very beginning. From lifting and leveling our front sidewalk; to stabilizing our garage foundation the experience was positive and the teams so efficient. Sammy our project manager was always available for questions and information. Thank you! Oscar C., Jorge J. And Diego you rock.
Don't hesitate, call these folks and specifically ask for Seth!! I am not a construction minded individual and had a level of intimidation when asking to have someone come out to look at our foundation, but Seth made everything so dang easy. Never once did I feel like he was talking over my head (very knowledgable!) and was extremely respectful with any/all questions I had. He truly took his time and didn't make me feel like I was wasting his. 100/10!
As a residential broker in western WA I’m always interacting with different foundation & basement specialists. TerraFirma is the best I’ve come across. The team there, especially Seth, is top notch. I always get an accurate & reasonable solution from them regardless of the size of the job. I’m working with Seth on a project now & it’s been great. Highly recommend!
Last winter we noticed some standing water under the house. Not serious or due to some foundation issues, just significant groundwater saturation. At the time, the sales person spent a few hours mapping out some options for us.Last week we moved ahead with the inside foundation drains and sump pump. The team were on time, the project manager was helpful in walking me through all the steps and they worked hard to mitigate any dust issues.This stuff is never going to be inexpensive, but they did what they said they were going to do and left the inside of our house like they found it. Bring on the rain...Thanks Terrafirma.
I was referred to John from Terra Firma when I was looking to have our foundation inspected. John was very friendly and knowledgable and came out to our house to measure and inspect everything. In the end he was able to put our mind at ease and did a great job of explaining different scenarios and what he was looking for.John even inspected the crawlspace while he was out and provided great feedback there as well. Overall we got a lot of good information and never felt as though we were being pushed into unnecessary services.I will certainly be reaching out to Terra Firma for any future needs!
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Foundation Repair Homeowner Questions

Are cracks in a basement floor normal?

Cracks in concrete are common. However, cracks are symptoms of potentially larger issues. The size, placement, and direction of cracks in your basement floor or walls can give insghts into the nature of the issue. Schedule your free in-home inspection with TerraFirma to learn more.

When should I worry about cracks in my basement floor?

You should be concerned about foundation cracks if the cracks in your basement floor are wider than 1/8 inch, spread to and up the foundation walls, appear in a circular pattern, are wet or show signs of water intrusion, have mold around them, have a white flaky substance around them

Are foundation repairs covered by homeowner’s insurance?

Insuance policies vary from home to home and company to company. The best action is always to speak with your insurance company to understand what is covered under your specific policy. Generally, home owners insurance will cover repairs if the damage can be tied back to an event e.g. leaky water heater, tree fell on house etc.

Does foundation repair affect/increase home value?

Yes. A damaged foundation can cause significant loss in property value, as well as potentially scaring off interested buyers. Repairing a damaged foundation helps restore the lost value in a home, and can even increase value when the repairs carry a transferable and long term warranty.

How long does foundation repair take?

Scope, size, and type of repair can vary, as will the amount of time a repair can take. However, most repairs can be made within a few days.