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Mitigating Expansive Soil Heave Under Foundations
You have noticed some of these signs of stress: Cracks in walls Cracks in floors Cracks in the...
Stem Wall Cracks: The Cause and the Solution
If you have ever looked around your home and spotted horizontal or vertical cracks in stem walls...
Foundation Repair Misdiagnosis: Real Case of an $80,000 Unnecessary Repair
(This post was updated on March 28, 2026.) I received a phone call the other day from a family...
City and County Inspectors and Foundation Repair Inspection
Cities and counties have adopted foundation repair inspection roles in new construction and, in...
Foundation Movement: How to Know If Your House Will Keep Moving
Here’s the big question that people want to know. When people see cracks in their walls and...
Foundation Repair Salespeople Oversight: Where Accountability Breaks Down
During my career, I became a licensed CEU provider for the Arizona real estate community. I...
The Limits of State Contractor Boards When it Comes to Foundation Repair
Because of contractors' propensity to take advantage of homeowners, most states have established...
How to Choose Soil Repair Methods That Actually Work
When it comes to soil repair and ground improvement, too many project owners rely on guesswork,...
Does Deep Polyurethane Soil Injection Work?
Let’s say you are looking to recommend a pressure grout solution to stabilize a structure on...
The Truth About Foundation Repair Lifetime Warranties
One of the big selling points that foundation repair contractors often make with potential...
What Foundation Repair Permits Actually Miss
One of the common misconceptions about foundation work oversight is the illusion that the...
The Free Analysis By Foundation Repair Companies is a Bargain
The best way to learn about foundation repair? Homeowners and real estate professionals inevitably...
Are Foundation Repair Salespeople Qualified Design Specialists?
As a foundation repair contractor, I remember talking with many of my colleagues in the industry...
Will Insurance Cover My Foundation Repair?
One of the most common questions I get is whether homeowners' insurance will cover foundation...
Best Methods to Fix Heave and Minimize Future Foundation Damage
In other blogs, I’ve spent considerable time discussing how to distinguish between heave and...
Repair Plan Logic for Tilt, Deflections & Foundation Settlement Issues
At an engineering team that I once owned, we often had peer review discussions on the need for...
Do Cracks Mean Foundation Repair? How to Identify Real Issues
Cracks in walls, cracks in floors, sloping floors, doors, and windows out of square (see the...
Top Effective Methods to Fix Settlement
In earlier blogs, I discuss soil types, foundation types, and other key factors to help diagnose...
Foundation Types: Understanding Movement, Settlement & Heave
In my last few blogs I’ve covered soil conditions and the importance of analyzing them during the...
Understanding the Dunning-Kruger Effect in Foundation Repair
The Dunning-Kruger effect is one of my favorite heuristics to discuss. In effect, it basically...
Foundation Repair Fundamentals: A Glossary of Key Terms
Foundation repair fundamentals might seem like a tricky topic, but it all starts with...
How To Choose The Right Forensic Engineer For Your Foundation Problems
Most people who notice cracks in their walls, doors and windows out of square or sloping and...
Understanding Confirmation Bias in Foundation Diagnosis and Litigation
Just about everyone has heard of confirmation bias and experiences it in our everyday lives. This...
Mechanisms of Settlement and Heave: Insights into Foundation Repair
Before creating foundation repair plans, an expert must first understand the mechanisms of...
Breaking the Belief Bias: Shifting Paradigms in Foundation Repair
Paradigms change. The process of flipping one is interesting and worth discussing. Belief bias can...
The Availability Heuristic in Foundation Repair: Misdiagnosis and Familiar Solutions
Although putting your finger in to block a leak might be the solution that comes easily to mind,...
Soil Myths: Why ‘Dirt is Dirt’ is Misleading
In this series of blog posts, we will explore common soil myths related to the foundation repair...
Anchoring Bias Explained: Lessons from Foundation Repair Projects
This is the first of a series of blogs that will detail each of the biases that can cause us to...
Cognitive Biases in Foundation Analysis: Identifying Mental Shortcuts That Hinder Accurate Diagnoses
Cognitive biases in foundation analysis can distort our ability to balance contradictory data, as...
Interviewing Homeowners for Foundation Analysis
Co-written by Bob Brown and David Deatherage, PE One of the best forensic geotechnical engineers I...
Foundation Investigations: Written Recommendations and Specifications
When homeowners or real estate agents call a forensic engineer or a foundation repair company,...
Foundation Repair Analysis: Supportable Conclusions Balancing Data
In our previous discussion, we covered basic patterns in topo elevations and other important data...
Old vs. New: How Structural Age Influences Foundation Inspection and Repair
“How old is the structure?” There's more to this question than meets the eye. At first glance,...
Site Photography In Foundation Inspections Creates a Clearer Picture
Photos have been a part of foundation reports since the beginning. This is because using site...
The Damage Survey Process: What to Look For
When people call in a foundation contractor or engineer, it is typically because they are already...
Considering Floor Elevation in Foundation Analysis
One of the most important factors of foundation analysis is the floor elevation in a structure....
Using Site Topography in Foundation Assessments
In my last blog I discussed how aerial photography helps us better understand site conditions....
Using Aerial Photography in Site Inspections
A critical part of understanding how a foundation may react to collapsible or expansive soil is...
Considering Soil Moisture in Foundation Inspections
In my last blog in this series on the 17 items to include in a foundation inspection I covered...
16 Items to Include in a Foundation Investigation: Soil Conditions
────────────Last updated April 3, 2026.──────────── There are a specific set of items to include...
Methodologies for Objective Foundation Repair Investigations
Because foundation repair investigations often do not offer objective analysis on the severity of...
16 Items to Include in a Foundation Inspection Report (The Secret Sauce Part 3)
────────────Last updated April 3, 2026.──────────── In my previous blog I noted a few things that...
Using My Expertise to Improve the Foundation Repair Industry
Though I’ve officially retired from daily work in foundation repair, I still put time and effort...
Foundation Inspection Details: The Secret Sauce of How Part 2
When evaluating property, it is absolutely critical to have an error free onsite foundation...
The Onsite Foundation Inspection Process: The Secret Sauce of HOW Part 1
Many structural or foundation engineers are uncomfortable having anyone besides themselves examine...
Foundation Engineer vs. Foundation Repair Contractor: Which One to Use
Let’s say you’re a real estate agent or a homeowner who has recently discovered foundation issues....
My Thoughts on the Industry as a Foundation Repair Expert
Using My Knowledge as Foundation Repair Expert After nearly 35 years in the...