How the PierTech Footer System Speeds Up Construction

Home construction projects often have a reputation for taking longer (and costing more) than originally anticipated. This becomes especially pronounced when the project is a significant undertaking, such as foundation work. With the PierTech footer system, however, new construction installs, as well as foundation repair work, can be done significantly faster than the traditional wood and concrete system.

4 Reasons the PierTech Helical Footer System Is Faster

Material Issues

In a traditional foundation install or repair system, concrete and pressure-treated wood are used. Both these materials pose several speed-related issues for your install:

• Concrete must cure. You’ll typically have to wait at least twenty-four hours for this process to finish and for construction to begin again.
• Once it’s poured, concrete cannot be removed without significant expense and time. If there are issues with the project that require slight shifts or adjustments, it would be highly costly and time consuming to remove the concrete and pour again.
• If improperly installed, concrete can crack, and if that happens, it will need to be replaced soon after installation. Undertaking a new (and avoidable) repair process can cost you a considerable amount of time. (Note, the warranty for concrete work is often not guaranteed, meaning this can be costly in terms of both time and money.)
• Concrete is susceptible to frost heave and other weather-related issues. This shortens its life-span and increases the likelihood you’ll have to undertake time-consuming repairs or even a foundation replacement down the line.
• Concrete piers cannot be installed as deep as helicals, and you also can’t verify if they’re installed to specific load ratings. These factors can lead to eventual problems that cause time-consuming repairs.
• Pressure-treated wood can eventually rot, with several factors speeding that process up. (This includes exposing the wood to excessive amounts of rain and placing the pressure-treated wood in the concrete itself, where it can soak up moisture from both the ground and concrete.)

The PierTech system uses all steel components, so you never have to worry about rotting or any other form of material degradation. The PierTech system is a permanent solution to foundation problems, preventing further settling and raising the home to the proper height. Because you only have to do this once, it saves you a significant amount of time over the life of the home.

Foundation Installation Process

With a wood and concrete system, several pieces of heavy machinery are often required to perform the full excavation. This process can take several days—and more if unexpected weather delays occur since this kind of digging becomes difficult to impossible in freezing temperatures.

With the PierTech system, one piece of machinery can typically do the drill work in a single day. The work can also be done in any weather conditions, so you don’t have to worry about delays due to rain or even extreme cold. The installer simply drills, puts the PierTech pole in, and moves on to the next hole.

Post-Installation Cleanup

In addition to saving you time during the actual installation process, the PierTech system also saves you time and hassle after the fact. With traditional wood and concrete foundation installs, homeowners must dedicate lots of time to cleaning up the mess created during any foundation work.  (This is work homeowners either have to undertake themselves or pay workers to handle.) This work includes repairing any landscaping, garden features, or yards damaged in the digging process. It also involves clearing out the massive piles of dirt and rock created during excavation. There’s also the possibility of concrete spillage, which creates a messy jobsite that must be cleaned afterward.

Time (and Money) Savings

When talking about the speed of any construction project, it’s important to remember it’s not just about time. Construction projects are undoubtedly disruptive to people’s lives. It’s desirable for them to be completed as quickly as possible so homeowners and their families can get back to enjoying their homes. However, time is also money. If a construction project can be completed in a timelier manner, that often directly equates to paying less in labor costs.

With traditional wood and concrete foundation installs, it can take days to dig the foundation out. You have to wait for the concrete to cure (at least twenty-four hours). And, if you come up against bad weather, you face lengthy and expensive delays. You’re also paying for the time required to clean up the piles of rock and dirt created in the excavation process, as well as any repairs that need to be done to landscaping, gardens, or yards damaged in the installation process.

There’s also machinery costs to consider. With the traditional foundation system, you’re often required to pay for multiple pieces of machinery for several days; with PierTech, a single Bobcat or skid steer can typically drill all the required holes in a single day.

For all these reasons, PierTech routinely saves homeowners significant time—and money.

Conclusion

Nobody likes a home construction project that drags on. Especially when you’re paying an installation team to do the work, you want a project that’s as efficient as possible.

If you have foundation work that needs to be done—repairs or a new install—know this process doesn’t need to last days on end. With newer technology, such as the PierTech system, your foundation work can be done in significantly less time (and for less money) than traditional systems.

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