When your home’s foundation starts showing signs of trouble like cracks in walls, sticking doors, or uneven floors, it can be hard to know which solution is right for you and your home. The pier system you choose for repairs makes all the difference. In Texas, where expansive clay soils shift with every moisturize change, your foundation needs support that can withstand constant movement.
Let’s compare the two most common foundation repair options and reveal which one provides lasting stability for your Texas home.
Concrete Piers: A Traditional Approach with Built-In Limitations
For decades, concrete piers were the standard for foundation repair. These piers are placed just a few feet below your foundation, typically within the active soil zone.
While concrete piers often cost less upfront, they come with significant drawbacks. Because they remain in the same soil layer that expands and contracts with moisture changes, they’re vulnerable to the same movement affecting your foundation. Over time, this can lead to more settlement, bringing back the same problems you paid to fix.
- Pros:
- Lower initial investment
- Widely available option
- Cons:
- Limited depth, stays within unstable soil
- Shorter lifespan means potential for repeated repairs’
- Vulnerable to ongoing soil movement
Steel Piers: Engineered for Long-Term Stability
Steel piers are designed to provide lasting strength and stability. Rather than stopping just below the surface, they’re hydraulically driven deep into the ground until they reach stable, load bearing strata or bedrock. This is far below the active soil zone where moisture causes movement.
This deeper anchoring means steel piers provide genuine long-term stability, even in areas with highly expansive clay soils like throughout Texas. While the upfront investment is higher, steel piers protect your home’s value and eliminate the risk of repeat foundation problems.
- Pros:
- Reaches load bearing strata or bedrock for permanent support
- Engineered to handle heavy structural loads
- Lifetime transferable warranty
- Eliminate recurring settlement issues
- Cons:
- Higher initial investment (but lower total cost over time)
Why Baird Foundation Repair Recommends Steel Piers
We’ve spent years working with Texas’s challenging soil conditions, and we know what delivers lasting results. Our steel pier systems are specifically engineered to provide permanent stability in expansive clay soils. They’re backed by our lifetime transferable warranty and installed by experienced crews committed to doing the job right the first time.
The Bottom Line
Concrete piers settle for less. Steel piers reach solid ground. That’s the difference between a temporary fix and permanent stability.
When you’re investing in your home’s foundation, choose the solution that solves the problem permanently.
Ready to Protect Your Home?
Our experienced team will thoroughly assess your home’s foundation, explain your options clearly, and recommend the best solution for lasting stability with no pressure and no obligation.
