CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Fixing a foundation can be an unexpected and unwelcome expense for homeowners. Over time, foundational instability caused by shifting soil and groundwater may even make a home unsafe to live in.
BASEco Foundation & Concrete Solutions specializes in foundation repair, foundation waterproofing and concrete lifting. Headquartered in Murray, the company expanded to St. George in 2016 to provide homeowners with solutions for foundational instability resulting from the area’s complex geological makeup.
“Blue clay is fairly ubiquitous here in St. George,” BASEco president Rock Jefferies said. “That’s a unique challenge for homes being built.”
When blue clay – a type of expansive soil – absorbs water, it swells and causes the foundation of a home to rise. The soil relaxes and lowers again once it dries out. As this process repeats year after year, the foundation becomes compromised due to the ongoing movement.
Another hazard that builders encounter in Washington County is collapsible soil, which erodes away when it’s wet and causes homes to sink. Hurricane and Washington City have an abundance of collapsible soil, Jefferies said.
Jefferies said there are several telltale signs of foundational instability that homeowners should be aware of. Doors and windows that don’t function properly are an early indication of foundation problems. When a home begins to shift significantly, cracks in the corners of doors and windows, nail pops and separations in drywall and zigzag cracks in stucco and brick will appear.
Left unchecked, foundational instability will lead to significant structural damage. Jefferies said he has worked on homes where daylight is visible through the ceiling due to excessive strain on the roof trusses.
BASEco has the answer to both of the soil issues common to Southern Utah: installing micropiles into the rock beneath expansive or collapsible soil. Pinning homes into this solid layer prevents the foundation from moving even as the earth around it shifts.
Along with foundation repair, BASEco offers services for concrete sinkage that can create tripping hazards on sidewalks, patios and driveways. Technicians inject a two-part polyurethane mixture beneath the concrete slab to lift it, avoiding possible future breakage.
For homes with basements built below a high water table, which Jefferies said is another common concern in this area, BASEco can install a perimeter drain with a sump pump to prevent moisture from seeping in.
Jefferies said BASEco makes homeowner comfort a priority throughout each project, regardless of the extent of repairs.
“It may get a little loud at times, but we’ve never had an instance where the homeowner had to move out while we were working on the home,” he added.
Jefferies said he applied BASEco solutions to his own home when he moved to St. George. He purchased a bank-owned property that many buyers had passed up due to extensive foundational issues, and he made it safe for his family to live in.
Jefferies had a career in the mortgage industry prior to the Great Recession. By 2010, he was seeking a stable job after having worked for 12 different companies over the course of a year. The last of those 12 jobs was an estimator position with a foundation repair business. He soon found he enjoyed learning about the industry and helping the company grow.
In 2013, Jefferies set off on his own and launched BASEco.
“I felt like we could do a better job,” he said. “We could offer a better price, better service and additional services as well.”
BASEco repairs are backed by a transferable warranty that gives the home’s future owners peace of mind. Jefferies said the core focus of the company is delivering a service that they can stand behind.
“We want to be conscious of people’s wallets and their needs, instead of trying to sell them more than they need,” he said. “We want to take care of people.”
To schedule a free inspection, call BASEco at 435-275-4090.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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Resources
- BASEco Foundation & Concrete Solutions | Location: 1060 S. Main St. #3, St. George | Telephone: 435-275-4090 | Website.
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