3 Doors Down's Chris Henderson Recommends Ground Up Builders

Choosing the right home maintenance & remodeling professionals

When it comes to foundation repair or remodeling for your home, it’s important to choose Professional Foundation Repair Experts and Remodeling Construction Experts you can trust. Home maintenance & remodeling are two costly but crucial elements of being a homeowner. Ground Up Builders
takes pride in offering our customers the fairest, most affordable
prices around, without sacrificing quality craftsmanship and service. In
fact, we guarantee it.

On time and on budget

Ground Up Builders offers free estimates for all your foundation repair or remodeling needs.

Prior
to beginning your project, we make sure a full design and work schedule
is in place—a schedule that you have approved. The right plan on the
front end can save on time and money later, even though plans can change
as work progresses. We deliver daily progress reports to you,
explaining the work accomplished each day and the plan for the next day.

We love our customers!

With over twenty-five years of professional experience in the construction industry, Ground Up Builders
is able to carefully listen to your home repair needs, help you stay
within your budget, and achieve your ultimate goal. Our customers love
the reliable, personalized attention Ground Up
is able to give them, and we love our customers! We get the opportunity
to meet so many great people. We hope you enjoy watching the video
above to hear what Chris from the band 3 Doors Down has to say about Ground Up Builders.
Nothing speaks louder for a company’s reputation than the testimonies
of their customers. Thanks Chris, we appreciate your kind words!

Get your free estimate today!

At Ground Up Builders we love what we do! We look forward to helping you with all your Middle Tennessee home maintenance and remodeling needs. Give us a call today for a free estimate at 615-326-5790.

Click here to learn more about special offers and updates: http://www.foundationrepairmiddletennessee.com/

Foundation Basics

A proper foundation is essential to building a solid, sturdy home. A good foundation should last forever.  Here are some basic facts about foundations that many of you already know. The science behind modern day engineering is fascinating. With today’s technology, trusted professionals like Ground Up Builders are helping families (re)build their foundations to ensure safe, sound, forever homes. At Ground Up, that’s what we do and who we are.

• The foundation of a building transfers the weight of the building to the ground.  
• Every building has a number of individual foundations called footings. Generally each column of the building will have its own footing.
• The weight of an average house: 50 tons
• The weight of an average foundation: 7 ½ tons
• Percentage of total project cost: 8-15%
• Foundations by material:
• 81% poured
• 16% block
• 3% other
• Foundations by region:
• Northeast 89% full basement
• Midwest 75% full basement
• South 66% slab
• West 63% slab
• Foundation functions:
• Form a building base
• Keep out moisture
• Insulate against cold
• Stabilize building against movements of the surrounding earth
• Factors to consider before pouring a foundation:
• Soil conditions
• Since the weight of the building rests on the soil (or rock), engineers must study the properties of the soil to ensure it can carry the loads imposed by the building.  This is known as safe bearing capacity.
• This capacity changes at different depths of soil. Deeper generally = greater SBC, unless there are pockets of weak soil in the earth.
• It is common for soil near the surface of the earth to be loose and weak.  If a building is rested on this soil, it will sink into the earth like a ship in water.  
• Water tables
• Backfill quality
• The requirements for a block or slab foundation:
• A sturdy footing
• A vapor-proofed, reinforced-concrete pad
• A a bed of compacted, crushed stone to support it

Ground Up Builders: Serving Nashville, Murfreesboro & Middle Tn

• Foundation Repair
• Water Management
• Concrete Services
• Remodeling
• Crawlspace Repair

       

Call Today: 615-326-5790

To learn about special savings and offers from Ground Up Builders, click here: http://www.foundationrepairmiddletennessee.com/

Decorative Concrete 101

Bye-bye basic grey: Decorative Concrete is one of the hottest new trends for patios, floors, entryways, counter tops, pool decks and more. No longer simply a utilitarian medium for construction, concrete has taken on a new life. Today’s home and business owners appreciate the value, versatility, and beauty of concrete. That’s right, we said beauty! Concrete has gone from drab to fab, and is an affordable way to express your unique style throughout your home or office, from the indoors out. Ranging from expansive new homes with elaborate concrete driveways to budgeted one-room remodels showcasing a stunning, stained or overlay concrete floor, the attraction is continuing to grow when it comes to using concrete for decorating.

Ground Up Builders can help you achieve the Decorative Concrete designs you desire. We’ve compiled a list of Decorative Concrete options to help you discover the treatment that’s best for you and your project!

Stamped Concrete  -  for new construction and renovation projects.

Adds texture and color to concrete making it resemble stone, brick, slate, cobblestone and many other products found in nature including wood, fossils, shells and more. Rubber imprinting tools (stamps) are impressed into thin pre-mixed concrete overlay material shortly after it is placed to create natural stone or brick textures. Available in a wide range of colors.

• limitless possibilities
• great durability
• lower cost than natural products

Acid Staining

A chemical reaction involving a mixture of water, mineral salts and a slight amount of muratic acid which creates new earth tone colors on the concrete surface. Due to inconsistencies in the surface level of concrete floor, acid staining creates a variegated or mottled appearance that is unique to each slab. Acid stains generally come in only about eight or so neutral colors.

Water Based Staining

Water based stains are a "coating" that bonds with the concrete, giving an opaque color with a translucent effect. There are many variations of water based stains that have come into the decorative concrete industry. Some are polymer based, acrylic and epoxy.

Concrete Dyes

Offer a limitless palette for residential and commercial concrete applications. Dyes are nonreactive and impart color by penetrating concrete or other porous cementitious surfaces They may be used on such projects as sound/retaining walls, bridges, countertops, floors, and many more. Dyes provide more vibrant colors such as yellow, blue, and purple, and are often used in conjunction with acid stains to produce a variegated look and, in most cases, complement the already stained floor. With dyes, almost any color is achievable. It's a great enhancement for stain giving you a wider range and vibrancy of color, and introducing color layering.

Overlaying

Useful on new and existing (sound) concrete applications, indoors and out. Although cement-based overlays have been around for decades, many of today's systems blend polymer resins with cement, sand, and other additives to improve performance, wear resistance, and aesthetic qualities. Polymer-modified overlays can be applied in layers as thin as a credit card or up to several inches thick without delamination or failure. They adhere well to existing concrete and resist damage from salt, chemicals, UV exposure, freeze-thaw conditions, and abrasion. Many of today's decorative overlays use acrylics or acrylic blends because these resins provide excellent bond strength and UV resistance.

Polishing

Concrete can be polished with Mechanical grinders and diamond pads of increasing grit sizes. Diamond pads come in many grit or mesh sizes. Common sizes start with 6 grit and can go up to 8500 grit although concrete can only maintain a shine of about 800 grit, it can be helped by adding a concrete hardener such as sodium silicate or lithium silicate which will allow concrete to hold a 1800 through 3000 grit shine. The work is accomplished in multiple stages by passing over the concrete with successive grit diamond pads until it has a hard-glassy finish. Both acid stains and concrete dyes can be used during the polishing process.

Engraving

Existing concrete can be remodeled by cutting lines and grooves into its surface. Geometric patterns, straight or curved lines and custom designs can be cut directly into the surface of the concrete creating the look of tile, flagstone, cobblestone and many other common surface patterns. This is usually achieved using tools like an angle grinder fitted with diamond blades, but is more effectively accomplished using specialty tools designed specifically for cutting designs into the concrete.

Form Liner

Concrete can be cast into unique and detailed designs using a urethane form liner, which acts as a mold. Once the concrete is set, the form liner is stripped from the hardened concrete surface. The concrete is permanently textured with the pattern of the form liner. These are often seen on sound/retaining walls, building exteriors, and bridges.

Ground Up Builders can help you achieve your Decorative Concrete dreams! Give us a call today for a free estimate at 615-326-5790.

Click here to learn more about special offers and updates: http://www.foundationrepairmiddletennessee.com/

Proudly serving Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Middle Tennessee

   

Protect Your Family & Property from Mold

It’s finally spring again, and that means everything is beginning to take bloom. Spring is also a great time to inspect our basements for tell-tale signs of the things we don’t want in bloom: mold and mildew. As much as we may dread it, recognizing and managing moisture and mold problems is definitely an example of an “ounce of prevention” being “worth a pound of cure”.

Mold is often visible in the form of blotchy stains on different surfaces. In other cases, you can’t see mold but you know there’s a problem due to the fowl, stale smell of the air. It’s wise to be concerned about mold. Not only damaging to possessions and building materials, mold can pose critical health hazards, especially to those with respiratory issues like COPD, asthma, and allergies.

Much of the air that you breathe in other areas of the home comes from the basement. That means the mold infecting the air in your basement can infect the air throughout the rest of your home. To prevent this serious health issue, contact the basement waterproofing experts at Ground Up Builders today. We can provide fast, long lasting solutions to take care of all your mold and mildew problems.

To solve a mold problem, it helps to have a basic understanding of how mold can take hold in your home. Mold hates sunlight and dry environments. It thrives in dark, damp environments where organic materials are present. Basements and crawl spaces can make excellent mold habitats. Dust mites love the same conditions. Although these tiny pests don’t destroy materials like mold does, their microscopic feces pose a health hazard, just like mold spores.

Many Tennessee homeowners struggle to maintain healthy and dry basements. If you have ever had to deal with a wet basement, then you know how many problems it can cause, and how difficult it can be to control. Fortunately, the water management team at Ground Up Builders  can provide you with fast, effective mold and mildew solutions for your basement or crawlspace. Act fast to protect your family and property before things get any worse. We promise to deliver dependable, quality service, from our family to yours. Call 615-326-5790 today, or take advantage of our online specials by clicking here. And don’t forget, estimates are always free!

Why Do Houses Settle?

By far, the most common reason for a house settling is improperly backfilled soil. If you've ever done some work in a garden (which I have not), you've probably noticed that even after compacting the new layer of soil, you leave footprints behind. This is much the same with a house. If a builder excavates too much soil for a basement or crawlspace and must backfill it, the process requires more attention than if the basement had been dug to the correct depth.

That's because the soil  has been disturbed. The work of centuries of compression that created naturally compacted soil, which can provide a stable place to build a house, has been undone. To recreate a suitable base, the excavated and replaced soil has to be tamped down. If it's not compacted enough again, then the house built on top of the soil will settle. Bad news for home owners. 

The type of soil a house is built upon also can also play a role in accelerating its settlement. Clay soil is subject to changes in expansion and contraction based on the amount of water found in it at any given time. Clay expands when saturated. This causes upheaval -- the opposite of settling -- a process that produces the same problematic results for the homeowner. When the clay dries, it contracts and sinks, causing settling.

Water is the enemy of your home's foundation in other ways. Tree roots that grow close to a house's foundation can create cracks by searching for water beneath it. The roots disrupt the soil compaction, leading to settlement. Tree roots also invite rainwater under the house, which can further disrupt the integrity of the soil.

If you suspect that your house is settling or you have foundation damage, call Ground Up Builders immediately at 615-326-5790.

Visit us HERE to sign up for special offers and discounts!

Winter Foundation Problems

We thought we were close to Spring here in Middle Tennessee... and boy were we wrong! Wintertime presents a whole new set of threats to your home’s foundation, with 2 of the biggest hazards being frost heaving and freezing pipes.

How does frost heaving lead to foundation damage? Well, first you have to know how frost heaving happens. It occurs when top-level soils freeze and thaw, creating upward suction that draws in more water – which then freezes and thaws even more. Over time, this frost cycle results in uneven pressure, creating shifts and cracks beneath your home’s foundation.

Silty terrain and soil with high water capacities are particularly problematic since they do a poor job of draining the area around your property.  By contrast, grainier soils (sand, gravel, etc.) are less prone to frost heave since they’re more porous.

How does pipe freezing damage your foundation? Your home’s foundation is built to last and in most cases, normal freezing isn’t a major problem. Your foundation may display concrete flaking or even cracking but these are relatively rare. Far more common and destructive is pipe freezing. As ice within the pipes expands, this can lead to bursting, causing permanent water damage to your home’s foundation.

The problem is most common in areas where:

• Pipes are directly exposed to outside temperatures (i.e. external sinks and washrooms)
• Pipes are indirectly exposed to outside temperatures (i.e. unprotected crawlspaces under your home)
• Exterior faucets are not properly turned off during the wintertime
• Once you understand their causes, addressing these two common threats becomes much easier.

Tips for Preventing Frost Heave - Although you can’t prevent seasonal frosting, you can protect your home’s foundation by implementing better water drainage management. Popular solutions include:

• Replacing surrounding soil with more porous alternatives
• Digging top-level and subterranean reservoirs to redirect water away from your home’s foundation
• Insulating your home’s foundation to retard geothermal heat loss and reduce frosting before it occurs

Preventing Pipe Freezing - Protecting your foundation from pipe freezing is arguably easier since you know, in advance, where potential problems exist.  Below are some of the most common preventative steps you can take:

• Shut off all exposed water pipes during the wintertime when you’re not using them
• Seal any leaks around pipes that enter your home to prevent cold air from seeping in
• Insulate pipes in crawl spaces, attics, and outer walls
• Make sure your home’s core temperature doesn’t fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit – even when you’re not around

The above steps are preventative measures that can dramatically reduce the risk of home foundation failures.  But even with these precautions, it’s not always possible to reduce the risk 100%. If your foundation does become unstable, contact Ground Up Builders in Nashville where foundation is our specialty! 615-326-5790.

New Home Owner Tips

So you finally did it. You bought your first home! Congratulations! It is both and exciting and overwhelming time for you as a first-time homeowner! It's a great time to be a homeowner in Middle Tennessee! Ground Up Builders wants to give you a few tips to ensure you're properly prepared for being a homeowner!

Read your home-inspection report!
1. Pull out your home-inspection report and reread it. Use the report as a handy maintenance checklist. Most inspections take place during a stressful time. Be proactive. Take care of issues as soon as or before they arise.

Know your enemy
2. Did you know that water is about 90% of a homeowner's problems? Your homes basement, foundation and roof are the most susceptible to costly water damage and corrosion.

Inspect your bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens regularly for water leaks. Be sure to caulk around doors and windows to prevent water from seeping into your walls. Outside, keep water routed at least 5 feet from the foundation.

Maintaining your homes gutter system is a major line of defense against water damage. Leaves, dust and dirt from shingles can result in a clog that forces water out and down into the foundation.

Don’t overlook your roof!
3.Roofs should be on the maintenance checklist. If your roof is more than 12 years old, get it professionally inspected!

Take charge of circuits
4.Map out your homes electrical system by determining which outlets serve which circuits and then labeling the breakers. A tripped circuit is a red flag for an overloaded breaker. Update electrical wiring in homes 10 years or older. Make sure GFCI outlets (ground fault circuit interrupters) are installed near all sinks, in the laundry room and garage, and on exterior outlets. This inexpensive fix (best to hire an electrician) helps prevent electrocutions and fires.

Know your shut-offs
5. The main electrical shut-off should be a switch either at the main breaker panel or outside near a service entrance.
The water shut-off valve will be on a wall of the house facing the street. These areas need to be easily accessible.

Inspect for leaks
6. Inspect all plumbing and fixtures. Make sure the shut-off valves on toilets and sinks turn easily and are not rusted shut. If they are corroded, replace them.
If the faucet is leaking, then it needs a washer. If your toilet is running all of the time, a flapper valve needs replacing. Have slow drains looked at immediately to prevent costly backups.

Consider warranties
7. Warranties can be tricky. Sometimes a warranty can cost as much as a replacement/repair. Do your research.

Buy and update your homeowners insurance
8. Get replacement coverage to cover property damage. Make sure your policy outlines exactly what will be covered in case of a catastrophe. Video and/or photograph all valuables. Keep a list of serial numbers and write down dates of purchases for possible reimbursement proof.

Buy a flood policy
9. Get flood insurance even if your home isn't near a flood zone. Remember the flood of 2010?

Do your homework
10. Compare property taxes with similar homes' taxes in your neighborhood. If all things are equal such as square footage and upgrades, protest your rate increase with the assessor's office.

Call Ground Up Builders today if you even think there is a structural/foundation problem on your property! 615-326-5790. Don't forget to Like us on Facebook!

Signs of Sinkholes

As with all home repairs, spotting a problem early on will save you money down the road. If you think you might have a sinkhole problem, call Ground Up Builders immediately!

The most common signs of sinkholes:

1. Cracks in interior joint areas, windows or doors
2. Cracks in your exterior block or stucco
3. Windows and doors become harder to close properly
4. Depressions in your yard or the street or other yards near you
5. Deep cracks and separation of paved concrete walks and drives
6. Circular patches of wilting plants
7. Sediment in your water
8. Neighbors have had or confirmed possible sinkhole activity
9. Observation of an actual cavity beginning to open

Sinkholes can not only be damaging; they can be dangerous! Call Ground Up Builders today for your free estimate at 615-326-5790.We service all of Nashville, Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee. 

Warning Signs

Are you worried about the foundation of your house? Wondering if your concrete is stressed?

Bulging floors, cracked walls, and doors that won't close are all signs of foundation distress. A whopping 60% of all homes built on expansive soils suffer from foundation distress. If you see any of these symptoms, call Ground Up Builders immediately for an estimate!

The problem occurs when only part of the foundation heaves or settles, causing cracks and other damage. This differential movement is largely caused by differences in soil moisture. Loss or gain of soil moisture can cause serious shrinkage or swelling.

Cracks occur at each side of a portion of the foundation wall that is undergoing downward movement caused by soil bearing failure. Settlement cracks are nearly always vertical, and they should not be confused with cracks that occur when a wall is subjected to lateral movement from soil pressure.

Exterior Warning Signs

Wall Rotation

Separation around garage door, windows and/or walls

Cracked bricks

Broken and/or cracked foundation

Displaced Moldings

Interior Warning Signs

Misaligned Doors and Windows

Cracked sheetrock

Cracks in Floor

Knowing the early warning signs of foundation troubles can head off problems that ultimately could cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix. The sooner you identify potential problems, the easier (and not to mention less expensive) it is to fix them. Ground Up Builders are the foundation repair experts in Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Middle Tennessee. Give us a call today for a free estimate at 615-326-5790.

Be sure to click HERE for our specials and discounts!