Underpinning & Foundation Repair Specialists

Adept are house underpinning and foundation repair specialists operating in Sydney and the Central Coast. As foundation repair contractors, we are experts in underpinning foundations that have caused structural damage to buildings.

With 40 years’ experience in the building and construction industry, licensed to perform structural foundation repairs, we have built a solid reputation for our hard work and dedication to our customers.

  • Concrete underpinning can be used for supporting existing concrete footings /brick footings / slabs for internal and external walls
  • NOTE - Brick piers and concrete pads are NOT underpinning piers they only support timber walls and floors
  • Continuous underpinning is normally used for sandstone footing or heritage buildings
  • Hit and miss underpinning is used for full brick buildings with brick footings or inadequate existing concrete footings
  • We also use brick underpinning if and as required
  • Be aware all underpinning piers are not of a standard size
  • Adept lay new reinforced concrete strip footings for home extensions, walls etc

What is Underpinning?

In construction or renovation, underpinning is the process of strengthening the foundation of an existing building or other structure. Underpinning may be necessary for a variety of reasons; The original foundation have failed causing the foundations to become unstable or the existing structure has changed, for example; second floor addition or sub floor extension. Concrete is used in the strengthening process.

Why do foundations fail?

The movement of earth beneath foundations is usually caused by settlement or expanding and contracting clay. When dry conditions prevail the earth consistently loses moisture and shrinks. When moisture levels are high the earth soils swells. Read Adept's drainage solutions

What are the causes of subsidence?

One of the main reasons for underpinning foundations is subsidence, which can be caused by a number of different factors: damaged and leaking drains, poor drainage or even no drainage, traffic vibrations, ineffective ground preparation prior to laying the foundations, nearby groundwork or constructions, inadequate foundations, natural compaction of the soil, sinkholes and underground mining. Read Adept's drainage solutions

Why do you need foundation repairs?

Investing in a professional foundation repair is a commitment, but it’s essential to the integrity of the building and resale value. External indications that subsidence is becoming a problem include cracked brickwork, gaps between the brickwork and the window edges, cracked brick piers, gaps in the joins or mitre joints of structural arches, as well as balconies. Internally, you might see cracks in the Gyprock, sloping floors, cracked cornices, jammed doors and windows, cracked floor and walls tiles, and even cracked slabs.

Why do we focus on concrete underpinning?

Over the past 30 or so years, we have found that using concrete gives the best foundation repairs for our customers. This is a time proven method that has been around for more than 100 years and still being used today when building a new home -  the old methods are still the best methods!

IMPORTANT NOTE - Chemical Injections were never designed for underpinning, they were designed for temporary slab support only. There is NO substitute for concrete which is the ONLY way to guarantee your issues are resolved permanently the first time. Read Pro's and Con's

Example of failed resin injection procedure - correspondence with a client:  I have subsidence in my foundations around where old clay pipes have been removed. I previously had resin injections completed but it has not addressed the issue and now the roof frame is damaged. I would like to obtain a more permanent solution.

Concrete underpinning involves increasing the depth of your foundations down to the point where the soil is structurally sound, helping to improve the integrity of your foundations. Essentially, we create new foundations for your building. It’s the safest and most dependable method for foundation repairs and is the strategy we use for all our foundation repairs.

Steel screw piling

Steel Screw piles are not often used but in some circumstances they can be beneficial as long as attention to detail and correct procedure is followed.

We service a vast area between the Central Coast and Sydney, including:

Underpinning

Before Underpinning

After Underpinning

Brick Underpinning

Drill Rig

Screw Piles