HGS Engineering

HGS Engineering Established in January 2020, HGS Engineering has been serving home owners and home buyers who need an unbiased opinion on the foundation of their homes.

Corner pops. They show up in almost every home inspection. Why are they so common and what causes them? Corner pops are ...
06/21/2022

Corner pops. They show up in almost every home inspection. Why are they so common and what causes them?

Corner pops are not caused by differential foundation movement, but rather thermal expansion. It occurs at the corner of the foundation and is extremely common on slab homes in North Texas with brick veneer. Occasionally, you will also see a vertical crack running straight up the brick wall form this corner of the foundation. When it gets hot outside and the materials expand, there must be a break point to relieve the pressure, and this triangular unreinforced corner is a weak point to break off. It is fairly important to patch these to maintain cover over the reinforcing steel, and does become a regular home maintenance item.

The key to foundation maintenance is moisture control. Everyone hears how expansive our clay soil is and how it shrinks ...
06/02/2022

The key to foundation maintenance is moisture control. Everyone hears how expansive our clay soil is and how it shrinks and swells, but not everyone realizes this is due to moisture changes. Most also know that watering is good, like having a drip line, but excessive moisture is bad news as well. You want to keep the moisture content consistent. Prevent water from ponding due to poor drainage, but also water during drought periods and keep trees and shrubs at a minimum close to your home. Roots play a huge role in removing moisture from under a home, resulting in downward settlement. If you want more specifics regarding your home feel free to message me!

HOMEOWNER TIP! - Let’s talk about patching post tension cables. I put this in almost every report for homes built in the...
05/18/2022

HOMEOWNER TIP! - Let’s talk about patching post tension cables. I put this in almost every report for homes built in the last 40 years. If you don’t know what these are, they are cables placed within the foundation. After the slab is poured they are tensioned to give it strength. After the tensioning process, the ends are cut off and patched. Because there is not much concrete cover over the steel water gets to them, they rust, and in turn the concrete loses its bond with the steel and spalls off (first picture). This becomes a regular home maintenance item and it is important to take care of. I have seen these cables rust far enough back into the slab to break the cables. Most of the time, people use a cement patch product to cover these. The problem with that is that it still does not have sufficient cover over the steel to prevent rusting, and that patch will once again lose its bond and spall off. I prefer recommending an epoxy. (Second picture) This is still cheap at your local hardware store, and while it may not blend in as well with the concrete, it will actually protect that steel from rusting and last much longer.

05/13/2022

What types of inspections does HGS Engineering provide?

Types of Inspections:

-Foundation Inspections: For homeowners or prospective buyers to find out if their homes need foundation repair. A full report is provided with any recommendations, floor elevations, and useful foundation maintenance tips.

-Manufactured Home Certifications: This is required when buying a mobile home under most circumstances to verify that the foundation meets HUD 7584, Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing.

-Appraiser Requirements: So, you're about to close and the appraiser comes back with requiring an engineer.... We get out to homes quickly and can work with everyone to get exactly what's needed to close!

05/11/2022

When looking into getting your foundation checked, you may have questions like why pay for an engineer?

Because nothing is free. A foundation repair contractor is not only unlikely to send out an engineer, but also be biased towards recommending repairs. Performing unnecessary foundation repairs can be mean bad news for otherwise well-performing homes.

05/10/2022

As a North Texas native, I know how bad our soil is for home foundations. I began working in foundation repair for a family business as early as 10 years old and continued to do so for a decade, getting important hands-on experience that many engineers will never get. I received my degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and I also acquired my home inspection license while going to school. Performing home inspections for four years was a great introduction into the real estate market and learning what is needed by clients and realtors. I went on to work in the design and construction of highways and bridges. Once I attained my PE license, I started my own firm with a passion to provide better and more honest engineering services than I had seen available to homeowners and prospective buyers.
Helping you or your clients to make informed decisions with their biggest investment!

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Ruidoso Court
Arlington, TX
76017

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