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It does sound as though the piers weren't sunk properly and leaving off a pier from the original plan probably exacerbated the situation.
My 25 year old home is just beginning to settle at one corner and will probably need a pier or two and I'm going to do my homework before I decide on who's doing the work. You can bet your bottom dollar I'm going to make sure they dig deep enough.
And not having one underneath the chimney? I could be wrong, but I'm picturing it as a brick chimney, given the sagging (!) brick wall elsewhere in the house. That's a lot of weight coming straight down.. very difficult to deflect that weight onto another pier properly.
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I had both Olshan and a company called RamJack look at a small house I owned years ago. The area was built on landfill and as a result a lot of the area was settling. I had a midline crack and corner settling as described by the complainant.
Olshan said I needed 6 piers (for a 900 square foot house!) driven down 90 feet because of the landfill. I don't remember the cost, but it was approaching a large percentage of the purchase price of the home.
RamJack, on the other hand, told me I didn't need a foundation repair, that the problem was uneven hydration of the surrounding soil, a problem common in landfill builds. He told me to put soaker hoses down around the perimeter of the house and run them for one hour once a week if there hadn't been any substantial rain. I did this, and within a month, all of the cracks had closed, the corners rose back to where they belonged, and that was the end of the problem!
I ended up digging a 1 foot deep trench around the house and burying the soaker hoses in rock so they could be more easily replaced every couple of years (they lime up and lose porosity). I sold the house six years later, and not only did the foundation pass inspection, the inspector even made special mention in his report of the \"hydration system\" and how it was protecting the foundation!
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I sympathize with Charles, and it's inexcusable that Olshan just ignores him. On the other hand, if the foundation was so poorly done (not backfilled..poor drainage, incorrect water ratio in the concrete, incorrect curing time, etc. etc.), it may be the case that no amount of diddling is going to fix it.
I'm not an expert in pouring foundations, but I'm pretty sure if the original builder or foundation company screwed it up originally, it'll probably never be perfect.
What exactly is Olshan giving a 100% warranty on? Is it on their work (which might be realistic), or are they guaranteeing they can fix any foundation, no matter how screwed up?
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It's well past time to get a lawyer.
Olshan did a lot of \"fixing\" when re-leveling my home. They lifted too high and broke windows, huge cracks, pulled the counters away from the walls, raised the baseboards 1/2\" off the floor, and broke plumbing in the MIDDLE of my house, of course under the foundation. Now they say they are not liable and will not fix it, so we are trying the BBB route and the lawyer next...Olshan sure did \"Fix it and forget it!\"
Finding this article made my heart skip a beat. I had some work done on my foundation a few years back -- a stipulation to being able to get refinanced. I spent an exorbitant amount of money with Olshan because they offered a lifetime warranty on their work. I have since discovered that what they are really selling is a false sense of security.
I noticed a one foot crack about seven feet away from the first hole they dug in my basement immediately after the work was done and I reported it to them as soon as I saw it. They told me that sometimes happens and that it would likely not move but to let them know if it did. It's five years later and not only has that crack worked it's way all the way up to the ceiling, but my house continues to shift in incredibly disturbing ways. I can even hear it at times.
I called Olshan about six months ago to let them know that I was becoming concerned about the major shifting taking place and that I wanted them to come out and take a look at it to assess the damages and repair them utilizing my lifetime warranty. They came out and looked at it, called me back, and told me that the damages were not covered under my lifetime warranty because the shifting has extended more than six feet from the house, which is not covered by the warranty. What they offered me was a \"discount\" to have the repairs done - a little more than half of what I originally paid. I gave them a prompt \"NO!\"
The shifting they are talking about is the front stoop or stairs, which are cemented to the front of the house, directly above the location where the crack developed that I originally reported to them. Furthermore, because the stoop has been affected, it is affecting everything around the stoop, which includes the masonary work attached to (and now detaching from) the front of my house. This is causing the hand rail on my front porch to detach. My steps leading up to the house are leaning inward, as if they are sinking into the ground. The masonary work that surrounds the steps is coming loose as well. Cracks are developing inside of my house -- all in the same area.
When I asked how they could not claim liability for this shifting, their office assistant's response was \"We cannot predict future shifting in your foundation.\"
I then responded, \"But you had to have known when you made your initial assessment of the damage and need for repair how those repairs would/could affect the rest of the house and you should have advised me of that at that time BEFORE the work was done. If I had known that what you were about to do to my house would have created this much additional shifting I would have never agreed to have the work done.\"
What started out as one three foot crack in my basement has turned into my entire house being damaged. I am now considering selling my house and I am afraid that not only will I suffer a great financial loss but that I won't be able to sell the house at all.
I sat in my house this weekend, listening to crackling noises so loud that it startled my cat and I wanted to cry. I decided at that point that the time had come to contact my attorney to file a civil suit. I called Olshan today for one last plea for them to do the right thing and fix the problems they have created. I have an appointment for \"Darren,\" General Manager of their Missouri office to come back out in two days.
If they don't agree to repair the damages to my satisfaction, I will go on a crusade that will begin with me contacting my attorney, followed by the Better Business Bureau and any other consumer-interest group that is willing to listen to me until I get action or compensation to have the repairs done.
When I first called about the three foot crack five years ago, every other company offered to fix the crack for half of what Olshan charged. Olshan was the only company that said that the crack was due to a shift in my foundation, saying that they would need to jack it up to level it out and that the work came with a lifetime warranty. I believed in them and I believed that they knew what they were talking about. Now, I feel like I should have just had the crack filled. I feel like my house has been permanently ruined and that I paid a lot of money for nothing but a LIFETIME headache. I sure hope they prove me wrong.
My problems began in Oct. '06. I paid over $10,000 for repair of my foundation that is mixed pier/beam and concrete. The first fella said they could not guarantee any repair until a drainage problem was alleviated. I installed a French drain system which that same man approved, and the initial work was done.
During the repairs he tried to charge me for 8 more piers at more than $100 a pop. I stood my ground and waved the contract under his nose. He placed the piers.
We immediately noticed problems along the area where the original pier and beam foundation met the newer concrete addition. The Olshan rep informed me that they only made repairs to the concrete slab--that there was never any intent to repair the pier and beam portion. \"Why would you take all the measurements and make comments of needed repairs to the pier/beam section if you didn't plan to repair it?\" I asked. Is it not the company's purpose to repair foundations--I would assume ALL foundations?
We griped and complained and contacted the Better Business Bureau. Steve Meyer(sp) came out, agreed the initial repair team had done an \"inadequate\" job, and told me he would contact \"Management\" to initiate proper repairs. We have not heard from anyone at Olshan since then.
Any clues from out there as to how we can get this awful company to help us out here? One corner of my house is literally without support. One of the water lines in the bathroom next to this area doesn't work. It appears to have been pinched off when the follow-up \"repairs\" were made after my first coplaint. There are bowed floors one could use for skiing. Outside light is visible through one of the ceilings.
Who can I talk to who will talk to Olshan in a way that will make ME one of their few \"satisfied\" customers?
First of all, I would like to THANK consumerist.com for keeping this article live on the internet.
We had Olshan's do some foundation work to our home in 2003. We did our homework. We checked with the BBB, called references, and even searched online for more information about this company before choosing them. Everything checked out positive(but after reading the update to this article, I now understand how that was possible).
Unfortunately, we are dealing with the same thing Charles was before this article came to Olshan's attention. I would really like to know how many more people have complaints that got hushed in the same manner that was requested of Charles. We as consumers NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS!
It is now six years later and we STILL have cracks and problems due to the problem with our foundation not being properly addressed the first time! After estimates from structural engineers of the damage to our home after Olshan's did their initial \"work\" to our house, the estimates for repairs are now nearly five times that of the estimates we had from foundation repair companies back in 2003 before Olshan's did their \"work\" on our house.
This isn't a matter of them not coming out and \"fixing\" or making the adjustments, it is a matter of their competence in the work as a whole, and their responsibility as professionals(?) not to damage the rest of the house in the process.
We are scared to have this company send their employees back to our home to continue making adjustments, because after all the times they have been here, and all that they have done, they have YET to prove that they know what they are doing!
I feel that I should also mention that every time they sent guys out to the house to make adjustments, it was NEVER the same crew! There was never the same person over seeing the work that was done each time. Which leads me to believe that they have a very high turn over as far as employees go(that doesn't look good for such a \"credible\" company).
From our personal experience with Olshan's, we wouldn't recommend them to anyone!
Olshans cable lock piers \" sway side ways\" after they jack up the foundation,then foundation drops side ways. resolt original cracks are even wider There guarantee is fraudulent,they use illegal immigrant labor that don't understand english, beware of this company and there high pressure ads.
Don't Start me on Olsham. They \"repaired\" my home in 2000. We chose to remodel the interior of the home - all new sheetrock, insulation, etc. To this day I do not have sheetrock around my front door due to the fact that we have to re adjust the front door every several months just to be able to lock it. Olshan has been called out NUMEROUS times each time I have kicked them out of my home because they come up with some type of excuse. They tell me my house is \"heaving\" and that is not covered. How can my home \"heave\" it is basically on Pier and Beam since they put in their \"cable Lock System. Now they are telling me that it is sinking and they will get back with me. Each time we meet with a different person because the other person is no longer with them. Guess they get tired of getting yelled at by customers. Please keep this going - We are close to seeking an attorney to get my home repaired. Sx5mustang in San Antonio Texas
We also live in San Antonio. and are having the same type of problems. This will be the forth time they have lifted my house and the second time they have to go through my living room floor. We are also thinking of legal advise. Once they told us that all we needed were gutters on the house. To me this meant that they scamed us out of 20,000 dollars and did work that didn't need to be done. Now you can see daylight through one of the cracks in my living room.
I would like to know where the property is located. If you drive through Irving you will find out that they cannot even keep a street leval. The joke has been to save your money on foundation repairs and just switch house numbers with your neighbors. All of north Texas suffers from foundation. Where is the line that \"might\" insure a person from damage???? Does anyone really know???
I have a similar issue with piers installed by Olshan. The piers were installed 4.5 years ago and I purchased the home in 2007 so the warranty was transferred to me. I called them two months ago for warranty service because I noticed some cracks in my walls and ceiling. It's now been 2 months since they sent the original surveyor out to determine which piers needed to be adjusted. I was informed then that I would be called to schedule a time for the service crew to come out and make the needed adjustments.
After a couple of weeks with no word from them, I called and was told that they were running behind on warranty work and that they were trying to get a crew together for just that purpose. I was also informed that they would call again to schedule the work. I notified them at that time that my ceiling was starting to sag in the kitchen area and that my upper cabinets were separating from the ceiling. I was again informed that they would contact me when they were ready to schedule it.
Finally, I called again and was informed that they would be coming out on October 23 (tomorrow). Since August, I've noticed a variety of problems. Rooms in my home that did not have cracks previously now have HUGE cracks. The ceiling is separating from the walls in a few spots. The ceiling in my kitchen has continued to sag and is now worse than it was in the beginning. One room in my house has a horizontal crack in the middle of the wall AROUND THE ENTIRE ROOM! Now I not only need to repair all of the cracks, but I need to have someone out to fix the ceiling (dangerous!!!), and I need to repaint pretty much every room in my house because the leftover paint I have is old now and I can't use it. The paint alone is going to cost me at least $200.
That said, I asked Olshan to fax me the warranty information. They faxed only the certificate. I asked them to fax the actual warranty documentation and explained that there is significant damage to my home due to the length of time it has taken for them to make the adjustments. They faxed the original contract and stated that it relieves them of liability for extra damages. The contract states \"It is understood and agreed that in order to perform the above described work, sheetrock, wallpaper, or the other rigid materials may crack.\" That does NOT state that they are relieved of liability for damages that occur AFTER their work has been completed.
I may fight this because I see no reason why I should have to pay for this out of my own pocket because THEY neglected their warranty customers for 60 days. I'm willing to bet that they serviced new customers within that time period.
My experience with Olshan was a disaster. They charged me almost $6K and left me with over $40K damage to my home in Raytown, Mo. Stay away from those people. In Raytown they used all hispanic labor on my Job except for the alleged \"engineer in charge\" which turned out not to be an engineer at all. The laborers even went as far as to piss (killed grass) and crap (fertilized grass)in my yard. When I complained about that (showed crap pictures) the manager said it must have been dogs.
I want to thank EVERYONE here for helping me to make a decision NOT to use Olshan. My Mother is elerly now and everyone that comes out here wants to charge her a HORRIBLE amount of money to fix her house. They all have her scared to death and want her to hurry up and make a decision. Thank you everyone for helping me to find out before hand, about Olshan!
If there was no way they could shore up a foundation, they should have never accepted the contract. So even if it was on a bog, the contractor is at fault here.
I've studied alternative building methods for quite a while, and I understand, I think, the various forces a foundation needs to be able to respond to.. and basically, if you cut corners or do not properly assess the situation, you're going to find yourself in trouble.
An old roommate of mine had grown up building the house he lived with, of course, his parents. They tried a shallow rubble trench foundation with no basement, and in the spring their house ended up flooding.
There's nothing wrong with the rubble trench, but you need, at the bottom of that trench, a pipe that drains the excess water away from the house.
After two years of minor flooding, they expanded the trench around the house and put in the drain tile they needed to begin with.
Now that's owner/builder stuff, illustrating some of the dangers of trying to get away from traditional foundations and basements.
It sounds like this is a concrete pier system, and any contractor who specializes in this should know what happens when you make a mistake or skimp too much on planning, labor, or materials.
From my first reading, it sounds like they've skimped on all three. They didn't figure out where the piers were needed to distribute the weight of the house properly, and they apparently need to keep returning to jack the house up. The piers are still sinking.
They're sinking because they were not driven deep enough. They're sinking because there are too few, and placed inadequately, so that the house will not evenly settle.
The result? The house isn't squared off properly. Doors won't open. Eventually, windows will break. And it keeps sinking.
Incompetence all around.