Working With Helical Piers

My deck company builds about 50 projects a year. That’s a lot of footings, especially when you hate digging footing holes and mixing up concrete as much as I do. Since I began building with helical piers, I’ve stopped wearing out shovels and posthole diggers. I no longer worry about the inspector arriving on schedule to look at my footing holes — or about watching them fill up with water if he doesn’t. And once a pier is installed, I know exactly how much weight it can support.

A helical pier is a manufactured steel foundation pin that is driven into the soil to a depth below frostline using hydraulic machinery. Helical piers are primarily used in heavy commercial work, but they’re also well-suited for backyard decks, additions, and foundation repairs.