Harman Contracting offers underpinning, reblocking, restumping, screw piling, crack repairs, basement additions & more across Melbourne. Family-run with 45+ years experience.
If you’re experiencing issues such as shifting ground, cracks in walls, or settling floors, you can trust that our team at Harman Contracting will have the experience to know what these problems are, as well as how to fix them. We are in the foundation and structural repair business exclusively. We have been serving Melbourne for a long time.
At Harman Contracting, we are a family business with over 35 years of experience combined among all of our team members. We provide foundation and structural repair services to residential homes, heritage buildings, commercial construction, and industrial projects. We take pride in providing all customers with a straight-talking, high-quality service, regardless of the type of project. We won’t try to sell you more than what you need, we won’t give you vague estimates based on anything other than what we’ve measured and seen with our eyes, and we won’t ever play hide and seek with you. We will always be open and honest about your problems and provide you with quality workmanship.
Underpinning is the foundation upon which we build our business. If you are noticing signs of foundation movement in your property, such as cracks in the walls, sinking floors, or doors that won’t close correctly, underpinning may be one of the most efficacious long-term solutions for you. Using piers, we dig down into stable soil and place steel reinforcement and concrete to establish the appropriate support for your building. We will take care of the entire process for you from the time we conduct the initial inspection through the finished product and also can provide you with structural engineering plans and soil testing if needed.
Many homes in Melbourne were built on timber stumps, the effective lifespan of these stumps is not permanent. Once they start to decay or sink unevenly, your entire house will start to feel the effects of that. Reblocking/restumping is where the existing building is raised up and the decaying/damaged stumps are removed and replaced with a new concrete or steel stump to bring everything back into alignment and put an end to any continued movement. Prior to replacing any of the stumps, we inspect each one and will only replace the ones that really need to be replaced. Nothing more.
Screw piling is a quicker, cheaper alternative to standard concrete footings, and performs exceptionally well within the varying soil conditions of Melbourne. High quality steel (or other types of metal) piles are screwed straight into the ground until stable, load-bearing soil is reached – major excavation is not required. It is less disruptive, fast to install and provides a long-lasting & solid foundation solution both residential & commercial projects. Screw piling can be installed for new foundations or used as part of underpinning/repairing work to existing buildings.
If you need deep, heavy-duty foundation support, bored piers (also referred to as drilled piers) are one of the best options available. We drill down into the ground until we reach a soil level that can support the weight of the building, which may be 5-10m below the surface (depending on site conditions), insert reinforcing steel, and then fill with concrete to form into a permanent pier footing. The many projects we have completed using bored piers include underpinning old homes and as foundation supports for new construction in situations where standard footings would not suffice.
Micropiling is an advanced technique used when traditional piling equipment cannot access a site or the ground condition demands a more accurate execution than what cranes can provide. We have invested heavily into custom-built equipment specifically made for very tight and severely restricted job sites; and our team has successfully executed many micropiling projects throughout Melbourne and Victoria. If you’ve encountered another contractor telling you that your project is impossible — please give us a call before accepting this reply.
Many contractors require space to operate their machinery. We do not! With our telescopic mini excavator we are able to operate in narrow side pathways (less than 1 metre wide), small rear yards (less than 3 metres wide), and inside buildings where full-size machinery will not fit. And our crews are trained specifically for these type of conditions, performing underpinning and excavation work with extreme care and attention to detail. This is what defines us as a business — we take on the work that others run away from.
Foundation issues do not only create problems for the actual building but also cause disruption to businesses, including their equipment, their operation, and their profit. Our foundation repair specialists work on projects throughout the warehouse, office, manufacturing facilities, loading docks, and parking areas to reduce business interruption as much as possible. Our foundation solutions are tailored for businesses, and we also recognize how important it is to get commercial projects completed quickly and efficiently.
If you’re looking for more usable space without going up or out, consider the possibility of adding a basement! We are able to design and build basement additions under existing homes using innovative construction techniques that allow you to remain in your home during construction. Back in 2007, our team was awarded an HIA Renovations and Additions Innovative Design Award for a basement living project and it was this same level of skill and creativity that has gone into every basement addition since then. Adding a basement to your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to add both usable space and value to your home.
Cracks appear in all shapes and sizes on walls, but they are usually not just aesthetic issues. The underlying problem that you have may be causing a crack in your wall to occur at the foundation level of your home. If you ignore this issue, you can make it worse rather than repair it forever. Our team can successfully determine what is causing your crack and repair that specific cause instead of just treating the surface of the crack. The result will be a more permanent repair rather than returning within 12 months.
Salt damp is common among coastal homes, where salt crystals will enter the structure of the wall material and continue to cause damage to the plaster, paint, and masonry over time. Not only does it look terrible, but it can also seriously affect the structure over time. We can treat any damp walls and salt-damp properties as part of our large structural services. If your property has been dealing with ongoing issues from dampness, we can help.
Not all foundations require complete replacement. If your foundation has a specific issue – such as a section of your foundation has failed, or there is eroded soil underneath the slab, or one corner of a structure has shifted while the rest remains in good condition, we can perform targeted repairs as well as total underpinning projects. All our work comes with an engineering certification when needed, and we are registered builders who are fully insured. Our company stands behind all the quality of our work.
The situation is also fairly standard when we first evaluate a building’s foundation. Most of our clients are unsure about what steps to take when their foundation fails. If you need help solving your foundation issue, call us to schedule a consultation. We’ll come out to your property and take a detailed look at your situation to determine what is necessary to correct the problems with your foundation and how much it will cost to perform those repairs. No obligation. No jargon. Just straight answers from people who know their trade.
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