Helical
Deck Piles
Edmonton Screw Pile Pros
Screw Piles for Decks
Screw piles or Helical Piers are the superior foundation choice over most other building alternatives in the Edmonton area. If you’re looking to build a foundation for your deck using helical piles, then we can help.
Certified Screw Piles Foundations Are:
- Economical
- Fast
- Easy
- Non-invasive
- Long Lasting
This makes screw pilings the ideal choice for your next deck project. Our experienced installation crews provide the very best in customer service at a fantastic value.
Contact Us for a Quote Today
Edmonton's Best Helical Deck Pile Installer
- Superior to concrete deck piles in every way
- CCMC Certified and Alberta Building Code Compliant
- No excavation required with no fill to haul away
- Specialized equipment able to access most backyard gates
- No frost jacking or heaving
- Quick and noninvasive installations
The Right Choice When Building Your Deck
There are several things to consider when choosing to use Screw Piles for your new deck vs traditional concrete footings.
Screw piles do not require any excavation to install. Concrete piles require drilling a hole, removing that soil and refilling that hole with concrete. The soil that is removed creates the extra task of having to haul it away.
You can begin building your deck on top of your screw pile foundation immediately after they have been installed. Where concrete footings need additional time to allow the concrete to cure and harden before work can be started.
Concrete piles are prone to frost jacking. A common issue with concrete piles is that they can crack at the frost line. This crack allows moisture to penetrate the pile and lift the concrete out of the ground when that moisture freezes. Because helical screw piles are made of a welded piece of steel tubing this problem can’t happen. Frost jacking rarely occurs with helical piles. So long as the helix of the screw pilings has been installed well below the frost line, frost jacking can not happen.
Screw Pile foundations can be installed during a short service call. The average installation usually takes less than one hour. Opposed to concrete which can take significantly longer. Especially when considering the cleanup and cure times that helical piles do not require.
When you consider the time and cost needed to build concrete piles, screw piles easily become the better option. And when we also consider the longevity and stability in winter seasons, it is easy to see why screw piles are now the new standard in deck foundations.
What To Expect When Installing Helical Screw Piles for Decks
Having screw piles installed to support your new deck is a fast and non-invasive process. Understanding the installation process can help.
How large is the machine that’s used to install screw piles for Decks?
Our Deck Piles are installed using a small walk behind skid-steer with a drive head attachment. This machine is 36″ wide and can access most backyards through the gate. Our machine is on rubber tracks that do not damage the ground (dry conditions).
What connects the screw piles to your deck?
After a pile has been screwed into the ground a cap is placed on the top of the pile. The pile cap is what connects the pile to the beam of the deck. A standard flat cap is an 8” diameter steel plate with slotted holes. Lag bolts can then be driven through these slots in the cap to secure the beam in place. Offset caps are available to allow lateral adjustment of the beam. Adjustable caps are also available to allow for vertical adjustment of the beam after the deck has been built. The threaded adjustable caps can’t be offset.
How far do helical piles need to be from a house?
Deck piles have a helix that is 12 inches in diameter. To avoid damaging the weeping tile that surrounds a home’s foundation, screw piles need to be a minimum of 20 inches away from a house.
How far do piles need to be from a utility line?
Piles are required to be a minimum of 1 meter away from the location of an underground utility line. If a utility has been made visible by an approved method screw piles may be installed right next to a line so long as that line is not touched.
Before You Build Your Deck Foundation
What to know about utility line locates:
All screw pile installation crews are required by the to work under a valid utility locate ticket. Edmonton Screw Pile Pros asks all customers to obtain and verify a valid locate ticket with us before we schedule a day for installation.
Where to request a Utility Locate?
Home owners can apply for a free utility line locate on the Alberta One-Call website.
How long is an Alberta one-call good for?
Alberta One-Call Utility Locate Tickets are valid for 30 days from when they are issued.
Are Alberta One-Call Utility Locates Mandatory?
“The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code, the Alberta Electrical Utility Code and the Alberta Pipeline Regulation require that the locations of all buried utilities be marked before a ground disturbance begins. This applies to anyone planning to disturb the ground, not just contractors.” – Alberta One-Call FAQ
