How To Properly Deal With Your Foundation Repair Issues

The most valuable investments you can have in your life is your home. So, it only makes sense that keeping its structural integrity should be your number one priority. It means ensuring that your home’s foundation is safe and sound, free of any structural issues. Otherwise, a variety of other frustrating problems can plague your house, costing you thousands of dollars to fix. So, what are the chances that the integrity of your foundation has been compromised?

The Potential Causes of Foundation Problems

There are many possible causes of foundation problem but there’s one thing that you shouldn’t mainly blame it for the age of your home. If you have an old home, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re doomed to experience a structural issue and you’re clear if you have a new house.

Even if home foundations are made in different types using various materials, from wood to concrete and masonry, they are all subject to similar stressors that can cause structural problems. These include the three common ones below:

• Settlement – this is due to the soil underneath the foundation of your home that has shrunk. It can be attributed to weather and time.
• Foundation heave – this happens if the soil underneath your home’s foundation had surged up, which may also be due to the settling of other nearby areas. 
• Stem walls had deteriorated – this wall serves as the base structure to which the floors and other walls of your home are connected. It directly sits atop the concrete slab of the foundation.

Investigating Through The Telltale Signs Of Foundation Issues

While only the experts can really determine the exact cause of foundation problem, there are some visible cues that can help you look for potential foundation repair problems. You can follow these ways.

• Begin your search for signs indoors

Warning signs that you have a foundation problem can be visible indoors but not all changes you see points out to it. Some potential cues include wall cracks that spread over the windows and doorways, doors that stick or don’t latch well, walls that begin to stick, bulging basement, and sloping floors. While these are just potential indicators and can mean other things, seeing any or a combination of these changes calls for further investigation. 

• Look for other signs outdoors

Major cues of a foundation problem that you can spot outdoors also vary. Specifically, check along the perimeter o your home. The walls of your foundation should not be bulging out or leaning to one side. If they do, you may have a serious problem on your shoulder since it can indicate that your home’s foundation is not adequately supported or may have shifted. You can check further by probing the concrete wall using a screwdriver and hope that it won’t flake away.

• Determining the root cause of the problem

When you have a suspicion that the foundation of your home might be compromised because of the major signs you see, a foundation repair company can help you determine it. They can perform an inspection and can assess what’s really causing the damages you’re seeing inside or outside your house. Since foundation issues can be due to many things, from changes in the moisture in the soil to the roots of growing trees close to your house, it would be best that the experts deal with this issue to accurately tell the root cause.

They won’t only suggest the necessary foundation repairs your house needs but also help you prevent any underlying issues that are causing the damage to your foundation in the first place. And since every case of foundation issue is unique, the cost of fixing the problem varies. Only one thing is for sure – that it will be fixed by the right person who has the expertise and skills in this field.