Construction & Contractors Blog
Owning a home is a significant accomplishment, and every homeowner wants to protect the structural integrity of their home. One of the parts you should pay attention to is the foundation. Your foundation can have problems due to various reasons such as poor soil compaction, climate, drainage problems, and soil moisture problems. It is vital to discover these issues early and fix them before they develop further. Here are three signs you need foundation repair.
1. Presence of Cracks
You need to take action if you see cracks in your foundation, walls, or chimney. It is usual for a foundation to have tiny cracks during the early years after construction. When the concrete hardens or cures, it tends to shrink, resulting in minor harmless cracks.
However, wide cracks denote a foundation issue. Although wall and chimney cracks are mostly caused by water damage, they may also arise from foundation issues. Thus, it is vital to hire an expert to inspect the cracks and confirm if they are linked to the foundation problems to ensure you employ the right solutions.
2. Sinking
If one side of your house seems to settle lower than the other, the possibility is your foundation is settling or sinking. Thus, you should respond quickly. Even if you see a slight change, you should get foundation repair services because ignoring it could lead to extensive settling. Sinking can cause sticking doors and windows when its effects push them out of their original positions.
The professionals can solve this problem by driving steel posts through the unstable soil with a hydraulic jack to raise concrete slabs. This process is called piering. They can also pump grout under the concrete to produce a force that will lift it. This procedure is called slab jacking. The experts will help you choose the right technique for your house.
3. Foundation Upheaval
When the soil expands, it can force a foundation to move upwards, leading to a foundation upheaval. This can also be caused by heavy rains or plumbing leakages that make the soil underneath your foundation wet. Typically, damp soil is heavy, and so it can push the foundation upwards. Foundation upheaval is the opposite of settling or sinking. You should inspect your foundation often to see if it is above its original position. This problem can also make your windows and doors stick.
You should not ignore any foundation problem. If you notice any of these warning signs, you should reach out to a local foundation repair service.
Share8 February 2021
My name is Debbie Greenberg. I’m a single woman who owns her home, and like most homeowners I dread home repairs. I’m not very handy with do-it-yourself projects around the house. I can do a few minor repairs when necessary, but for the most part I have to call in a professional. Last year I had a leak in my roof. When it rained, water would leak into my kitchen. What appeared to be a simple fix turned out to be anything but simple. It took over four months to finally identify the problem, and double the money I was initially quoted to fix it. The problem ended up being that the flat part of my roof didn't have shingles, but a sheeting material. I learned a bit about home roofs along the way, and that is what I want to share with you.
