Audrey
The base of your home is super important. If there are any issues with it, you could end up with cracked walls, doors that won’t open properly, and uneven floors. In the worst cases, the house could shift or settle so much that it becomes unsafe and unstable. These problems mean the whole house is at risk. It’s not something any homeowner wants to deal with! This guide will teach you the right ways to inspect and maintain your home’s foundation to prevent those kinds of issues from happening. It’ll also explain the common mistakes people make with their foundation that allow small problems to turn into huge, expensive repair nightmares down the road. Making good choices about fixing the foundation is really important. That’s because letting problems go can lead to the house being unsafe or you having to spend unwanted money. Learning how to properly take care of the foundation and stay ahead of any foundation concerns right away.
To-Dos:
1. Do Hire Professional Contractors
Foundation issues require extremely specialized knowledge and expertise to properly diagnose and repair. Trying to handle foundation repairs as a DIY project can end up severely worsening the damage or creating new structural hazards you’re unequipped to handle safely. Experienced professionals undergo extensive training, have access to specialized repair equipment, and follow strict building codes and standards to ensure any foundation work is completed correctly to restore stability and prevent future issues. While planning to do foundation repair, you can take support from affordable locksmiths to fix your broken locks.
2. Do Watch Vigilantly for Warning Signs
Early detection is absolutely crucial for stopping foundation problems before they escalate into nightmarish, expensive repair jobs. Look for telltale signs like cracks in interior or exterior walls, floors becoming noticeably uneven, doors or windows sticking or not opening properly, or water collecting in your basement. If you spot any of these red flags, it’s imperative to have an expert inspect and assess the foundation damage promptly before it grows to catastrophic levels.
3. Do Make Sure Water Drains Properly
Improper drainage, causing water to continuously pool against the base, is one of the leading culprits behind foundation damage over time. The accumulated water will slowly erode and shift the soil underneath, destabilizing the foundation’s footing. Have downspouts and grading inspected to guarantee all water is directed a safe distance away from the home. The soil should slope gradually away so no water has a chance to collect.
4. Do Install Waterproofing Measures
While concrete foundations are inherently sturdy, they are not impervious to water intrusion without extra waterproofing defenses. Depending on your home’s specific needs, solutions like exterior waterproof membrane coatings, french drain systems, or sump pumps can comprehensively safeguard the foundation from moisture damage and shifting caused by excessive water exposure.
5. Do Schedule Regular Foundation Inspections
Much like annual medical checkups, getting your home’s foundation evaluated by certified inspectors on a yearly or twice-yearly basis allows them to catch any minor developing issues at the earliest stage. This prevents small problems from escalating into major structural damage, requiring disruptive, costly repairs down the road. Routine inspections give you peace of mind and keep your home’s foundation in top condition.
6. Do Act Promptly to Make Any Needed Repairs
Once an issue has been discovered and diagnosed by a professional, it’s imperative you move forward with their recommended repair plan right away. Procrastinating or postponing the work will only allow the damage to spread further while also increasing risks to your home’s safety and stability. Addressing foundation problems immediately is always the wisest financial decision versus waiting for issues to multiply and require much more extensive, expensive repairs. During the foundation repair process, affordable locksmiths can also assist with any needed lock repairs.
Not to Dos:
1. Don’t Attempt DIY Repairs
While handy homeowners can often successfully DIY interior renovations, foundation repair is an extremely specialized discipline requiring expert skills the average person simply does not possess. Even a well-intentioned amateur could inadvertently make catastrophic structural mistakes that severely compromise the home’s integrity and safety. Not only are improper repairs ineffective, but they violate building codes and could impact your property’s insurability or resale value. Always leave foundation work to certified professionals.
2. Don’t Ignore Warning Signs
Oblivious homeowners who notice suspicious cracks forming but brush them off put themselves at major risk of facing a disastrous foundation repair situation down the road. What may seem like superficial cosmetic issues are frequently symptomatic of much larger, underlying foundation instability that will only grow more severe the longer it goes unaddressed. Any worrisome signs warrant an immediate professional inspection to diagnose and remedy issues early before expensive structural damage results.
3. Don’t Use Temporary Quick Fixes
While temporary quick-fix repairs like concrete shorting pads may be fast interior solutions to re-level a settled foundation, they fail to solve the core underlying causes behind the sinking or shifting. Issues like excess moisture, poor drainage, or compromised soil will remain and continue degrading the area under the temporary pads until they inevitably fail again. Always insist on comprehensive repairs that address the root sources of foundation trouble for lasting results.
4. Don’t Hire a General Residential Contractor
Repairing the foundation of a large commercial building presents vastly different obstacles beyond the typical residential job. Commercial properties require coordinating repairs across a much wider scale, navigating unique architectural and occupancy concerns, and often have stricter regulations to follow. Hire a company that specializes exclusively in commercial foundation repair to ensure they have the equipment, manpower, and expertise to handle a project of that magnitude properly.
5. Don’t Accept Concrete Pads as the Only Solution
While pads can temporarily stabilize and re-level a settled foundation, they still leave the entire weight resting on the same compromised, unmended soil that allowed the initial setting to occur. This is just kicking the can down the road until the pads eventually fail again. A permanent fix requires lifting the foundation and installing piers driven past the compromised upper soil layer to transfer the weight onto load-bearing strata for lasting stabilization.
6. Don’t Postpone or Procrastinate On Repairs
While dealing with foundational problems is certainly an unwanted hassle and expense, putting off the required work is extremely unwise and will only further jeopardize the safety and structural integrity of your home or property over time. The longer repairs are delayed, the more extensive and costly damage will occur as issues are allowed to proliferate unchecked. Schedule foundation repairs promptly to resolve problems swiftly and prevent dangerous escalation. Before proceeding with the repair work, you may also need the assistance of affordable locksmiths for any locked rooms.
Conclusion
Taking good care of the base of your home is very important. We provided the right and wrong ways to go about dealing with any problems in these areas. The key things to remember are to always leave those repairs to trained professionals, never ignore warning signs like cracks in the walls, make sure water flows away from the house properly, and get regular inspections done. Attempting repairs yourself, ignoring problems, using temporary quick fixes, or hiring random contractors will only lead to safety hazards, and you are wasting a bunch of money. Following the proper dos and don’ts is the smart way to keep your home’s foundation in tip-top shape for years to come.
