The foundation is, without a doubt, one of the most important elements in a home, as it accounts for eight to fifteen percent of the total cost of building a home. There are three primary forms of home foundation: crawl spaces, slabs, and full basements. No matter what type of foundation you have, if any problems should occur it could compromise the integrity of the entire home. This is why it’s so important to know the signs that can indicate growing problems in your home’s foundation. If you can recognize the signs, you’ll know when to send for foundation contractors to have repairs made. This article will take a look at a few of those signs.
- Settling in the Foundation: One warning sign that can indicate problems with your home’s foundation is if it is observed to be settling. This is what happens when the ground underneath the foundation becomes unstable and portions of it begin to sink into the ground. Obvious signs include cracks forming the foundation, and parts of the floor becoming uneven. Once a foundation contractor looks at the foundation to see if this is indeed the problem, house leveling services can be sought to raise the settled portion of the foundation back up to where it should be and make the entire foundation whole again.
- Termite Damage: Another warning sign that can indicate problems with your home’s foundation is termite damage. While termites won’t damage concrete or stone, they can do serious harm to wooden supports that help to hold the foundation up. If any termite damage is found, then it should be fixed as quickly as possible, as the foundation could be in danger of collapse if the wooden supports aren’t repaired and replaced.
- Water Damage: A third warning sign that can indicate problems with your home’s foundation is if excessive water damage is discovered. While 98% of homes with basements will experience some type of water damage, an excessive amount can be a sign of problems forming in the foundation. A foundation contractor can examine the foundation to see what the exact problem is before repairs are started. In all likelihood interior waterproofing services will be needed to fully protect the foundation from this problem occurring again.
- Cracks Forming in the Foundation Slab: And finally, a fourth warning sign that can indicate problems with your home’s foundation is if cracks are seen forming in the foundation slab. Whether large or small, cracks are generally indicators of something going wrong, since foundation slabs are meant to be large and unmoving. A foundation contractor should be sent for to examine the foundation to see if the cracks are signs of problems forming. If they are indeed signs of a problem, then repairmen will be needed to fix the issue as quickly as possible.
In conclusion, there are a number of warning signs that can indicate problems with your home’s foundation. These signs can include settling in the foundation, termite damage, water damage, and cracks forming in the foundation slab. If any of these signs are observed, they should be repaired straightaway to make sure the foundation remains in good repair.