A strong foundation is important to hold up any building for a long time. A strong foundation is responsible for holding the weight of the entire building and distributing it evenly throughout. A strong foundation will keep the building safe and prevent settling, it will also protect the structure from natural calamities such as earthquakes, and protect our home from any other outside damages. A foundation repair is a must if you are facing any issues with the foundation of your house.
The foundation cannot be compromised to maintain the stability and longevity of your house. The condition of your house before and after depends on the foundation. With a damaged foundation, there are higher chances of moisture seeping inside your house, which can result in more problems.
The foundation must hold up the “live” and “dead” loads. Live loads are the people and the things they bring in with them. At the same time, the dead load is the weight of the building in itself. A foundation of the building must be able to hold both weights to function properly in years to come.
5 Warning Signs Your Home Needs A Foundation Repair
You might have a damaged foundation in your home that is screaming for help, and you are unaware about it. 5 of the common warning signs your home needs a foundation repair are as follows:
Visible Signs of Cracks in Walls and Floor
If you start noticing signs of cracks inside your house, your house might indicate a possible movement of a hidden foundation problem. One of the common signs of foundation problems in our home is seeing cracks in different areas, from walls and floors to our basements and ceilings. Damages are often caused due to the settlement problem that is deeply rooted in a foundation.
The cracks might come in different shapes and sizes and can be found throughout the house. Some common types of cracks you will come across are:
- Horizontal cracks
- Vertical cracks
- Visible cracks in the basement
- Cracks on the staircase
- Cracks on the floors
If you spot any signs of cracks inside your homes, make sure you get immediate help from a professional to understand the root cause of the problem. While the cracks might also indicate a different problem, early detection of any issue helps us prevent future damages.
Uneven or Sloping Floor
If you are experiencing any uneven or sloping floors within your home, you might be dealing with foundation issues. When a foundation does not settle evenly, you notice uneven or dropping floors throughout the house.
The cause of uneven settling of the foundation might be soil shifting, inadequate soil compaction, and changes in moisture level under the foundation. If your foundation is weak and moves, it can cause floor sloping. The movement is often triggered by soil erosion, weakening the foundation over time. With issues like these, your house will be at greater risk of drainage problems, plumbing issues, excessive water flow, etc.
Sticking Doors and Windows
If you start facing problems with your doors and windows where they are stuck shut and it is hard to open them, it might be because of a foundation problem. If your house windows and doors are jammed, foundation shifting is the main reason behind it.
If your foundation shifts, the structure of your home starts to get affected. Then the shifting can eventually result in misaligned doors and window frames. Over time, doors and window frames jam and stick. Uneven settling of the foundation is another reason your doors and windows jam. The imbalance caused by uneven settling affects the whole structure of the house as well as the door and window frames making them harder to function seamlessly.
Therefore, if you start noticing clear signs like these, it is important to check the condition of your foundation and seek the help of a professional.
Water Damage and Pooling
Another major sign of foundation damage in your home is when you start noticing water damage and excessive water pooling around your foundation. Different water-related problems around the house are major problems as they might indicate foundation damage. Some of the major water damage problems you may encounter if you have any foundation damage are:
- Soil Saturation
- Soil Erosion
- Foundation Cracks
- Water Intrusion in the Basement
- Shifts in Soil Moisture Content
The presence of water may lead to a deeper and underlying problem of foundation damage. If you start noticing any of these problems, you can seek professional help to repair your foundation and fix the water problem around the house.
Gaps and Spaces
Gaps and Spaces are another warning sign that indicates a foundation problem within your home. If the foundation is not settled properly, it can result in gaps and spaces over time in different structural elements of your home. Gaps such as floor gaps, wall gaps, and ceiling gaps are major signs of foundation settlement.
Often gaps and spaces are caused when the foundation shifts. Foundation starts to shift and move when the soil below the foundation starts to expand due to excessive moisture. After the moisture cools down, the soil gets dry and starts to shrink causing the foundation to shift in the process which causes gaps and spaces throughout the building.
Conclusion
We tend to overlook the common signs that our building is showing and brush it aside. In many cases, our houses are showing the most common signs of a foundation issue that we are unaware of. When we find cracks and spaces throughout the home, we blame everything else but ignore the root issue.
It is important to investigate when we come across different cracks on the walls and floors. If we are not sure of what it could be and what is causing it, getting help from a professional would answer a lot of questions. We can work with a professional to understand the cracks and foundation.
Professional foundation repair services also can early detect the condition of our foundation. This can save us from further issues in the future and also minimize extra cost and expenses. We should, therefore, spend time examining the foundation of our homes in order to determine if it is in a good condition, as a weak foundation will deteriorate its structure!
We hope you found this blog post on 5 Warning Signs Your Home Needs Foundation Repair useful. Be sure to check out our post on Warning Signs of Foundation Repair in a Property for more great tips!
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