The foundation of a home is, without a doubt, one of the most important parts of a home because it is the structure upon which the bulk of the home sits. Consequently, if the foundation becomes damaged, the rest of the house can become damaged over time as well. There are three primary forms of home foundation: crawl spaces, slabs, and full basements. For each type of foundation, there are a number of signs that can indicate there are problems in the foundation and a professional should be brought in to look at it. This article will take a look at several ways to tell your home’s foundation needs to be looked at.
- Cracks Forming in the Foundation Slab: One way to tell if your home’s foundation needs to be looked at is if cracks begin to form in the foundation slab. Whether large or small, cracks forming in the foundation are usually symptomatic of something bad happening in and around the foundation itself. If cracks are spotted forming in the slab, it is important to bring in foundation repair contractors to examine the slab to make sure no larger problems are forming before the cracks are repaired.
- Mold and Water Damage in the Crawl Space: Another way to tell if the foundation needs to be looked at is if mold and water damage is found in the crawl space. This can be a sign that unwanted moisture is getting into the crawl space, which can lead to the area rotting out if left untreated. A common solution for this issue is to use crawl space encapsulation services to seal the area against moisture, allowing the area to stay relatively dry.
- Parts of the Foundation are Settling and Sinking: A third way to tell if the foundation needs to be looked at is if parts of the foundation are noticeably settling and sinking into the ground. This can happen for a number of reasons and is generally fixed through the use of house leveling services. Also known as slab jacking in certain cases, house leveling services are used to raise the sunken part of the foundation back up to where it should be, while the ground underneath is fixed and fortified to prevent the issue from easily happening again. As the name implies, house leveling services can also be used to raise damaged portions of the home itself back up to where they should be.
- Excessive Water Damage in the Basement and on the Foundation: And finally, a fourth way to tell if your home’s foundation needs to be looked at is if there is excessive water damage in the basement. Water damage, if it’s not coming from a leaking appliance, or leaking pipes, can be a sign that water is somehow getting into the basement area and damaging the foundation. One common way to fix this issue is to waterproof the interior and exterior of the basement.
In conclusion, there are a number of ways to tell you home’s foundation needs to be looked at. The signs of problems include cracks forming in the foundation, mold and water damage in the crawl space, parts of the foundation settling and sinking, and excessive water damage in the basement. These issues can be fixed in a number of ways, and if done promptly can help to ensure the foundation remains safe and secure for a long time to come.
