The foundation is one of the most important parts of the home, because that is the structure upon which the bulk of the house sits. There are three primary forms of home foundation: crawl spaces, slabs, and full basements. If the foundation of the home gets damaged or begins to fail, then the house is in danger of failing as well. With that in mind, there are a number of problems that can occur with a home’s foundation that require foundation repair contractors to fix them. This article will take a look at several problems that can damage your home’s foundation if not fixed quickly.
- Termite Damage: One problem that can affect your home’s foundation is termite damage. While termites can’t damage a concrete foundation, they can get into and severely damage any wooden supports connected to a concrete foundation. And if the wooden supports become compromised, the foundation could be put in jeopardy regardless of how intact the concrete remains. One way to prevent termite damage is to coat any exposed wood in a substance that will repel termites, as well as closing any openings that a termite could get through.
- Water Damage: Another problem that can affect your home’s foundation is water damage. Of all homes with basements, over 98% will experience some type of water damage. If you find excessive water damage in your basement, and leaking pipes aren’t responsible, then one solution is to have your basement waterproofed. This can be done with interior waterproofing and exterior waterproofing. Both options will work to keep water from penetrating into the basement and damaging the foundation.
- Cracked and Settling Foundation Slab: And finally, a third problem that can affect your home’s foundation is cracks forming in the slab along with the foundation settling and sinking into the ground. Cracks can form because the foundation is settling, or they can be caused by other reasons entirely. If a settling foundation is the problem, then one solution that can fix it is to call in house leveling service to raise the sunken portion of the foundation back up to where it needs to be, and then reinforcing the area underneath to make sure it can’t easily happen again. If cracks are the issue with no visible cause, then a contractor will have to come look at the foundation to see what is causing the issue before recommending a solution.
In conclusion, there are several problems that can damage your home’s foundation. These problems include, but are not limited to: termite damage, water damage, and a cracked and settling foundation. If any of these issues are spotted in your home’s foundation, they need to be fixed as soon as possible, to prevent further structural issues from happening.
