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Foundation Repair
Overview of Foundation Failure
In life, if you don’t have a strong, solid foundation, nothing else really matters. The same is true of your home. That’s because your house and everything in it rest upon this critical structure. So, when there’s something wrong with your home’s foundation, it needs to be addressed, sooner rather than later.
Why foundation problems happen,
and why they should be fixed.
What causes foundation problems?
Most foundation issues come down to one thing: soil. For one or more reasons, the soil underneath your home can no longer bear its weight. This can happen due to excessive moisture, drought or the inadequate compaction of the fill soil placed there by the developer who built your home.
Another problem is contractors who mistakenly assume the soil they’re building on is competent. This happens more often than you’d think because most residential developers don’t employ geotechnical engineers to assess the soil prior to construction the way commercial developers do.
Learn What
Why fix your foundation problems?
Foundation problems typically progress very slowly. In fact, that foundation wall crack in your basement may only grow an inch or two a year. So, it’s easy to put off fixing foundation issues. The thing is, foundation problems don’t get better with time. And, they don’t get less expensive to fix.
Learn Why
Signs of Foundation Failure
Do any of these signs look familiar?
Cracked Brick
Look for stair-step cracks on exterior brick or block walls. You may notice them widening over time.
Shearing Walls
You may notice the block wall “shearing” near the bottom because the concrete floor in the basement is holding the bottom row of blocks in place as the rest of the wall slides inward.
Ceiling Gap
Look for a gap between the ceiling or floor and the interior walls of your home. You may also notice sloping floors, gaps around door frames, sticking doors or cracks in the wall.
Bowing Walls
Because poured concrete walls act as a single unit rather than a group of mortared blocks, they often fail at the top instead of cracking and bowing in. The failing wall breaks free from the rest of the structure, leaning in from the top.
Sagging Floors
Look for floors sloping, sometimes creating a gap between the floor and the interior walls of your home.
Chimney Separation
One of the most visible and dramatic signs of foundation settlement is a chimney separating from the house. This often occurs when the chimney and home rest on separate foundations and settle at different rates.
Cracked Stucco
As with a brick exterior, stucco can crack under stress as a home’s foundation sinks in an uneven manner. Instead of simply being patched, the underlying issue needs to be addressed to prevent future problems.
Signs of foundation failure may not always be so obvious.
When a foundation begins to fail, the signs of this failure may be obvious, such as a foundation wall crack or separating chimney. But other signs may go unnoticed, or you may not even realize they’re signs of a foundation issue. That’s because foundation problems can cause symptoms throughout your home.
See Signs Free Inspection & EstimateDon't let problems like these rob you of your peace of mind.
Find a dealer near you to fix them, so you can breathe easy and sleep well tonight.