Foundation Repair Keeps Your Whole Home Sound - Don't Let Settling Or Cracking Destroy Your House!
By Matt Gallo
Your foundation is the footing on which the rest of your home sits-so when it has problems, so does the rest of your house! Over time, soil settlement, heavy rains, or other ground movement issues can create problems for even well-designed foundations. Cracking, crumbling, and settling in your foundation causes structural instability and spells serious trouble for your home. If not resolved efficiently and effectively, foundation failure can trigger building collapse! Contact your local foundation contractors if you're concerned your foundation may be compromised.
Indications of foundation settling, cracking, and bowing can crop up inside and outside your home. A few common signs to watch for can include:
- Bowing, bulging or leaning foundation walls
- Stair step cracks in masonry
- Basement leaks, water stains, and musty smells
- Sticking windows and doors
- Cracking brick veneer, masonry, or walls
- Tilting, leaning, or collapsing chimneys
If your basement, foundation, or home is demonstrating any of these symptoms, you need to have your house assessed by a professional ASAP. Sadly, your foundation will continue to deteriorate until repairs are implemented, so don't wait to seek help.
Depending on your problems, foundation repair can take a variety of different forms. Listed below are a few of the most common:
Foundation Crack Repair: When your foundation has visible cracks, it creates an opening for water to seep in-encouraging mold growth and creating the potential for even more damage through freezing and expansion. Foundation crack repair is actually quite straightforward: your contractors will use an epoxy filler to seal up the crack, preventing the crack from expanding as well as keeping water out.
Foundation Jack Wall Repair: If the walls of your foundation bowed, crumbling, or cracking, they're no longer able to support the full weight of your home, creating a major stability problem. Using jacks and reinforcing beams, both poured and cement block walls with displacement issues can be realigned and correct. By leaving support beams in place even after your walls are straightened, your foundation is fortified for extra support and to prevent this issue from reoccurring.
Foundation Piering: For vertical foundation settlement problems, the answer is generally piering. Using underground supports, your foundation contractors can actually lift your foundation back to its original position, and keep it there! Pressure piering and helical piering are used for soil situations, so depending on the composition of your property, one may be more appropriate than then other. Your foundation repair contractors will create a customized plan to safely and effectively lift and support your foundation to resolve your settling issues.
Basement Waterproofing: Water is bad news for your foundation. From musty smells and mold growth to freezing-based expansion and contraction, water in your basement can lead to serious foundation problems. Basement waterproofing solutions can help resolve these problems before they develop, draining the water away from your foundation before it enters your home.
Regardless of the nature, cause, or severity of your foundation problems, it's important to have them evaluated and repaired by a foundation and basement repair professional. They'll be able to assess the issue as well as recommend specific repair strategies to get your home safe and sound once again. Call your area foundation repair specialists today!
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